By Dick Jordan
Seventeen of this year’s USAC Ford Focus racing champions have already been determined and four remain to be decided in the remaining races as the 2011 USAC Ford Focus and Focus Young Guns seasons wind to a close.
Still battling for championships are drivers in USAC’s Western, Western Dirt and Southern California Ford Focus Focus series and the Eastern Ford Focus Pavement series.
Remaining races on the 2011 calendar include the October 29 Eastern Ford Focus finale at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, N.C., the Western Dirt Ford Focus and Focus Young Guns races at Ventura (Calif.) Raceway November 19 and the November 24 “Turkey Night Grand Prix” Ford Focus finale at Toyota Speedway in Irwindale, Calif. November 24.
Nick Drake leads Jarett Andretti by just three points entering the Eastern Ford Focus finale at Altamahaw, N.C. Brodie Kostecki’s lead over Jim Waters stands at 19 in the Western Ford Focuses, while Tyler Dolacki leads Wally Pankratz by 20 in the Western Ford Focus Dirt standings and Jessica Clark is 53 ahead of Brandon White in the Southern California Ford Focuses.
Champions who have already been crowned by virtue of concluded series or the remaining points available include: Nick Drake of Mooresville, N.C. (National and Eastern Ford Focus), Cole Custer of Kannapolis, N.C. (National Young Guns), Ross Rankine of Willard, Ohio (Midwest Ford Focus and Midwest Paved Ford Focus); Patrick Bruns of Champaign, Ill. (Midwest Ford Focus Dirt), Sam McGhee of Camby, Ind. (Midwest Focus Young Guns); Jared Irvan of Midland, N.C. (Eastern Focus Young Guns); Scott Hunter of Concord, N.C. (Eastern Dirt Ford Focus); Brodie Kostecki of Roseville, Calif. (Western and California South Focus Young Guns), Jim Waters of West Jordan, Utah (Utah Ford Focus); Trevor Hunt of Liberty, Mo. (Western Paved and California North Young Guns); Garett Peterson of West Sacramento, Calif. (California North Ford Focus); Jessica Clark of Westlake Village, Calif. (Western Paved Ford Focus); and Parker Colston of Lake Elsinore, Calif. (Western Dirt Young Guns).