9 POINTS SEPARATE NDC LEADERS HINES, HAGEN

usac United States Auto Club 2012 logo

By Dick Jordan

The battle for USAC’s 2012 National Drivers Championship continues this week at two Mopar National Midget races at Plymouth (Ind.) Speedway Friday and Saturday.

Tracy Hines, with a fifth, 11th and 13th in three races last week, has a nine-point lead over Darren Hagen in the new standings. Hagen recorded a seventh and a ninth last week, while third-ranking Levi Jones, who trails Hines by 34 in the new standings, had a ninth in the Toledo, Ohio Silver Crown race.

The National Drivers Championship will heat up July 13-21 as the AMSOIL National Sprint cars compete in seven races in nine nights, constituting “Indiana Sprint Week.”

2012 USAC National Drivers Championship Standings

1-Tracy Hines-823, 2-Darren Hagen-814, 3-Levi Jones-789, 4-Bryan Clauson-691, 5-Bobby East-671, 6-Jerry Coons Jr.-664, 7-Chris Windom-627, 8-Jon Stanbrough-459, 9-Dave Darland-449, 10-Caleb Armstrong-395.