By T.J. Buffenbarger
New Weston, OH – Mother Nature threw a monkey wrench into a valiant effort to complete the first night of the Coca-Cola Spring Classic at Eldora Speedway after extreme fog forced the postponement of the USAC National Sprint Car Series feature to the start of the Saturday program. The program will pick up with the B-Main for the USAC National Sprint Cars at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday.
The fog ended a valiant effort by the Eldora Speedway track crew, the United States Auto Club officials, and the entire sprint car, modified, and stock car teams after extremely wet and cold conditions hampered the racing surface. After hours of wheel packing the program started with heat races around 10:00 p.m. on an extremely wet and heavy surface. Even with the extreme conditions incidents were few and far between with Toby Alfrey climbing Brandon Mattox’s wheel in turn one for the only flip of the night.
Qualifications were scratched and passing points were used to determine the feature lineup.
AMSOIL USAC NATIONAL SPRINT RACE RESULTS: April 8, 2011 – Rossburg, Ohio – Eldora Speedway – “Coca-Cola Spring Classic” – “Don Branson/Jud Larson Classic”
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Blake Fitzpatrick (#10 Fitzpatrick), 2. Damion Gardner (#71 DG), 3. Scotty Weir (#1G Gorby), 4. Bill Rose (#10T R & B), 5. Jerry Coons Jr. (#69 Dynamics), 6. Brady Bacon (#99 Bacon), 7. Keith Bloom (#27 Kaeding),), 8. Thomas Meseraull (#9x SC). NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Levi Jones (#20 Stewart), 2. Bryan Clauson (#7 CTR/BCI/Curb-Agajanian), 3. Chris Windom (#5x Baldwin), 4. Bobby East (#5 Klatt), 5. Jon Stanbrough (#53 Fox), 6. Hunter Schuerenberg (#35 Byram), 7. Tracy Hines (#4 Hines). 2:13.04
THIRD HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Justin Grant (#40 Hery), 2. Jonathan Hendrick (#68 Hendrick), 3. Casey Riggs (#37 Indiana Underground), 4. Brandon Mattox (#28 Mattox), 5. Toby Alfrey (#5A Alfrey). NT
FOURTH HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Matt Westfall (#22 Simon), 2. Dave Darland (#11 Walker), 3. Bud Kaeding (#29 BK), 4. Robert Ballou (#81 MPHG), 5. Steve Irwin (#42G R & M), 6. Johnny Mackison (#65 Mackison), 7. Chase Stockon (#32 Stockon). 2:14.46
ALSO AT THE TRACK: J.J. Hughes (#76 Hughes) and Wes McIntyre (#83 McIntyre).
BALANCE OF PROGRAM POSTPONED TO SATURDAY DUE TO FOG
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**Alfrey flipped during the third heat.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: N/A
NEW AMSOIL USAC NATIONAL SPRINT POINTS: To be updated Saturday
NEW USAC NATIONAL DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: To be updated Saturday
NEXT AMSOIL USAC NATIONAL SPRINT RACE: April 9 – Rossburg, OH – Eldora Speedway – “Coca-Cola Spring Classic” – “Don Branson/Jud Larson Classic”
Photo Gallery
See all of T.J. and Bob’s photos from Eldora on our Flickr page.