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Tri-State Outlook
By Duane Hancock
The 1st major holiday weekend always produces a ton of
racing. Mother nature was trying to ruin a long
weekend for everyone but, she did allow some of us to
see some racing.
Last Thursday, Kokomo (IN) Speedway hosted, a night
in honor of a true sprint car icon, the Jack Hewitt
Classic. Anyone that hasn't heard or seen a Jack
Hewitt moment that has been around sprint car racing
in these parts in the past 20 years, has lead a
sheltered life. This was a non sanctioned show.
Non-wing sprints and midgets were on the card. 36
sprints and 23 midgets were ready to do battle. They
did not disappoint. If you haven't seen the midgets
race at the new redesigned Kokomo Speedway, you are
missing it. The midgets just seem made to run at
Kokomo. Josh Wyse, Jerry Coons Jr., and Chad Boat took
the heat race wins. The heats produced some great
racing. Only 20 midgets made the A, so a 7 car B Main
was ran. Brady Short took the B. A stout field of 20
midgets were ready for their 30 lap A Main. Last
year's break through USAC Midget winner, Brady Bacon
and Cole Whitt paced the field. Bacon sizzles to the
lead. The battle was on. Great side by side, 4 wide at
times, racing. Plenty of passing upfront. Dave Darland
was hot on Bacon's tail. The duo fought back and forth
almost the entire 1st half of the A. Darland lead laps
8, 9, and 12. Bacon 1-7, and 10. Lap 11 Darland
actually took the lead but Bacon got it back as
Lindsay Tilton spun. During the yellow, 4th place,
Jerry Coons Jr. got a flat right rear and had to go
pit side. Darland is quick and stay out front for a
few laps. Lap 15, Short stops. Lap 16, Boat stops. On
the restart, Bacon, in 2nd, can't get up to speed and
a terrible start happens. The yellow is out, so is
Bacon. Josh Wyse returned to his roots to make some
waves, that he was. Lap 18, Wyse takes the lead.
Darland don't just sit back and hide as he stays
within range of Wyse for a few laps. Wyse was just too
strong and held on to take the win. Darland, Dustin
Morgan, up from 12th, Chris Windom, up from 15th, and
Matt Westfall from dead last round out the top 5. What
a show. Heck that was just the midget part, remember,
there was sprint cars too.
Eric Smith started the sprint car night off by
flipping in hot laps. 4 pretty stacked heat races were
on tap. Once again, the heats provided some great
racing. Jake Martin got hard into the fence in heat
one. Mat Neely, Shane Hollingsworth, Dave Darland, and
Jon Stanbrough took the heat wins. A full 20 car field
for the B Main, top 4 go to A. Daron Clayton took the
B. With the show the midgets put on during the 30 lap
A, the fans couldn't wait to see the 40 lap sprint car
A Main. With multi-time Kokomo A Main winner Dave the
Rave Darland on the pole, the crowd is head to see
what he can do. DD takes the early lead. Lap 4, Jesse
Hockett tumbles in turn 2. The next 18 laps is flat
out racing upfront between Darland and Jon Stanbrough,
who quickly worked to the front. These 2 are putting
on a show. DD would move just right each time
Stanbrough had a run to slow Jon's pace enough to
maintain the lead. As they enter traffic the high line
is still the fastest. With most the field running
high, Darland chances the low side. Lap 22, Darland
slipped just enough for Stanbrough to pass for the
lead. Lap 24, Damion Gardner flips in turn 2. The
cushion was small and starting to get wicked in turn
2. Thus all the problems in turn 2. It was a great
track for a non wing show, a Hewitt type track. I am
sure Jack was watering at the mouth wanting to bounce
the right rear off the cushion one more time. Lap 29,
Clayton flips, in 2. Lap 31, Chris Windom losses a
wheel. The last 9 laps was pretty much all Jon
Stanbrough. Jon is on a huge roll this season and this
night was no different. Stanbrough takes the win over
Darland, Brad Sweet, Brady Short, and Shane Cottle.
Another good race. I have been to Kokomo 3 times now
since they have re-did the track and all 3 have
produced some excellent racing. If the place wasn't 2
hours and 20 minutes from home or I would be there a
lot more.
After hangin with the high tones in Indy Friday and
all day Saturday, I sneak away from the fancy dinner
party and headed to OPR for the Night Before The 500
USAC Midget show. 54 cars were on hand. Yeah, 54 cars.
I am glad all got to run a heat race. well 52 actual
cars, 2 were back-up entries that just ended up
setting idle all night. This is something USAC needs
to do at ALL of their shows, put all cars in a heat.
If you can do it at 1 show, you can do it at all
shows. 4 very stacked heats races were on tap. Nick
Wagner and Levi Jones crash in heat 1. Billy Wease
take the win. Bradley Galedrige took the win in heat
2. Chase Barber slams the wall in heat 3. Bryan
Clauson takes a popular win in the heat. Richy Jacobs
hits the turn 4 wall a ton in heat 4. Kevin Swindell
takes the win. Swindell pulled a huge move on Dave
Steele to take the lead. 2 B Mains were on tap. With
the weather threatening, the OPR crew did an excellent
job of moving the program along and changing the
format of the support classes. Brian Olson and Josh
Wyse took the B Main wins. The Night Before The 500
has been going 62 years now and holds a legendary
traditions. Many winners have went on to bigger and
better things. Will this night's winner be a many year
veteran or a young gun looking to boost his or her
career? A 50 lap A main will tell the tail. I like the
format they were using. A spot in your heat meant a
great deal. 1-4 in the heat made up the 1st 4 spots in
the A. 5-8 the 2nd 4, so on and so forth. Kevin
Swindell was the young gun looking to boost his career
from his front row starting spot. Kevin did just that.
All I can say is wow. I have seen many racer race at
OPR/IRP and have never seen someone drive into turn 3
so hard ever. I mean this was on guys like Steele, not
some rookie racers. Plus, to keep doing it and not use
up the car. Kevin down right spanked the field. the
Bulldog had over a straight-a-way lead by the half way
mark. Lap 33, Dustin Morgan spins, closing the field.
It didn't matter Kevin opened up just as big of lead,
if not bigger. Some good racing was going on for 2nd
to about 8th. 3 wide many times in the night. This
night it was all Swindell. Kevin took a convincing win
and just might got that boost he was looking for in
his young career. Bobby Santos III, Wease, Bobby East,
up from 15th, and Kyle Nicholas, up from 19th, rounded
out the top 5. It was still a good race even though
the lead was never really contested. After the race it
was back to the party and a litte r and r before the
500 on Sunday.
Brady Bacon missed his high school graduation last
week to be racing. Ok just another racer missing his
graduation. Not really, see Brady was the class
valedictorian. He taped his message for the class and
told them he would rather be racing. A special treat
from his Kasey Kahne crew presented Brady his diploma
just before driver introductions...Indiana USAC Midget
Speedweek just got bigger. Rumble Series Promotions
has just leased Kamp Motor Speedway for leg one of
Midget Week starting August 9th. The makes the week a
4 night deal and should draw some cars from other
areas the first few shows. The Rumble Series Promotion
crew has been searching for a home to run opening
night, now they have one.
UPCOMING:
FRIDAY: WOO Sharon OH, SOD I96 MI
SATURDAY: WOO Eldora, AVSS Kalamazoo MI, HOSS New
Paris IN, MSA Sandusky OH
Tuesday 6th WOO Kokomo IN
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