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July 11, 2005....
First of all, let me express my sympathy and extend my condolences
to everyone associated with Don Townsend, who passed away after a
practice accident on Saturday at Mansfield. It was obvious that
Townsend was respected and admired among the racing community,
especially near his Columbus home. The Mansfield fan base really
liked Townsend, and I’m sure this will be a tough loss for all the
fans as well. Rest in peace, Don!
Besides the tragic events of Saturday, the weekend as a
whole featured some of the best pavement racing I have ever seen.
Friday’s sprint car finish between Bobby East, Michael Lewis, and
Josh Wise has to be up there with some of the best finishes I have
witnessed. The sprints were again the better feature on Saturday, in
my opinion, as Bobby East charged by Dave Steele to take the win
over Wise, who seemed like he wanted each race to be fifty laps.
Crashes also took out good cars each night. On Friday, a
heat race tangle between Bryan Clauson and Ron Gregory took two
great cars out of contention. From my view, it appeared as though
Gregory was a bit impatient, coming up off the bottom to bump
Clauson as they rode each other up into the wall. Clauson had
earlier qualified 13th for his first pavement race and
was running 5th in the heat and pressuring Tom Hessert
and John Scott when the incident happened. Gregory adjusted to
sprint cars in a hurry, qualifying 5th for the night in
his third sprint car start.
On Saturday, the heat race accident involved Marc Jessup
and Donnie Adams, Jr. This was a weird chain of events, though.
First, Jessup tried the outside of Adams only to be squeezed into
the wall exiting turn four. Jessup made the wrong decision in
deciding to continue racing his slightly damaged car. He squeezed
under Adams in turn three only to wash up into the red 17, putting
Adams into the wall. Jessup raced further into the heat before his
rear end disintegrated, tearing up just about everything in the back
half of his car and leaving him on the sidelines for the night.
Darren Hagen climbed up and over Jessup, tearing up his car and
scratching him for the night.
I had trouble deciding where to watch during Toledo’s
sprint car feature. The race for the lead was great as a few
different guys tried their hands at getting by Dave Darland and his
teammate, Michael Lewis. Meanwhile, Jessup was moving up from near
the back of the field into the top-ten, and Aaron Pierce started 22nd
and made most of his moves late in climbing to 7th. The
racing from 4th to 10th or 11th for
the whole race was excellent.
Kyle Nicholas was great in his sprint car on both nights.
On Friday, he raced in a large pack to find a top-five finish at the
end. On Saturday, he again was smooth in garnering a 6th-place
finish at the end of the night. It is obvious that the team’s hard
work and his time around Dave Steele have helped a lot.
Both tracks were a lot better than I thought. The upper
line was a great way to pass on both tracks, but Mansfield featured
a fast line right in the middle. Guys could go either low or high
there, but the track itself was a little tighter than Toledo. And
what a facility they have at Mansfield! I really wish there was
another race at each track for the USAC boys to have some fun on
pavement. I had a blast watching some pavement racing outside the
state of Indiana. But now, it’s back to the Hoosier state for my
favorite week of the year.
Indiana Sprintweek
Preview
And so approaches my favorite week of the year. As July is
quickly passing, this week signifies that the season is more than
halfway over, and it also means that the toughest part of the
schedule for the USAC sprint cars and the local drivers is past. By
the end of the week, it will be very apparent who has aptly prepared
for the week. This sets apart the best teams and drivers from those
who are inconsistent or are unable to keep up for an entire week of
racing. Although the culmination of this week is heartbreaking,
knowing that it will be another year until it returns, it also is
exciting to look back on all the great Sprintweek memories. Here is
a preview of some drivers and all the tracks in this year’s
series:
USAC Regulars
Jay Drake
A former Sprintweek champion, Drake is the USAC point leader and
driving for the best team in USAC, Tony Stewart Racing. With Eagle
chassis and backing from Mopar, Drake is an instant favorite for the
entire week. Last year, Drake struggled somewhat, posting just one
top-five for the series while finishing 5th in points for
the week. Drake looked great last year at North Vernon, and he has
won before at Putnamville, Haubstadt, Gas City, Lawrenceburg, and
Terre Haute. Drake’s point lead is smaller this year, so he will
need a good week.
Bud Kaeding
Kaeding comes into Sprintweek fourth in points, but he is not
far from the lead. Enough points can be gained or lost during the
week to take the lead or fall out of contention. Kaeding is a former
winner at North Vernon during Sprintweek action, and he won one
event during 2003’s series, at Kokomo. Kaeding has gotten better
each year during Sprintweek, and this is the year he could put it
all together.
Dave Darland
Coming in as my favorite to take the Sprintweek crown, Darland
is in rare form and racing as hard as ever. The Walker team has
clicked, and they’ve rattled off a half-dozen wins already.
Looking to make up some points he lost during pavement events,
Darland will need to qualify well during the week, which is one of
his largest challenges. Darland is a former series champion, and he
ran last year for Lynn Reid. Fans can always count on a good show
from Darland, who has always made it a habit to start deep in the
field and storm through the field to finish well.
Levi Jones
As last year’s Sprintweek champion, it’s obvious that
Levi’s partnership with Scott Benic has produced one of the better
dirt USAC sprint car teams in recent memory. Already winning three
times, including one at Lima-which compares to the bullrings of
Indiana, they come into the week with momentum very similar to
Darland’s. Third in points and looking to tighten things even more
at the top of the standings, Levi is always a good qualifier and is
aggressive enough to transfer mostly through heat races. He had five
top-fives in six races in 2004, so he certainly knows how to run
up-front.
Josh Wise
The expectations were high last year for Wise’s first Indiana
Sprintweek, and he delivered and exceeded. Finishing 4th
in points for the week, Wise was aggressive and adapted quickly to
tracks he had not yet seen. While he is young and fairly
inexperienced, Wise shows great ability, and he can qualify well
also. Of course, for this season, Wise is now a driver for Tony
Stewart Motorsports. Teamed with Drake, Wise has to be a favorite
despite his up-and-down season.
Mat Neely
Neely would like to forget his Sprintweek of ’04, but this
season has seen a huge turn-around for him. He’s 6th in
points, but he has also found some success at the local level.
Although he missed the show at Bloomington recently, he was also
encouraged by setting fast time, and he has won this year on two
short tracks, Beaver Dam and Kokomo. Neely has been good at
Putnamville in the past, and he has always been a good qualifier.
Terre Haute and Haubstadt have been mainstays for Neely even when he
has struggled, so expect good finishes there. This week will show
everyone whether Neely is a championship contender or if he is only
looking at a top-five or six in points as his final destination.
John Scott
Scott got off to a slow start this year after a practice-crash
injury, but his last two dirt starts resulted in tenth- and
fourth-place finishes. Scott is now affiliated with Danny Roberts’
sprint car team, so that should help him on the Indiana dirt tracks
with Daryl Tate spinning wrenches on the black 83. Also helping
should be a change in equipment, now utilizing F-5 equipment after
being a standard Maxim loyalist the last few seasons. Scott needs a
good week to climb into the top-ten in points as he currently sits
just a few spots shy.
Jon Stanbrough
The struggles of R&B Racing are well-chronicled this season,
but everyone is awaiting their resurgence. After their success at
the local level last season, a strong showing is expected during a
week such as this one. Stanbrough has always been a prime performer
during Sprintweek, especially at Lawrenceburg and Putnamville. Last
year, he won Lawrenceburg’s race for the Hoffman team. This year,
Stanbrough is already high in the points, but he will need an
outstanding week to climb in the standings.
Tom Hessert
Hessert’s improvement from last year is quite evident. He has
fallen off a little bit lately, but he has been qualifying well all
season. Hessert seems to struggle when he is forced to race in the B
Main, so making it through the heats will be important. Hessert had
to sit on the sidelines at Eldora after trashing his car on Friday,
so spares may be a factor for this team. His best finish last year
came at Haubstadt, but his charge from the back of a heat at
Lawrenceburg after transferring through a non-qualifier’s race was
his most impressive drive of the week. Look for Tom’s results to
be better, but either way, he will be exciting!
Jerry Coons, Jr.
As the new driver for the Hoffman Racing Team, Jerry is an
automatic favorite in vying for the Sprintweek crown. Coons has not
been around Sprintweek much since he ran the R&B 10, but he is a
veteran who can always produce good finishes. The Hoffman team
speaks for itself, and they won a race last year during Sprintweek
with Stanbrough, along with being a top car most other nights. Jerry
is always good at Terre Haute, and the team likes to do well when
close to home at Lawrenceburg. Look for them to be consistently near
the front as Jerry is also a good qualifier. Unfortunately, it looks
like Jerry will likely miss the race at Putnamville while racing in
the Infinity Pro Series.
Darren Hagen
Darren competed last year with Jack Yeley’s car, and he was on
the verge of finding some great finishes. This year, he’ll have
Keith Kunz on his side, a guy who knows how to put a car in victory
lane during Sprintweek. Darren has qualified fairly well this year,
and he’s been making the shows regularly. He was especially racey
last year at Lawrenceburg, where he ran second before breaking. It
will be interesting to see what Kunz can do with Hagen.
Justin Marvel
Marvel is your 2005 KISS Champion, which obviously makes him a
likely candidate to finish well all week long. In KISS competition,
he narrowly missed victory at Kokomo and Paragon, but those tracks
are not on the schedule. Marvel does excel at Bloomington,
Putnamville, and Haubstadt, which basically comprises the
all-important opening weekend. He was fast at Gas City in USAC’s
only trip there this season, but that ended in a flip. The most
important detail is that Marvel has the equipment, preparation, and
confidence to be a factor during the week.
Daron Clayton
If you’re looking for excitement, look no farther. Even if he
finishes last, Clayton will be the driver to watch. Now with help
from Bubby Jones, Clayton will likely be an outstanding qualifier,
but his problems arrive when tracks become slick or the cushion is
too thin for him to abuse. If the track builds a healthy cushion,
few are braver and none will run it harder. This is Clayton’s
first Sprintweek, so there will be a curve to his acclimation to the
racing on Indiana tracks.
Bryan Clauson
Sprint car fans have been waiting to see what would happen when
Bryan Clauson came of age to race in USAC. Clauson has been looking
forward to this week for quite a while, and now we’ll see what he
can do against the best competition. Clauson’s run at Lima may
have been a tip-off that he can race with anybody on the dirt
bullrings that USAC frequents. He has always qualified well, but his
unfamiliarity with tracks such as North Vernon and Gas City could
make things a little more difficult for young Clauson. Still, I
would expect Clauson to produce some great results and convince
people that he is indeed as good as the hype says he is.
Tracy Hines
Now a NACAR truck driver, Hines is a former USAC sprint car
champion and has always been tough when piloting the Hoffman sprint
car. His tight schedule only allows him to participate in the first
five races on the schedule, but he can easily crank out a couple
wins and still place himself near the top in points.
Invaders
Damion Gardner
Speaking of excitement, the fastest sprint car driver in the
country has to be Damion Gardner. Wheeling the Chaffin 50, which was
always fast when Richard Griffin drove it out here, Gardner will
certainly be on the gas all week. Gardner ran the “Lil’ Red
Sucker” at Haubstadt last year and was running away before an
ill-fated slide job put him out of the race. Gardner has 12 fast
times this year, so his qualifying prowess will certainly be an
asset for him. Damion’s biggest challenge will be finding his
rhythm for thirty laps, as he has been known to make mistakes during
the course of a feature to cost him wins when he is the fastest car.
He will be a great addition to Sprintweek.
Cory Kruseman/Keith Kunz
The last time Kruseman ran Sprintweek for Keith Kunz, he won the
whole thing and took four races along the way. Kruseman has been
tough lately out West, including a win in the last USAC/CRA race.
Kruseman is a great qualifier, and Kunz’s set-up for a slick track
has made Kruseman a winner on any surface. Kruseman has always said
Lawrenceburg is his least favorite track out here, so if he can get
there with some success and make it through without a horrible
night, he should be fine.
Rickie Gaunt & Charles Davis, Jr.
The team of Gaunt and Davis is likely the most entertaining team
in the pits. Gaunt has already been a winner this year on the West
Coast, and “Chargin’ Charles” likes racing back here in
Indiana. Both seem to be good qualifiers, and Charles has gotten
better on each trip back here. Look for them to have a few great
finishes each, but head down to their trailer and get a shirt if you
want to see a good time.
J.J. Yeley
I’m not certain which races J.J. is planning to attend, but
I’m sure he’ll find the time to hit a couple races during the
week. Yeley’s name speaks for itself, and though he only raced
three times in last year’s series, he was 10th in
points. He’ll be fun to watch this year, for sure.
Tony Elliott/Mark Priestley
Tony Elliott is no stranger to Indiana Sprintweek, and Mark
Priestley has been here before with Mike English, Jeremy Sherman,
and Troy Rutherford. This year, they will team to try for a great
week in the Hoosier state. Will they be able to click right off the
bat and have a good week? Only time will tell, but it will be a
great story to watch.
R.J. Johnson
I haven’t heard if Johnson is coming this way for sure, yet,
but he has had a decent season with the USAC/CRA bunch so far this
season. He’ll probably struggle at times against the stacked
fields, but it will be a great experience for a good young racer
from the West Coast.
Derek Scheffel/Jack Yeley
Derek Scheffel knows the Indiana tracks well, and Jack Yeley is
good at setting up a car, especially his self-created “Jaxims.”
Scheffel should be able to get around the tracks well, but the new
cars he will be running may make things a little tougher.
Brad Sweet
Brad Sweet is obviously a talented racer. The 19-year old with
the diminutive stature may be in a different car every night, but he
pushes it to the limit and puts on a great show. In his own car,
he’s finished well both with and without the wing. He set a new
track record at Kokomo, and his performances in five different cars
this season in the Midwest have been nothing but impressive.
Jesse Hockett
Assuming his combination with Lynn Reid is still working,
Hockett will be another gasser for the week. In his only weekend of
racing for Reid, Hockett was exciting and ended in a heap in
Kokomo’s second turn. Again, Hockett’s key will be qualifying
well, as that seemed to be a hindrance for the team before. Reid was
pretty good with Darland last year, so there’s hope that Hockett
will be fast.
Derek O’Dell
A young driver who has a couple years of winged racing under his
belt now, O’Dell will try Indiana Sprintweek under the tutelage of
Jack Yeley. With two cars at their disposal, the team seems to be in
it for the long haul, and it will be a learning experience while
racing during the week. In his one wingless race, O’Dell had a
good night, winning his heat and running in the top-ten during the
feature. His adjustment to wingless sprinters will need to come
quickly just to make it past non-qualifier’s races, but he appears
to have some talent and should get better as the week goes on.
Locals
Shane Cottle
Cottle’s Sprintweek took a turn for the worse last year when a
crash bent a race car and left them off the circuit for most of the
week. Cottle is currently recovering from a Kokomo flip, but this is
a team that could sneak up on the top dogs and steal a win or two
and vie for the championship. Cottle is a great qualifier, and he
really comes on strong late in races, but he still does not have
many laps in a wingless sprint car at some tracks. Cottle’s laps
at North Vernon, Haubstadt, and Lawrenceburg are somewhat limited,
but Cottle is one of the best at Gas City. He also runs extremely
well on the half-mile at Terre Haute.
Kevin Briscoe
A perennial Sprintweek favorite, Briscoe is usually a good
qualifier who is as good as anyone at Lawrenceburg and Bloomington.
It will be important for Briscoe to get off to a hot start in order
to keep himself in the race for the latter half of the week. He’s
had some bad luck during Sprintweek before, so this could be a year
when he finally gets some help in going for a Sprintweek
championship.
Shane Hollingsworth
Recovering from a split with his car owner, Hollingsworth will
likely be wheeling a red number eleven with help from the Beauchamp
family. It’s hard to say how good he will be with just one week to
prepare this combination for Sprintweek. He’s also been very fast
at Bloomington, but he has also torn up race cars in the past during
this week. He’s a good qualifier and is aggressive, often helping
him make features through his heat race.
Brandon Petty
It’s been a break-out year for Petty after teaming with
Reynolds Racing for the 2005 slate. Petty is great on a cushion, but
he hasn’t been racing at very many different places this year. He
is, however, one of the most well-rounded drivers in Indiana after
starting at Paragon Speedway. With help from Joe Devin’s DRC
chassis and Petty’s crew chief, Brian Cripe, who has had success
in Indiana Sprintweek before with Eric Shively, the team should be
in good shape for the week. If things go well, he could stay in the
race, and a few different tracks could turn into winning
performances for this team.
John Wolfe
Just last year, I mentioned Wolfe’s recovery from a serious
arm injury. That is long behind him now as he looks better than
ever. Wolfe has a win this season and has been pretty fast wherever
he’s gone. He’s easily better at Gas City than any other local
track, but his ability to qualify near the top of any field of cars
is an asset for him. He probably won’t go to every show, but look
for him to be a factor on a couple occasions.
Dickie Gaines
Dickie has had one of the better seasons in the country so far.
He was runner-up to Jones last year, and his three runner-up
finishes were impressive. Gaines has always pegged Vernon and the
‘Burg as two of his best tracks, and he’s also been good at
Putnamville, Bloomington, and Haubstadt. One driver who excels when
the tracks go slick, he will have to focus on his qualifying to have
a good week.
Matt Westfall
Westfall has had a lot of things happen in the last year or two.
This year, he’s driving his own car, but a recently acquired F-5
chassis with help from Rick Daugherty, his champ car owner, should
help his effort. He was fast at Kokomo in its first attempt before
being sidelined. Westfall is great at Lawrenceburg, and he also has
seen a lot of success at Bloomington. Vernon fits his style, and
he’s also pretty good at Terre Haute. Gas City has always been
evil to Matt, but the new car should help him immensely.
A.J. Anderson
Anderson only needed to start running his family’s car again
to regain his old form. With a DRC chassis adorned with the number
34, A.J. has quietly had a stout season. He has one Sprintweek win,
at Bloomington, and he’s an expert at using the bottom part of the
track to move through the field on slick surfaces. Running fifth in
the KISS race at Terre Haute, he really does not have an extremely
weak track.
Jonathan Vennard
Tom Miller is the new car owner for Jonathan Vennard. With a
simple, white DRC chassis numbered 4M and a stout engine under the
hood, the team found its best finish with a runner-up at the Terre
Haute KISS race. Vennard has not competed in much of Sprintweek in
the last few years. The competition will be stout for Vennard to
race against while still learning with a new car owner and chassis
make. He should make things even more interesting.
Critter Malone
He has already decided that he won’t race at every stop due to
a lack of help on the car, but Critter has been fast enough this
season to be a challenger at the front of the field. Malone has been
fastest at Gas City, but he was very fast at Terre Haute and Kokomo
on consecutive nights. He has also been pretty good with a wing, so
he’ll go to Bloomington and Haubstadt, tracks he’s only visited
this year with the roof above him. Critter’s new DRC seems to have
meshed perfectly for him, so he will be on the gas all week.
Kent Christian
Whether he’s in his own car or driving for the Trucker’s
team, Kent Christian will be hard on the gas. With two wins in his
own car, Christian has been qualifying well on putting on a show. If
given the opportunity to run for the Tapys all week, Kent will be
able to run it a little harder. Christian will have a weekend to
work on making himself comfortable in the black 10 car, so that
could prove to help him immeasurably for Sprintweek.
The Wissmillers
The Wissmiller brothers are always a wild card. Both have been
known to qualify very well, especially Kyle, and they both know how
to win races. Luck has been a problem at times, but if everything
holds together, each brother should have a chance to complete a good
run or two. Mitch is very good at Putnamville, and Kyle has been
very good at Terre Haute. They both seem to run pretty well at
Haubstadt and Gas City. Both will be fun to watch for a week on
dirt.
These are just a few of the drivers that a fan would need
to keep an eye on for the entire week. Each track offers a distinct
group of drivers. Tracks such as Gas City, Putnamville,
Lawrenceburg, and Bloomington have regular shows, which gives their
locals a huge advantage when this week comes. Of course, Gas City
and Bloomington locals also have the experience of qualifying on a
weekly basis, which does make them more dangerous when it comes to
Sprintweek. There will be some surprises, and I hope all the drivers
can stay safe while putting on more of the great shows that Hoosier
fans have grown accustomed to in the seven years of USAC Indiana
Sprintweek.
North Vernon
The only three-eighths mile sized track on the
schedule, Twin Cities Raceway Park hosts the opening night of
Indiana Sprintweek. A high-banked track with fairly long
straightaways, North Vernon has had some great shows over the years,
including one show that people still talk about now from 1999. An
SCRA tour date, Tony Elliott won a great duel over Cory Kruseman and
Bill Rose. Bud Kaeding’s first USAC sprint score came at North
Vernon, from deep in the field. Although it used to be the worst
facility of the group, it now is much better. While this is their
only sprint car race of the year, they have held regular shows in
the past, and track preparation is usually quite impressive for this
show. It is a racy track that seems to have moisture come back up
during the night, probably because of the nearby Muscatatuck River.
Last year’s race saw 65 cars, and about the same amount should be
on hand this year. JJ Yeley won last year’s race on the last lap
from the 13th-starting spot over Jay Drake, Levi Jones,
Josh Wise, and Shane Cottle. My picks to be up front in this race
include Yeley, Dickie Gaines, Jones, Drake, and Dave Darland.
Bloomington
With beautiful red clay on the high-banked quarter
south of Bloomington, this track is the fastest quarter mile of the
group and one of the fastest in the country. With more hillside
seating, the grandstands are uncomfortable, but there is room for
lawn chairs. The track will always produce clay coming into the
stands during hot laps, and you can usually count on some late
qualifiers to set good times. 61 cars showed last year, and that
many or more should be there this year. They have a good concession
stand, but it is sometimes slow. Last year, Kevin Briscoe won a
rubber-down race over Gaines, Bud Kaeding, Matt Westfall, and Kevin
Huntley. This year, look for Briscoe, Cory Kruseman, Gaines,
Darland, and Bryan Clauson in this one.
Putnamville
Lincoln Park Speedway gives us hillside seating and
the opportunity to see one of the best venues for Sprintweek racing.
At just larger than a quarter-mile, the track features two very
different sets of corners. Turns one and two have quite a bit of
banking and are fairly narrow. The other end is very wide, with
gradual banking. The bottom is soft, lending the possibility of cars
backing it into the corners all night. The top usually has a healthy
cushion. Putnamville also has great food. The facility does not live
up to the previous night at Gas City, but the comfort of a lawn
chair helps as the large concrete seating area offers an overlook of
the track. Last year, Cory Kruseman held off Gaines, Wise, Jones,
and Kaeding. This year, my favorites going in are Drake, Kruseman,
Darland, Gaines and Justin Marvel. Expect 55-60 cars at this race.
Haubstadt
Tri-State Speedway is a narrow quarter-mile with long
straightaways and paperclip corners. The corners do have substantial
banking and widen out quite a bit, however. Tom Helfrich is the
master of track preparation, and you can usually expect flying mud
and wheelstands. “The Class Track” has great seating and good
concession options. Don’t worry about rain, either, because
you’ll almost always see a show. Cory Kruseman took yet another
win there last year, and he’s always a favorite there. Behind him,
it was Wise, John Scott, Jones, and Josh Ford. This year, I pick
Drake, Rickie Gaunt, Damion Gardner and Mat Neely for stardom.
Slightly more than 50 cars should be on hand.
Remember to hit the Racin’ with D.O. Radio Show on Monday
when there is no racing. Also, I’ll be sure to patronize the Indy
area go-cart establishments along with a few other great folks.
Gas City
Only on the Sprintweek schedule four years before,
Gas City is the fourth stop of seven. A little jewel for Indiana
racing, this is a quarter-mile with short straightaways. The track
record is in the low twelve-second bracket. It’s a great facility,
and the track is usually good, even if they have to spend some time
to make it better. They will certainly be trying to have a great
track. Gas City does have one of the better concession stands I’ve
ever seen. Last year, 63 cars got rained on at Gas City, and they
should have somewhere near the same number this year. My picks for
this year would include Drake, Shane Cottle, Levi Jones, Jerry
Coons, Jr., and Cory Kruseman.
Lawrenceburg
This race was rained on last year, but the track crew
came out to work on the surface and get the race in the books.
Stanbrough took the win, followed by Gaines, Jones, Kruseman, and
Casey Shuman. The track is usually wet for Sprintweek, but it’s
hard to say what we’ll see for conditions on the high banks. Look
for over 60 cars as 62 showed up last year. The ‘Burg features
huge grandstand seating, so there’s no worry of finding a place to
be able to see. They have good concessions and a great facility.
Let’s hope the track is a little rough so the drivers can put
their spurs on. This has been the reputation of this track for a
long time. A track with a knack for photo finishes, you will also
see a different group of cars at this track as the local drivers
usually come out to support the show. For this race, the tough guys
will be Dickie Gaines, Briscoe, Darland, Clauson, and Brandon Petty.
Terre Haute
One of my favorite tracks, Terre Haute is a big half
mile set on the beautiful Vigo County Fairgrounds. Track conditions
have vastly improved this year, so that is reason enough to be
excited. Being the finale and with other options on Saturday, expect
45-50 cars for this race. The food is good and so is the abundant
seating, which includes a grassy infield to watch from the other
side. This race took rubber last year, and J.J. Yeley won over
Stanbrough, Kruseman, Jones, and Darland. Look for Bud Kaeding, Levi
Jones, Drake, Coons, Jr., and Darland to be contenders in the race
this year.
For the week, I’m picking Dave Darland to take home the
Indiana Sprintweek title. I’m sure it will be a tight battle, but
I think Dave has the experience and the strong team who is gaining
momentum going into the week that always seems to be important.
Behind him, I’ll take (in order) Levi Jones, Cory Kruseman, Dickie
Gaines, Jay Drake, Bryan Clauson, Justin Marvel, Shane Cottle, Mat
Neely, and Damion Gardner.
See everyone Thursday at Twin Cities Raceway Park for the
kickoff of another wonderful week of racing.
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