Taylor captures thrilling season finale

By Ken de la Bastide

The 2021 season ended at Anderson Speedway with a new track record, three wide racing in the corner and a winner not decided until the final lap.

During Kenyon Midget qualifying Ayrton Houk set a new track record of 12.312-seconds around the quarter mile high-banked oval to earn the K&K Marketing fast qualifier award.

Dameron Taylor won the heat race and just by starting the feature Houk won the Kenyon Midget Series championship.

The fans that braved cool temperatures witnessed the three front running cars go three-wide coming off the second corner on the first circuit. That set up a race long dog-fight between Taylor, Houk and Colin Grissom. Taylor grabbed the lead at the start with Ayrton Houk and Colin Grissom glued to his tail tank. Lap after lap, Houk attempted to make an inside pass entering Turn 1, but Taylor was able to keep up the momentum coming off the second corner. Grissom claimed the second spot on Lap 28 with an inside pass exiting the second corner when Houk drifted high. Taylor went on to win by .175 of a second over Grissom with Houk coming home in third.

“I knew he (Houk) had a fast car,” Taylor said. “Every time I saw him on the inside, I would just give it a little gas to break his momentum.”

Houk said he was racing for a second win at Anderson Speedway this season. “I tried everything I could to get to the lead,” he said in the winner’s circle. “We had a really fast car tonight, but I knew it would be tough to pass Dameron once he got out front.”

Grissom followed up his 2020 championship with a runner-up finish with Jack Macenko finishing third in the point standings.