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Saturday, September 6, 1986  Rance Harmon Wins
Rance becomes the first out of Towner to win the World Figure 8 Championship

Rance Harmon became the first non-Speedrome driver to win the World Figure 8 Championship in 1986.
The Kentuckiana Figure 8 veteran broke a nine-year stranglehold among winning Speedrome drivers as he finished one lap ahead of defending champion Wayne Arnold at the end of three hours.

Harmon, a two-time runner-up, completed 411 laps to collect a special 10th anniversary winner’s prize of $10,000. Clarence Peters of Louisville owned the number 16 IROC Camaro.

Charlie Reed with 393 laps completed, Mike St. John 392 and Bruce Tunny 391 trailed the two front-runners. Tunny recovered to complete his final 71 laps to after a three-car stack-up at the crossover.

Harmon led three different times for a total of 105 laps and gained his winning one-lap advantage when Arnold could not make up a one-lap deficit after his final pit stop with 30 minutes to go. He was hampered by late-race handling problems.

Michigan drivers Bob Studt, Mike Baas, Mitch Diekman and Jack Dandy were 6-7-8-9 in a strong showing.

Anderson Speedway Figure-8 Champion Joe McKinney was 10th to earn the Sonny Eaton Memorial Award as the top finishing rookie, nosing New York’s Joe Biodnolillo by one-lap for the award.

Joe Lowe moved from his 44th starting position to finish 21st to earn the Sonny Thompson Memorial Award.

Sixty drivers competed in the 10th Annual World Figure 8 Championship. Wayne Arnold started on the pole after qualifying at 17.939 seconds.

Early race leaders included St. John, Harmon, Tunny, Reed, Bill Tunny Jr., and Arnold, who made up a five-lap deficit to take the lead on lap 223 when Charlie Reed pitted unexpectedly. Harmon took over the lead for good on lap 319. Harmon and Arnold made contact as they slowed to get through the crossover.

Bruce Tunny’s stack-up and Dandy’s fire-erupting car were among the more spectacular mishaps. Bobby Ellett got airborne after going over Joe Jackson’s car. Bill Tunny Jr. was collected into a seven car crash in the third turn to end his winning hopes. Five Time World Figure 8 Champion Kenny St. John was involved in an early four-car collision.

Noted competitors in the 11th annual World Figure 8 Championship were Joe Biondolillo, who finished 13th, Robbie Loving a mere 17 year of Michigan, and Desoto, Florida Speedway Champion Clyde Cole.

“There isn’t a race like this anywhere else in the world,” Cole said. “That’s they call it the World Figure 8 Championship.”

The Michigan Invader and racing legend Bob Studt and Robbie Loving said after the race that this race is the “Daytona of Figure 8 Racing.”