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Tri State Outlook
By Duane Hancock
Mother nature is just plain mean to us anymore. What
started out to be a 3 race weekend, turned into a 1
race weekend, thanks to mother nature! Hopefully Mr.
sunshine will kiss and make-up with her so we can
actually see some racing this year.
Original plans were to hit Gas City Friday and
Saturday and Winchester Sunday. Friday's show got into
the books and that was it for the weekend. At least,
Winchester rescheduled for this Sunday.
Friday 46 USAC Sprints took the Gas City oval. A
brisk wind played heck on the track as the surface
quickly changed from tacky to dry before the heat
races. As they do a majority of the time, Jiggs and
the Gas City crew did some major work on the surface
before the heat races. You have to give them A for
effort for trying to make the racing surface better.
Since USAC still has that silly rule where only 32
cars make the heats through time trails, 14 car were
put into a non-qualifiers race. The top 4 cars would
earn a transfer spot to the tail of 1 of the 4 heat
races. Guys like Brady Short, Casey Shuman, Mat Neely,
Billy Puterbaugh, Critter Malone, and Dakota Armstrong
were done for the night after timing bad and not
earning a 4th place or better finish in the NQ race.
Blake Fitzpatrick won the NQ race.
All 4 heat races were stacked and featured some
good racing. Scotty Weir took the Edison 10E car to
the win in heat 1, from the 5th starting spot. Scotty
seems to get the 10E around the track pretty decent
for only being in the car a few times to date. I think
if they decided to keep Scotty all year, they could be
a force to reckon with this season. Jon Stanbrough was
trying to get back to his 07 form by taking the win in
heat 2. Darren Hagan took advantage of his front row
starting spot to win heat number 3. Jerry Coons Jr.
started outside row 1 in heat race 4 and never looked
back. Jerry held off a chargin Jesse Hockett for the
win. Only 3 of the top 8 qualifiers made the A Main
transfer spots through the heats. The heats were good
and some guys that started deep in the pack made great
runs but fell a spot short of making the transfer.
The B Main saw 4 of the top 6 in qualifying
starting upfront. The top 6 would transfer and the
field was stacked. Kyle Robbins spun early in the
event. Shane Cottle had just enough to hold off a
chargin Brad Sweet for the win. The real battle was
for the final transfer spot. Brady Bacon, Brad Kuhn,
Bill Rose, and Chris Windom were all fighting hard for
the final spot. It wasn't settled until going into
turn 3 of the last lap. Bacon and Kuhn out ran Rose
and Windom the final few laps to earn A Main starting
spots. The B was so tough, Dave Darland and Tracy
Hines needed a provisional to make the A. By the way,
Brad Kuhn had and excellent run. From the NQ race to
the A Main. Brad started 17th in the B and raced into
the top 6 in the closing laps.
Dustin Morgan and Daron Clayton paced the field for
the 30 lap A Main. Brad Sweet shot form 3rd to 1st and
took the lead to complete lap 1. Lap 2, Josh Clemons
brought out a caution. In NASCAR they say cautions
breed cautions, well that seemed to happen during the
A Main this night. On the restart, Hockett and Cole
Whitt got tangled up. Lap 5, Hunter Scheurenberg and
Hagen spin. Lap 9, Kuhn spins. lap 12, Coons and Kenny
Biro come together. On the nest restart, Thomas
Meseraull takes a mild tumble. Lap 14, Bret
Mellenberndt spins. Restart, caution for Bacon.
Finally, a few laps get into the books. Sweet was
running the low line, holding off what looked to be a
faster Levi Jones and Shane Cottle. Sweet and Jones
try to play the squeeze play game going into to turn
3. They survive but lose momentum as they slip off the
bottom just for a second. Cottle gets a run and take
the lead to complete lap 18. Lap 19, Hockett stops
with a flat tire. With 11 to go, Cottle must hit his
marks on the bottom to keep the lead. Once its green
again, Shane keeps glued to the bottom. He misses his
marks a few times but recovers before Sweet or Jones
can take advantage of the bobble. Dustin Morgan finds
he way around the track and takes over 2nd with a
handful of laps to go. Cottle sees the white as Morgan
gets closer. Too late, Cottle takes the win over
Morgan, Sweet, Jones, and Darland, who started 23rd.
The A Main got pretty huggy pole at the bottom but had
many close battles for the lead. All in all the battle
for the lead was pretty tight most of the A. It was
just one of those A Mains that just when they really
got a racing, a yellow flys. That is the way it goes
some nights but one thing is for sure, there was
plenty of passing all night and some pretty decent
battles when they got to running consecutive laps.
Look for Chad Blonde to be state side this weekend and
make his USA 2008 season opener at Eldora Saturday
night...Winchester rescheduled last weekend's rain out
date for this Sunday...Even though this is a sprint
car site, I need to touch on a late model subject.
Long time late model racer, and friend of mine,
Hillard Miller, got hurt last weekend during a race.
Many rumors are running wild of his condition and
such, Yes he was life-lined to a Ft Wayne hospital
but, mainly for time concerns and such. Hillard was
back home in time for work Monday morning. He still
faces some operations to fix his broken eye socket and
his facial bones. He CAN see out of his right eye but
not too well yet. It is NOT SURE of what will happen
to that eye and if he will regain all usage of it or
not at this time. Hillard is one tough guy that won't
let this stop him or keep him down. Like he said
tonight, when I talked to him, I am just not that type
of guy to take off work and quit what I am doing. If
the doctors think he will be OK and his surgery goes
well, if/when he has one, he still plans to be racing
in the next few weeks. Lets all pray that Hillard's
eye will and can return to 100% but if it doesn't,
don't think that will keep Hillard off the track.
UPCOMING:
Saturday: All Stars Eldora
Sunday: USAC Winchester IN
I am shooting for another 3 races weekend. Hopefully
that happens this time.
See you at Attica, Eldora, and Winchester..
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