By Dick Jordan
The USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Cars and Midwest Ford Focuses are headed for Lincoln Park Speedway July 24 for a unique “doubleheader” on the 5/16-mile dirt track.
“ThenightbeforetheBrickyard.com” racing program marks only the third time the National Sprint Cars and Ford Focuses have shared an event but will not be the first time either has competed on the Lincoln Park oval. A total of 20 Sprint races have been held there and a pair of Ford Focus races have been contested there.
Dave Darland won the last USAC Sprint race there in 2005 and Josh Lakatos was the winner the last time the Ford Focuses were there, in 2003. USAC Triple Crown Champion Jerry Coons Jr. also won a Ford Focus feature at Putnamville in 2003.
The Sprint race will be a 40-lapper, while the Ford Focuses will compete in a 20-lapper.
Race organizer Joe Spiker is excited about the return of USAC to the track which has hosted 38 previous USAC events, beginning with Johnny Parsons’ Midget win in 1979. “This is the beginning of what we hope to be a renewed commitment between Lincoln Park and USAC,” says Spiker, owner of Spiker Promotions. “We look forward to an expansion of our USAC activities as we move into the future.”
The “Billy Marvel Classic” Sprint race rained out at Lincoln Park on May 1 has been rescheduled for September 10.