By Dick Jordan
The 2010 USAC Midwest and Carolina Ford Focus Series converge this Wednesday and Thursday nights at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway, while the Western Ford Focus and Young Guns visit Lucas Oil I-10 Speedway in Blythe, Calif., also Saturday.
Two nights of racing at Hickory also feature the USAC Mopar National Midgets, with complete programs and feature events for both series each night. The events are considered “special events” for the Carolina competitors.
Ron Sutton’s Winners Circle Racing drivers Eli Schrock and Austin Farley recorded feature victories Saturday night in USAC Ford Focus and Young Guns competition at Havasu 95 Speedway. Schrock, of Culpepper, Va., led all but the first lap to win the 40-lap Western/Utah Ford Focus main event over Bobby Runyan, Shawn Buckley, Kyle Edwards and A.J. Ault. Edwards led the opening lap in the accompanying 15-lap Young Guns feature, Farley, of Brighton, Colo., took the lead from Brandon White on lap five and led the rest of the way to beat White and Jarid Blondel. Jessica Clark was the fastest Young Guns qualifier and Cody Gerhardt posted the fastest qualifying time in the Ford Focuses.
The Hickory events will award points toward the 2010 Midwest and Eastern overall championships where drivers will count their “top-12” finishes during the season.
The 2009 series champions were Joe Liguori of Tampa, Fla. and Jeremy Frankoski of Huntersville, N.C. Liguori will compete in the two-night extravaganza at the .363-mile paved oval, while Frankoski’s car will be handled by 2008 Carolina titlist Bradley Riethmeyer of Conover, N.C.
At Blythe, participants will compete for points in the 2010 Western and Utah Ford Focus and Western Young Guns series. Kyle Edwards leads the Western Ford Focus standings, while Jarid Blondel sits atop the Young Guns points and Eli Schrock is the early leader in the Utah standings.
USAC WESTERN FORD FOCUS POINT STANDINGS
1-Kyle Edwards-116; 2-Connor Kassik-75; 3-Nick Carlson-68; 4-Eli Schrock-67; 5-Bobby Runyan-65; 6-Jet Davison-64; 7-Shawn Buckley-63; 8-A.J. Ault-55; 9-Andrew Mulhearn-54; 10-Cody Gerhardt-53.
USAC WESTERN FORD FOCUS PAVEMENT POINT STANDINGS
1-Eli Schrock-67; 2-Bobby Runyan-65; 3-Shawn Buckley-63; 4-Kyle Edwards-58; 5-A.J. Ault-55; 6-Cody Gerhardt-53; 7-Dylan Nobile-49; 8-Jessica Clark-42; 9-J.R. Williams-41; 10-Michael Daniels-40.
USAC UTAH FORD FOCUS POINT STANDINGS
1-Eli Schrock-67; 2-Bobby Runyan-65; 3-Shawn Buckley-63; 4-Kyle Edwards-58; 5-A.J. Ault-55; 6-Cody Gerhardt-53; 7-Dylan Nobile-49; 8-Jessica Clark-42; 9-J.R. Williams-41; 10-Michael Daniels-40.
USAC WESTERN YOUNG GUNS POINT STANDINGS
1-Jarid Blondel-108; 2-Austin Farley-73; 3-Casey Martinez-68; 4-Brandon White-67; 5-Alex Jacobsen-63; 6-Winn Frazin-58; 7-Tanner Kershaw-56; 8-Collin Henry-48; 9-Bradley Morris-48; 10-Al Simpson-42.
USAC WESTERN YOUNG GUNS PAVEMENT POINT STANDINGS
1-Austin Farley-73; 2-Brandon White-67; 3-Jarid Blondel-62; 4-Tanner Long-9; 5-Jessica Clark-6.