ANDERSON, Ind. – Making his first pavement start in 12 years, Oklahoma driver Brady Bacon earned rookie-of-the-year honors in the 73rd Pay Less Little 500.
Bacon started 20th in the 33-car field Saturday at Anderson Speedway and was credited with a ninth-place finish in the Hoffman Auto Racing entry.
“It was certainly different,” he said of his first Little 500 race. “I don’t think we came quite as prepared as I would have liked to. This was a brand new car and the weather didn’t cooperate when we were testing.”
Bacon said as the race went on, he got more comfortable as the field thinned out.
“A unique experience and really fun,” he said of the event. “It’s an awesome atmosphere. Not many super special races like this that we go too.”
Bacon tipped the team will look to make some improvements and return in 2022.
“I would say my plans are to come back,” he said.
There were five rookies in the starting field, with Jacob McElfresh finishing 14th.
– Several teams expected to contend for the win either suffered mechanical woes or were caught up in on-track incidents.
Nine-time Little 500 winner Eric Gordon returned after 95 laps finishing 30th with a mechanical problem. Gordon had to qualify on bump day and started 22nd.
Former winner Kyle Hamilton hit the turn two outside retaining wall on a lap 137 restart when the car appeared not to turn entering the corner.
Defending race winner Bobby Santos III saw his night ended on lap 275, when the car of Jacob McElfresh made contact with another car running three-wide in turn one. Santos’ car suffered significant damage and McElfresh was able to continue.
Nolen Racing driver Shane Hollingsworth, coming off two strong runs in 2019 and 2020, tangled with Chris Neuenschwander and another car on lap 190 which ended his night.
Two-time winner Brian Tyler’s night ended after 119 circuits with a handling problem after contact with two other cars in turn two.
– Mike Anderson became just the third driver in the history of the Little 500 from Idaho.
Anderson started 31st in the field and drove to an 18th place finish.
“I was glad to make the race,” he said. “It would have been a long ride home if we didn’t qualify.”
Anderson said he plans to return in 2022.
Mississippi driver Cody Karl made the long haul from Gulfport and started 30th in the field and finished 20th.
Karl also indicated he intends to make the return trip next May.
– The race was run on Kenny Schrader’s 66th birthday and during the driver introductions, the near capacity crowd sang “happy birthday” while Schrader dead-panned on stage.