By Dick Jordan
The 2010 USAC Ford Focus campaign is winding down, with a few championships yet to be determined, but Nick Drake of Mooresville, N.C. tucked one under his belt Saturday in Las Vegas, Nev.
Drake, son of former USAC Champion Jay Drake, won Saturday night’s 35-lap USAC National Ford Focus Championship race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring. Drake took the lead from Kyle Bailey on lap 11 and led the rest of the way in his Troy Cline-owned Haas Automation/SEM Beast.
The championship puts Drake and his father Jay in select company. The only previous father-son USAC Champions were Tony and Gary Bettenhausen, Mario and Jeff Andretti, Al Unser and Al Jr. and Mel & Brice Kenyon.
Bailey led the first 10 laps of the race but slipped to seventh at the finish behind Drake, Cody Gerhardt, Garrett Peterson, Kyle O’Gara, Jake Blackhurst and Cody Thompson. Tyler Cottongim was the fastest qualifier.
Drake’s name will be inscribed on the permanent Henry Ford Sweepstakes Trophy as the 2010 National Ford Focus Champion.
Austin Farley of Brighton, Colo. piloted a Ron Sutton’s Winners Circle K & N Kent to victory in the accompanying 20-lap Focus Young Guns feature, leading the final 11 laps to beat Jessica Clark, Brandon White, Jarid Blondel and Christine Breckenridge. Clark led the first two laps and White the next seven.
The ARP Fall Classic will include the Ford Focus and Focus Young Guns at Ventura (Calif.) Raceway November 20 and the Ford Focus campaign will conclude November 27 in the 70th “Turkey Night Grand Prix” activities November 25 at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.).
FINAL USAC MIDWEST FORD FOCUS POINT STANDINGS
1-Joe Liguori-801, 2-Jake Blackhurst-789, 3-Kyle O’Gara-675, 4-Tyler Cottongim-641, 5-Jessica Bean-569, 6-Toby Alfrey-547, 7-Andy Nock-526, 8-Scott Hunter-477, 9-Nick Drake-454, 10-Eric Rankine-404.
FINAL USAC MIDWEST FORD FOCUS DIRT POINT STANDINGS
1-Joe Liguori-472, 2-Jake Blackhurst-403, 3-Eric Rankine-371, 4-Jessica Bean-361, 5-Kyle O’Gara-320, 6-Bill Kriegbaum-288, 7-Toby Alfrey-221, 8-Ross Rankine-183, 9-Byron Stowe-168, 10-Brunson Behning-167.
FINAL USAC MIDWEST FORD FOCUS PAVEMENT POINT STANDINGS
1-Jake Blackhurst-677, 2-Joe Liguori-620, 3-Tyler Cottongim-546, 4-Kyle O’Gara-513, 5-Andy Nock-417, 6-Tate Martz-398, 7-Nick Drake-342 8-Scott Hunter-341, 9-Justin Hommel-306, 10-Geoff Gerline-295.
USAC UTAH FORD FOCUS POINT STANDINGS
1-Michael Daniels-801, 2-Chuck Groat-632, 3-Ron Duncombe-553, 4-J.R. Williams-539, 5-Terra Brower-499, 6-Connor Kassik-477, 7-Gregg Fuette-456, 8-Austin Luttmer-445, 9-Jeremy McKenna-397, 10-Cody Gerhardt-351.
FINAL USAC EASTERN FORD FOCUS POINT STANDINGS
1-Scott Hunter-764, 2-Nick Drake-705, 3-Justin Hommel-659, 4-Chris Lamb-587, 5-Tyler Corriher-561, 6-Jarett Andretti-492, 7-Jake Blackhurst-370, 8-Cody Acton-369, 9-Tyler Cottongim-356, 10-Billy Gaule-313.
FINAL USAC CAROLINA FORD FOCUS POINT STANDINGS
1-Scott Hunter-1,026, 2-Nick Drake-870, 3-Justin Hommel-843, 4-Tyler Corriher-668, 5-Chris Lamb-605, 6-Jarett Andretti-536, 7-Tyler Cottongim-356, 8-Cody Acton-321, 9-Billy Gaule-313, 10-Jake Blackhurst-313.
USAC WESTERN FORD FOCUS POINT STANDINGS
1-Nick Carlson-794, 2-Cody Gerhardt-773, 3-Michael Daniels-731, 4-Kyle Edwards-711, 5-Bobby Runyan-699, 6-Cody Thompson-682, 7-Jet Davison-680, 8-Garrett Peterson-652, 9-Andrew Mulhearn-644, 10-Keegan Walmer-633.
USAC WESTERN FORD FOCUS PAVEMENT POINT STANDINGS
1-Cody Gerhardt-1,088, 2-Bobby Runyan-954, 3-Cody Thompson-682, 4-Garrett Peterson-652, 5-Keegan Walmer-633, 6-Eli Schrock-552, 7-Austin Farley-526, 8-Connor Kassik-481, 9-Shawn Buckley-439, 10-Jessica Clark-371.
USAC WESTERN FORD FOCUS DIRT POINT STANDINGS
1-Nick Carlson-890, 2-Kyle Edwards-785, 3-Jet Davison-722, 4-Andrew Mulhearn-644, 5-Andrew Murray-594,6-Wally Pankratz-504 , 7-Zach Stout-486, 8-Tony Cinque-426, 9-Jake Blackhurst-272, 10-Kalvin Douglas-167.
USAC NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORD FOCUS POINT STANDINGS
1-Cody Gerhardt-687, 2-Garrett Peterson-652, 3-Cody Thompson-648, 4-Keegan Walmer-602, 5-Bobby Runyan-554, 6-Tim Skoglund-286, 7-Connor Kassik-256, 8-Courtney Atkinson-255, 9-Austin Farley-221, 10-J.R. Williams-204.
USAC SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FORD FOCUS POINT STANDINGS
1-Cody Gerhardt-637, 2-Bobby Runyan-582, 3-Eli Schrock-552, 4-Austin Farley-526, 5-Shawn Buckley-439, 6-Jessica Clark-328, 7-Cody Thompson-324, 8-Kyle Edwards-276, 9-Keegan Walmer-275, 10-Connor Kassik-249.
USAC WESTERN FOCUS YOUNG GUNS POINT STANDINGS
1-Jarid Blondel-758, 2-Brandon White-754, 3-Casey Martinez-748, 4-Alex Jacobsen-728, 5-Collin Henry-627, 6-Keegan Walmer-615, 7-Daniel Williams-586, 8-Austin Farley-566, 9-Cody Thompson-553, 10-Logan Williams-471.
USAC WESTERN FOCUS YOUNG GUNS DIRT POINT STANDINGS
1-Casey Martinez-846, 2-Jarid Blondel-834, 3-Alex Jacobsen-825, 4-Collin Henry-666, 5-Daniel Williams-586, 6-Logan Williams-471, 7-Bradley Morris-458, 8-Winn Frazin-326, 9-Tanner Kershaw-310, 10-Cole Custer-119.
FINAL USAC WESTERN FOCUS YOUNG GUNS PAVEMENT POINT STANDINGS
1-Brandon White-872, 2-Keegan Walmer-615, 3-Austin Farley-566, 4-Cody Thompson-553, 5-Jarid Blondel-434, 6-Jessica Clark-328, 7-Courtney Atkinson-312, 8-Winn Frazin-108, 9-Christine Breckenridge-92, 10-Tanner Long-68.
FINAL USAC NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FOCUS YOUNG GUNS POINT STANDINGS
1-Brandon White-496, 2-Keegan Walmer-431, 3-Cody Thompson-392, 4-Courtney Atkinson-312, 5-Austin Farley-191, 6-Jessica Clark-120, 7-Jarid Blondel-106, 8-Tanner Long-59, 8-Shon Gooden-55, 10-Christine Breckenridge-49.
FINAL USAC SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOCUS YOUNG GUNS POINT STANDINGS
1-Austin Farley-504, 2-Brandon White-488, 3-Jarid Blondel-434, 4-Jessica Clark-329, 5-Keegan Walmer-190, 6-Cody Thompson-161, 7-Winn Frazin-108, 8-Christine Breckenridge-92, 9-Tanner Long-68, 10-Jimmy Moon-57.
FINAL USAC MIDWEST FOCUS YOUNG GUNS POINT STANDINGS
1-Cooper Clouse-519, 2-Ross Rankine-497, 3-Stevie Kuhn-441, 4-Gage Walker-422, 5-Max McGee-193, 6-Austin Prock-133, 7-Brendon Bock-117, 8-Derrick Morris-105, 9-Mike Gass-95, 10-Tyler Shullick-61.
FINAL USAC CAROLINA FOCUS YOUNG GUNS POINT STANDINGS
1-Jesse Little-398, 2-Adam Brown-343, 3-Austin Prock-321, 4-Ryan Ayers-128, 5-Brendon Bock-125, 6-Jamie Cox-107, 7-Stephen Bergh Jr.-60, 8-Cole Custer-6.