By Dick Jordan
Bryan Clauson’s defense of his USAC National Drivers Championship enters its last two months on a tenuous note, with Tracy Hines breathing down his back going into this Thursday night’s AMSOIL USAC “Thursday National Thunder” National Pavement Sprint race at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Ind.
Hines won Sunday’s “Rich Vogler Classic” pavement Sprint race at the Winchester (Ind.) Speedway, a race Clauson did not attend, thereby slicing into Clauson’s point lead. Hines trails by 17 and could feasibly tie Clauson with a victory at Indianapolis.
Chris Windom continues to hold down third in the latest standings after finishing third at Winchester, while Bobby East, second at Winchester, is fourth and Kyle Larson, fifth at Winchester, is fifth.
Rounding out the “top-10” in the new standings are Levi Jones, Jerry Coons Jr., Jon Stanbrough, Hunter Schuerenberg and Tanner Swanson.
USAC NATIONAL DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1-Bryan Clauson-988; 2-Tracy Hines-971; 3-Chris Windom-937; 4-Bobby East-910; 5-Kyle Larson-906; 6-Levi Jones-903; 7-Jerry Coons Jr.-853; 8-Jon Stanbrough-736; 9-Hunter Schuerenberg-700; 10-Tanner Swanson-686.