By Dick Jordan
Wednesday’s “Don Smith Classic” at the Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track pays tribute to the longtime USAC race organizer who has served as President and Chairman of First Financial Bank and organized numerous USAC races at the Terre Haute oval.
Round four of the 2012 AMSOIL “Indiana Sprint Week” marks the 144th appearance of USAC’s AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series at the historic Wabash Valley Fairgrounds half-mile dirt track. In all, 227 USAC events have been conducted there with Rich Vogler recording a record 13 victories and Jack Hewitt 11.
Bud Kaeding won the “Tony Hulman Classic” in April but defending AMSOIL Indiana Sprint Week Champion Chris Windom is the defending winner of this race, having won both Terre Haute USAC Sprint races last year.
Other drivers with Terre Haute feature wins to their credit expected to compete are Levi Jones, Jon Stanbrough, Jerry Coons Jr., Dave Darland, Darren Hagen, Bobby East and Tracy Hines.
Jones leads the AMSOIL Indiana Sprint Week standings after finishing third in Monday night’s race at the Kokomo Speedway. He has a tenuous 14-point lead over Bryan Clauson and is 18 ahead of Darland, winner of Monday’s Kokomo feature.
Jones, who owns six Terre Haute wins, also leads the AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car standings. Clauson is still seeking his initial Terre Haute USAC triumph, while Darland has four career wins at the half-mile.
AMSOIL Indiana Sprint Week has produced three different winners in its first three races, namely Clauson at Gas City, Justin Grant at Lawrenceburg and Darland at Kokomo. Darland leads the all-time ISW victory list with 16.
The series follows Terre Haute with a Thursday night race at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, a Friday night race at Bloomington Speedway and the finale Saturday night at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt.
2012 USAC AMSOIL “INDIANA SPRINT WEEK” POINTS: 1-Levi Jones-169, 2-Bryan Clauson-155, 3-Dave Darland-151, 4-Hunter Schuerenberg-145, 5-Damion Gardner-140, 6-Jon Stanbrough-135, 7-Chase Stockon-128, 8-Jerry Coons Jr.-119, 9-Bobby East-112, 10-Tracy Hines-98.