STEVE ANDERSON IS THE MAIN MAN FOR ED LYNCH JR
by Brian Spaid

April 30, 2004 

   In all forms of racing, the crew chief is an integral part of the team.

   Throughout the NASCAR Nextel Cup season, for example, close observers will note that crew chiefs change as often as drivers. Teams with little success will often discard the man that leads the pit crew at the shop and on the road due to a lack of chemistry, especially with the driver.

   On the local scene, crew chiefs are just as important. Ed Lynch Jr. knows that all too well. In fact, Steve Anderson of Franklin is Lynch’s main man, and they have soared to new heights together as the top Super Sprint team in the region.

   “Ed and I just click,” smiles Anderson. “We can read each other’s minds. It’s like peanut butter and jelly, we were made to go together.”

   Lynch has always been a top runner. Since Anderson joined Lynch in August, 2001, however, they seem unstoppable at times. In 2002, they amassed 19 feature wins. Last year, they increased their total to 22 wins. Their most prolific track is Lernerville Speedway, where they won seven features in 2002, and eight features and the track title in 2003. During that same time, they won at Tri-City Speedway five times in 2002 and six times in 2003. Yet, the sweetest win occurred on July 23, 2002.

   “By far, the biggest win we’ve had was the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup with the World of Outlaws at Lernerville,” said Anderson.

   That night, Lynch thrilled the crowd with an amazing victory in the 40-lap race earning a record $35,000. Lynch beat the best in the sprint car business with Tim Shaffer, Mark Kinser, Jac Haudenschild and 18-time series champion Steve Kinser in tow.

   “We beat the world that night,” recalled Anderson. “That was my first and only World of Outlaws win as a crew chief. I won them as a mechanic. What feel special is that I helped make the calls that night. Ed and I could feel it. We each knew what we had to do to win. Just talking about it gives me goosebumps.”

   Anderson, 36, has worked as a Super Sprint mechanic and crew chief for 27 years. As a youthful 10-year-old, he started by helping out George Bischoff. He then worked with famed owner Frank Crash and drivers like Keith Kauffman, Kenny Jacobs and Ed Lynch Sr. He helped Lynch Jr. early in his career.

   Then, in 1991, he went on the World of Outlaws trail. He worked with the Casey Luna team and drivers like Gary Cameron, Aaron Berryhill, Haudenschild, Jacobs and Dave Blaney. Then, Anderson worked for team owners Bob Kramer and Tom Wimmer and their driver, Jacobs. For over three years, he toiled on the road for weeks on end.

  “I loved every minute of it,” said Anderson. “I learned a lot and worked with famed crew chiefs like Kenny Woodruff and Billy Anderson. Woodruff won the championship with Bobby Davis Jr. in 1989. Anderson won it with Sammy Swindell in 1981-82. In fact, other than Karl Kinser, at that time, they were the only other Outlaw championship crew chiefs.”

   In 1994, Anderson walked away from life on the road to take care of his daughter, Trisha.

   “At first, I thought I could get out of racing, but it’s an addiction. Once it’s in you blood, it never goes away.”

   Within a couple of years, Titusville car owner Boone Covell called Anderson about some race cars that Covell purchased.

   “Boone asked me to look them over, but I told him to get rid of them and buy good stuff. He asked me to help him and his driver. Paul Long. I couldn’t resist.”

   After a brief stint with Long, which resulted in a win at Hickory Speedway near New Castle, Covell decided to put Franklin racer Bob Felmlee behind the wheel. In 1997, the combination captured three wins at Tri-City Speedway, including the season-ending Sprint Bandits race with the Empire Super Sprints and United Racing Club 360 Sprints.

   “Later that year, Bob asked me if I’d work with his team, and I agreed. We teamed up and won 16 features in 1998 and the track titles at Tri-City and Mercer Raceway Park.”

   After one year with Felmlee, Anderson was contacted by Brian Ellenberger. The Butler racer wanted to branch out to the All Star Circuit of Champions Super Sprints, and Anderson agreed to go on the road with Ellenberger. They had a little success together, but Anderson grew tired and looked for rejuvenation elsewhere.

   “I was excited when Ed hired me again in 2001. I learned so much from his in the 1980s. In fact, I have to say that 85% of what I’ve learned about Super Sprints came from Ed. We’re not brothers, but we’re more like a family than anything else. And I love the challenge of wrenching that piece of steel to make it work.”

   So far, the 2004 season looks like it could be a Lynch benefit. Heading into this weekend, Lynch already has three wins at Lernerville. His weekly three-track circuit, which includes Lernerville (Friday), Sharon Speedway (Saturday) and Tri-City (Sunday), kicks into gear too. Last year, he only lost the point titles at Sharon and Tri-City due to the decision to run national events at Eldora Speedway in Ohio and the Knoxville Nationals in Iowa.

   “We’ll do those events again this season. We love to run with the top racers in the world at those events. For Ed to get better as a racer and for us to gel even more as a team, we have to run those shows. Those full-time racers are aggressive, and they make Ed stand up in the seat more. We really have to be on top of our game.”

   Ironically, the challenge for Anderson and Lynch is not the wins. It’s the tracks.

   “We always race the track. That’s our goal. If we run a 15.5-second lap at Tri-City one week, then the next week, we’re trying to work that down to 15.3 or 15.2. That’s how you really measure your progress. When you can top your times, you can usually beat the other teams too.”

   With so much early season success, can anyone really beat Lynch and Anderson in 2004?

   “Only if the other guys can click like Ed and I,” smiled Anderson.