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Hockett takes second Lakeside crown
by Kirk Spridgeon 

August 25, 2004....With my good friend Trenton Darland as a co-pilot, a road trip to see the SCRA race in Kansas City was in the future. Picking him up after a Thursday of school, we made it to Terre Haute for the Mid-American Sprint Series on the half-mile. While we got there late and there were only fifteen cars to start the feature, we still had a great time. Seeing the old half in good condition was worth it, and the race was interesting, at least. With a pass of Brandon Wimmer after the high-schooler had passed him and had his front wing break, Kelly Kinser checked out.

Our only hope for some drama at the front was dashed because of a quick caution and a scoring snafu. Kinser hooked lapped car Brian DeFord in turn three, and the two putted around until a yellow was thrown as they crossed the line. While, on paper, scoring would go to the last lap, I contend that Kinser should have been taken back to fourth, at least, because that’s where he was when the caution was thrown. Instead, Kinser had clear track and an easy win. Cameron Dodson, who verified plans to race in both a midget and sprint car sans wings next season, fought a tight racer to just nab second near the end, but after that, there was little racing. I would have liked to see a larger crowd in both the stands and the pits, but a first-year winged organization will not do well at Terre Haute, especially on a Wednesday night. If for no other reason, we did get to visit with Bob Cundiff, whom I was glad to see again despite his overly parental instinct!

Driving through rain after the race, we hoped things would clear for the weekend in Kansas. After a stay-over at the Vennard household in Vincennes, a 9 a.m. departure was delayed until noon, when we finally headed west for two days at a new track. Jonathan Vennard stayed home, still pursuing a regular sprint car to race. Only two races have marked his 2004 calendar, and his Little 500 experience ended against the wall with some help from another car. His highlight was the Mopar Thunder, where he took a new car to the A Main despite mag problems in his heat.

After a trip that took longer than expected, we pulled into Lakeside Speedway midway through time trials for thirty cars. Although I was disappointed with the absence of some Indiana and USAC racers, the field was still competitive. Missing winged combatants who instead chose All-Star or ASCS racing, this would have indeed been a great chance for local Indiana guys to make money at a great facility.

Alex Pruett, who will stay in Indiana through Labor Day, thrilled the healthy crowd during the first heat as he biked through the turns on the cushion. He was not the only one who would rely on less than four wheels as the sticky surface made many cars uneasy and everyone tested to see just how fast they could turn the track. Locals Chris Parkinson and Ken Stolfes found themselves on the hook during the heats, but Parkinson was very fast beforehand.

Tony Elliott had the lead early in the feature, and when Jesse Hockett took the lead, I thought this would be another ripping from the “Rocket.” Josh Wise easily had the best-working car, but Kevin Briscoe would have had something for him if he could have let his car loose as he was bottled behind traffic all race long. Passing was tough on the mainly one-lane track, but Dave Darland showed that he was a contender by moving up seven spots from 19th after his dismal qualifying performance, due mainly to a slimy track and a wrong turn with the shock package.

Losing six cars and picking up Aaron Berryhill for the second night, the field was smaller but just as tough. Berryhill found the fence in his first turn of Lakeside action, and fellow Oklahoman Zach Chappell hopped a right rear into the turn two wall at the start of the feature. The feature was a forty-lap thriller, and as you all know, Jesse Hockett made his move through lapped traffic for the win. In all honesty, it was one of the best runs through traffic that I’ve seen, and it all came after a slow start where he struggled to stay in the top-five for the first half of the race. I admire a racer such as him, who races hard and doesn’t make excuses when he doesn’t win. I’d love to see Jesse in Indiana, and if there’s a chance that his car owners would ever let him run in Indiana, I’m one guy who would vote for him to be here. “The Rocket” from Warsaw, Missouri is quickly becoming one of my favorite all-around racers.

Great racing took place throughout the field, however. Bud Kaeding looked good to me early, but things changed as the race thickened. The track slicked off and a thick cushion stayed at the top. Rickie Gaunt charged with his aggressive style, attacking the bottom all the way to second by the end. Levi Jones was caught in lapped traffic, and that cost him a chance at victory, but he still worked his way to third, and Scott Benic is a believer in Levi. After Elliott led, he dropped to fourth by the end, and fellow-Hoosier Kevin Briscoe had dropped to ninth with a tight Stealth until he moved through to fifth at the end. He may have been the fastest car on the track at the end of forty laps, but “Risky Brisky” confirmed the recurrence of his athletic-induced asthma, which has plagued him in the past and got to him late in the forty-lapper.

Jason Goacher’s beautiful Twister came home sixth with Darland at the wheel. Darland’s reliable low line went away on him, but a strong run in another new car makes the crowd favorite even more versatile. We’ll see what direction Goacher takes in the coming weeks. Another of the Midwest contingent was a surprise in Chris Urish. A good run of tenth on Friday was not backed up well, as Urish dropped out late in the feature event. Looking good in his non-wing starts, Urish drives wherever he can in the family car while racing for another owner on Fridays at Jacksonville, Illinois with a wing. A champ car opportunity will come to him at DuQuoin, driving for Team Purple Racing, which has fielded a midget in the past. Jerry Coons, Jr. performed well in the ride, and Cameron Dodson was the latest guest driver, coming at Granite City. Using a Shaver engine that has recently seen Ostrich work, Urish will be racing against his sprint car engine builder's car, the Foxco 56. Fulfilling a dream of racing in a big car at the "Magic Mile" with an older Galas car, Urish is just looking to gain some laps and ready for more racing in the car next year.

With a beautiful facility, a huge crowd that loves the SCRA racing, and a promoter that is willing to put up big bucks for the group, this race will go on as long as the SCRA can bring an organization. I hope the SCRA lives, because they have great people working with them, and I think Ron Shuman has the racer and sprint car racing as a whole in mind with his organization. I would urge any Indiana racer to take part in the tour, even if it’s only because it pays well and they visit different tracks. It was great to meet the drivers and crews of all the SCRA teams, still one of the friendliest groups I have found.

While in Kansas City, visiting the zoo was a highlight of Saturday afternoon. Although a Trenton Darland mistake kept me from inviting Briscoe four-wheeler Kassidy Kirchner, I had the honor of being the third wheel with Darland and girlfriend Sophia, a Belleville High Banks employee. Along with a place to stay on Saturday night, Sophia’s family also bought us breakfast on Sunday morning before we left. It’s amazing the hospitality one receives on the road in the racing world!

The Kansas City experience flew by, and a nine-hour trip home on Sunday awaited us. With clear traffic, the trip went well, and I caught the feature at Kokomo Speedway after dropping TD at his downtown Lincoln, Indiana home.

Greeted by a beautiful race track and a competitive field of twenty-one sprints, my expectations were not overly high as Shane Cottle began from the front row. With a pretty move to take the lead, Tony Elliott continued his improvement with the new car and stayed out front for five laps. Jon Stanbrough didn’t take long to maneuver the Truckers car to the front, and they traded the lead for a couple laps before Stanbrough took over for eight laps. Under caution with ten to go, Stanbrough’s right rear went down, and the ensuing restart saw him drop back.

A caution saved Stanbrough, and he pitted for new rubber as Elliott got the lead back. Shane Cottle found the bottom, however, and they dueled for a few laps. Behind them, the young guys battled as Zac Osborn held onto third over Shane Hollingsworth and Casey Shuman, among others. Kent Christian had worked his way from 11th, and Michael Burthay finally took fifth behind Christian, even though he began 15th. Shuman couldn't stay near the front after a late caution, noting tire problems, but he and Paul Hazen have been doing well together. Getting better every time out, don't be surprised of Li'l Shu convinces Hazen to purchase a new mount, likely a Stealth.

Osborn’s finish is the best I remember for him this season as things have come together for the family team later in the year. Now with just over two years in sprints, Osborn is looking forward to an opportunity to run a Twister car for Brook Pence soon, Osborn will stick to a Gas City routine, hoping to make his debut in the new car there.

A friend of Osborn’s, Scotty Weir never made the charge I expected, stalling out in the 8th spot. For a driver in his second year of sprint cars, Weir may be one of the most impressive in Indiana, continually showing promise. Still needing to smooth out a tad, Weir has had the speed all year to finish up front, but the results haven’t necessarily shown it yet.

Hollingsworth’s 6th came a day after his third silver crown start. Qualifying an astounding third on the big Springfield Mile, he stuck around all day and registered a top-ten. Five spots ahead of him was another driver who started in midgets, Matt Westfall. Driving the Peterbilt car in dirt champ car races, rumor says he will also be driving Daugherty’s new sprint car in coming USAC races. This is the same car steered by Boston Reid during the Mopar Thunder.

Also, Bryan Clauson clicked off his fourth sprint car win, this one coming over Dickie Gaines in the Dick Gaines Memorial race at Lawrenceburg on Saturday. With four wins on four different tracks, Clauson would still need to win at Terre Haute, Putnamville, and Haubstadt to be a winner at every different track in Indiana that runs sprint cars(I didn’t count Boswell as they only run two MSCS shows and he can't race at Gas City). He already has runner-up finishes at Putnamville and Haubstadt while a third was his finish in his only Terre Haute attempt.

For me, this weekend will be the finale before going to school in Athens, Ohio at Ohio University. With nothing special on the calendar, it will be a good chance to catch up with the weekly racers at Gas City and Lawrenceburg, and I’d also like to visit Kokomo again this week. Unfortunately, this is my last opportunity to see racing until the Four Crown in late September, so I’ll have to take advantage of the three-race weekend.

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