WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. – Anthony McCune collected his long-awaited first Must See Racing Sprint Car Series presented by Engine Pro victory in a thrilling finish Friday night at Golden Sands Speedway.
McCune, the nephew of five-time defending series champion Jimmy McCune, was running second in the closing laps of the 40-lap main event when he ran down race-long leader Joe Liguori in traffic coming to the white flag.
Anthony McCune’s familiar Abe’s Auto Parts & Sales/B&B Machinery Movers No. 8 dipped to the inside of Liguori’s black No. 13 in turns three and four, with McCune edging Liguori by a nose to lead lap 39.
McCune then completed the pass of turn two on the final lap and raced home to victory, beating Liguori and company back to the finish line by .794 seconds.
It was an emotional breakthrough for the young gun, a former series rookie of the year who had tried since 2015 to collect a victory, with multiple podium finishes but no trophies to show for his efforts before Friday.
“So many times we’ve lost these races in traffic, it feels good to finally get our first win that way,” said the younger McCune. “When I saw Liguori go high I knew I just had to go where he wasn’t, so I got underneath him and he kind of bumped wheels … while I was able to split between a couple of lapped cars and get away from him after that.
“This is awesome; it’s a memory I’ll keep for a long time, that’s for sure.”
Following a spin by Tom Jewell on the initial attempt at the green flag, the 40-lapper went caution-free on the second try to get going.
After leading the first 38 laps from the outside pole, Liguori was forced to settle for second, with Jimmy McCune completing the podium. Bobby Santos III and Troy DeCaire were fourth and fifth, respectively.
Jason Blonde, Kevin Feeney, Jerry Caryer, Charlie Schultz and polesitter Jacob Dolinar closed the top 10.
Friday night’s race marked the points opener for the Must See Racing sprint cars, delayed nearly four months due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the motorsports industry.
The Must See Racing Sprint Car Series returns to Golden Sands Speedway Saturday for another complete program, headlined by a 50-lap feature.
The results:
1. 8-Anthony McCune, 2. 13-Joe Liguori, 3. 88-Jimmy McCune, 4. 22a-Bobby Santos III, 5. 36-Troy DeCaire, 6. 42-Jason Blonde, 7. 6k-Kevin Feeney, 8. 75c-Jerry Caryer, 9. 9s-Charlie Schultz, 10. 13d-Jacob Dolinar, 11. 7-Tom Jewell, 12. 8a-Adam Biltz, 13. 26-Jeff Bloom, 14. 72s-Joe Speakman (DNS).