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Saturday, September 9, 1989
It takes 2 Days, But Wayne Arnold Claims 3rd World Figure 8 Championship

Patience paid off in a big way for Wayne Arnold in the 13th Annual World Figure 8 Championship held September 10, 1989. It took two days for Arnold to complete his winning total 337 laps because the race, which started Saturday evening, was stopped by rain after 57 minutes. The race was restarted Sunday Afternoon after the first-ever rain postponement in the history of the World Figure 8 Championship.

Arnold’s third and final World Championship and $6,000 first prize money came despite constant pressure from 2nd place finisher Ronnie Clontz who chased Arnold through the more than 200 laps completed Sunday afternoon. Ronnie Clontz drove his best race of his career. Clontz completed 327 laps for second place and a standing ovation from the crowd as his car hauled from the track as he crashed as the checkered flag was thrown for future Hall of Famer Wayne Arnold.

Jack Dandy, representing Michigan’s ARCA Figure 8 racers, finished 3rd for the best finish by a non-Speedrome driver. It was also Dandy’s best finish in ten years of competition in the World Figure 8. Jack one of the most colorful drivers in the history of the World Championship. He completed 319 laps.

Noticeably absent from the list of top finishers were the 1987 World Figure 8 Champion Mike St. John, and the 1989 Speedrome One Hour Figure 8 winner Chargin Charlie Reed. Both drivers had frustrating runs that resulted in a crossover incident between the two top drivers. St. John completed 128 laps for 37th place and Reed finished 100 laps for 41st.

Arnold led eight of the first ten laps, then relinquished the lead for the next 91 laps, as defending World Champ Leonard Basham and Speedrome rising star Richard Fenwick dueled for the point, with both drivers encountering trouble before the rain set in on Saturday night. Both drivers repaired their cars and returned Sunday with Basham coming home 13th, and Fenwick was 21st. But Arnold and Clontz stole the show when racing resumed on Sunday afternoon.

Michigan’s Robbie Loving and Speedrome veteran Joe Lowe both improved 28 spots during the race to share the Sonny Thompson Memorial Award.

The Sonny Eaton Memorial Rookie of the Race award went to New Castle’s Darwin Blankenship. The Anderson Speedway driver was 19th for the best finish among first time drivers.

A total of 76 cars ran in the race, which tied the record set in 1988 for the largest field of cars. Despite several spectacular accidents, no one was injured.

Lap Leaders
1-3 Wayne Arnold
4 Leonard Basham
5-9 Wayne Arnold
10-11 Leonard Basham
12-13 Richard Fenwick
14-39 Leonard Basham
40-100 Ronnie Clontz
101-131 Wayne Arnold
132-144 Ronnie Clontz
145-337 Wayne Arnold