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Saturday September 6, 1985
Wayne Arnold wins Second Title in Flawless V-6 Corvette
 

Wayne Arnold overcame sweltering September heat and outlasted two out of state challengers to win his second World Figure 8 Championship in 1985.

Arnold romped to a $5,000 payday in an updated Corvette that he won the World Championship for the first time in 1983. The 4-time Speedrome track champion’s margin of victory was 19 laps over Rance Harmon of Louisville, Kentucky.

Although Arnold drove a flawless race, he had to dodge a crash that happened to Harmon in the first turn with only 90 seconds remaining.

Afterward, a victorious Arnold recalled, “I saw it happening and had enough room to get through on the outside. It really wasn’t that close when it happened, but it could have been worse.”

Arnold drove a near perfect race and completed 366 laps in the number 1 Corvette owned by Dennis Love. The two-time winner pitted only once and got the break he needed for a comfortable finish when leader Mike St. John left the race with a broken rear-end with 75 minutes left.

It gave Arnold a 10-lap lead over Harmon, which he extended, to his final 19-lap victory margin. Michigan’s Ray Gaddis completed 331 laps to finish third. The top 10 included Bruce Tunny in fourth, then Jack Dandy, Donnie Garrigus, Ben Benedict, Jeff Hizer, Bill Frazer and short-track oval veteran Bob Coffey.

Tunny received much-needed relief driving from Richard Fenwick who finished strong by out-racing Dandy for fourth place by 23 laps during the final 123 laps. Dandy’s late-race effort was plagued by two accidents.
Arnold led eight different times for a total of 196 laps, St. John led for 110 laps, Charlie Reed 40, defending Champion Bobby Ellett 11 and Leonard Basham nine.

Kevin Phegley, the Speedrome Stock Champion of 1983, completed 205 laps and finished 14th to earn the Sonny Eaton Memorial Award as the highest finishing rookie.

Michigan’s Ken Carpenter earned the Sonny Thompson Memorial Award in his Flat Rock Speedway Firebird for best start-finish improvement. He started 53rd but still completed 196 laps to finish 18th.

There were 22 lead changes among five drivers and 17 cautions that slowed Arnold’s winning pace. A total of 62 drivers competed in the ninth annual World Figure 8 classic.