From USAC
COONS CLOSES FOR ‘ROLLIE BEALE’ 100 WIN
Toledo, Ohio…….Jerry Coons, Jr. of Tucson, Arizona took his second Traxxas Silver Crown Series win of the season and second Toledo Speedway win in three races after taking the lead late and winning Friday night’s “Rollie Beale 100.”
Coons Win @ Toledo
Bobby East led from the pole position and set a torrid pace. Only one caution slowed the pace, as Taylor Ferns slowed to a stop on lap 24.
East led Bobby Santos and Coons into traffic as the top-three pulled away from the rest of the field. With Santos continually pressuring East for the lead, Coons kept the pair in sight. Santos nudged East from behind on a couple occasions before pulling alongside on lap 67.
Santos again pulled alongside East for the lead in traffic, and as Santos looked for the lead a third time, Coons pinned him behind a lapped car to take the second spot.
It didn’t take long after that for Coons to grab the lead, as he jumped to the outside lane and circled East for the top spot on lap 87. He pulled away to capture the win in the Rotondo Weirich – Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil #27 Beast/Wallace Toyota.
“I didn’t qualify where I wanted, but we started on the outside and I kept it out there to pick up some spots at the beginning. I knew the top was okay, and my car rolled really nice. I tried Santos a little bit and felt like I lost some grip after that, and they pulled away a little, but my car seemed to level off and their cars were going away. I was able to use traffic to my advantage, and Bobby (East) was obviously getting pretty loose, so I knew if I could beat him to the center of the corner, I could get him,” Coons said of his winning move.
East had his hands full over the final few laps as Santos still worked him over for the runner-up spot, but East held on in the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing – Chevy Performance #22 Beast/Kistler.
“I knew I wasn’t good enough to have a comfortable lead, so I was just trying to make up any ground that I could in traffic. At times, I cut through it really well, and other times I got slowed up a little. I felt Santos back there a couple times, but I was just holding on there. Still, we were only fifteen laps short of pulling it off. Another good night with this team,” East said.
Santos joined his teammate Coons on the podium as the Franklin, Massachusetts driver took home third in the Rotondo Weirich – Curb Records #17 Beast/Wallace Toyota.
“Bobby (East) did a good job. I was just too tight to get by him and couldn’t ever find a way by him. I wish there was more traffic to figure something out on him, because I couldn’t roll around the outside. I had the advantage of being behind him, but Jerry was able to figure things out from behind us, and it looked like he had the best car at the end and drove a great race,” Santos said.
Kody Swanson, who won the “Rollie Beale 100” in 2011, came home fourth in the Six-R Racing – Jet Star #19 Beast/Toyota. Tracy Hines rounded out the top-five in the Lightfoot Racing – Fatheadz Eyewear #16 Beast/Stanton Mopar.
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HAMILTON TAKES FIRST NATIONAL WIN AT GRUNDY COUNTY
Morris, Illinois……Kyle Hamilton of Danville, Indiana ended a great weekend by taking his first-career Mopar National Midget win in Saturday’s “Freedom 50” at Grundy County Speedway. Hamilton started the night by setting a new USAC track record and finished with a comfortable victory aboard the Curtis Motor Sales – Hamilton Painting #33 Spike/Esslinger.
Point-leader Darren Hagen led from the start and was in control over the first half of the race as Caleb Armstrong dogged him for the lead. Hamilton moved into third quickly and kept pace with the front two. The complexion of the race changed on lap 25 when Patrick Wilda stopped to bring out a caution.
On the restart, Hagen’s engine appeared to go sour, and Armstrong ran into him. Hamilton jumped to the outside and swept around both for a lead he would not relinquish, racing through two more restarts to log a 5.07-second victory.
“I knew to expect a really slow start there. I knew I’d need a little room getting into one, but when I saw Caleb jumped his wheel, I saw the top open up and just hammered down and didn’t look back. It’s such an awesome thing to win our first National race – we’ve been working hard for one for a while. We picked these two races to dial in on the short tracks. I can’t thank my guys enough for a great weekend,” Hamilton said.
Bryan Clauson and Tanner Swanson disposed of both Hagen and Armstrong quickly, as well, and the two teammates fought for the runner-up spot most of the remainder of the race. Clauson brought it home in second aboard the Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports – Toyota TRD #67 Beast/Speedway Toyota.
“We actually got a little bit lucky to get some help from Clouser on that yellow, because I think his engine was going sour too, and he kept it low so we could find the top on that restart. All that broke loose in front of us, and things cleared out to get to second. The 33 (Hamilton) was on a rail, though. It didn’t matter what we tried, so after I knew he was gone, I just had to save the tire a little and try to keep Tanner behind me,” Clauson said.
Swanson found the podium in his third race aboard the Keith Kunz Motorsports – Toyota TRD #71 Beast/Speedway Toyota.
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IMS CAMPING OFFERED TO INDIANA SPRINT WEEK TEAMS AND FANS
Indiana Sprint Week teams competing in the seven-race series for USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Cars July 13-21 and race fans attending the events will have a “home base” for the two “down” days, July 16-17.
Special arrangements through the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have opened lot #3 for USAC participants and fans. The lot is located in front of the IndyCar offices on the south side of 16th Street, across from turn two of the Speedway.
Parking will be free of charge but there are no hook-ups available and spots must be RSVPed.
Amsoil
Indiana Sprint Week has become one of the most popular events of the calendar year. This year’s schedule includes races July 13-15 at Gas City, Kokomo and Lawrenceburg and July 18-21 at Terre Haute, Putnamville, Bloomington and Haubstadt.
A cook-out is planned one night, along with racing movies, driver autographs and other special events to be announced in the coming weeks.
Participants or race fans wishing to reserve spots in Lot #3 for July 16-17 are asked to contact James Spink at USAC at james@usacracing.com.
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MOPAR .25 MIDGETS TAME ‘THE BEAST OF THE EAST’
The “Beast of the East” Syracuse Track hosted Round #2, of the USAC Northeast Series for the Mopar .25 Midgets and had well over 100 cars in the pits!
Why the name “Beast of the East”? The track is utilized by both quarter midgets and microd race car clubs and is double the size of any quarter midget track in the country. While most events take place on a regulation size 1/20th of a mile track, Syracuse measures 1/10th mile. “The drivers loved the long straight-aways,” said Kyle McCain, USAC Official who led the team for the weekend. “It was really big and fast,” said Briggs Hvy World Formula winner Brandon Grosso.
“We just tightened up our cars a little for the turns.” “I loved it,” said Connor Gross who took the win in the Jr Animal race. “Connor loves those flat tracks,” said his dad, Dale.Syracuse Winners
“We are so appreciative of you guys coming,” said Keil White, President of Syracuse. “The Syracuse Club was very pleased with the job USAC did running our North East event. Everything from the registration to the award presentation was handled professionally and efficiently. The staff on the track are committed to getting the race show completed in an organized and safe manner with out wasting any time.”
The track was open for practice Friday morning and trailers pulled into to the New York State Fairgrounds most of the day. USAC Officials began controlled practice at 5 pm. The weather was scorching, but drivers managed 3 times on the track until 7:30 pm. Opening ceremonies on Saturday morning were held right after the 8:45 am Drivers Meeting. Three .25 Midgets, carrying our Nations Flag, the Syracuse Flag and the USAC Flag, made their way around the big track stopping in turns 3 & 4. Drivers then gathered around the cars for a beautifully sung National Anthem by Savanah Blandino and Pastor Kevin Westcott lead the prayer.
After one round of practice, heat races began. There were 37 races run on Saturday and the top 3 drivers were awarded gold, silver or bronze medals in Mopar Victory lane, to end the day. Families were on their way home by 7 pm.
Next up is the 2012 USAC “Battle at the Brickyard”, July 24 – 28, 2012, at Mini Indy Speedway, located at the Indianapolis State Fairgrounds. Registration is now open at www.usacracing.com. If drivers register by July 9, families will receive FREE tickets to the NASCAR Sprint Cup race – the 19th Annual Crown Royal presents the “Your Hero’s Name Here” 300 at the Brickyard, Powered by Big Machine Records, Indianapolis Motor Speedway. What a chance for your family to sit at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway and watch your favorite NASCAR driver in action!
Mark your calendars for the 3rd and final event of the Northeast Championship – Round #3, August 10-11 at the Oswego County Quarter Midget Club in Fulton, NY.
‘FIRECRACKER 30′ WEDNESDAY AT PERRIS AUTO SPEEDWAY
The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Cars return to Perris (Calif.) Auto Speedway Wednesday night for the “Firecracker 30” and point leaders Mike Spencer and Nic Faas should be among heavy favorites for victory again.
A special Sky Concert of fireworks is planned but the racing action should provide its own share of fireworks as drivers continue to battle for points toward the 2012 championship.
Spencer leads Faas by 32 points, with Matt Mitchell currently holding down the number three spot in the standings. Spencer has 20 career Perris wins, compared to Faas’ four and Mitchell’s three. Spencer has won the last three races this year after Faas took the series opener.
2012 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS
1-Mike Spencer-407; 2-Nic Faas-375; 3-Matt Mitchell-314; 4-Austin Williams-297; 5-Brody Roa-280; 6-Ryan Bernal-278; 7-Rip Williams-249; 8-Seth Wilson-238; 9-Cory Kruseman-227; 10-Cody Williams-200.
SCOTT HOLCOMB PLUGS LEAKS, TAKES USAC DMA FEATURE
BRADFORD, VT – Like the Little Dutch Boy who gained glory by sticking his finger in a dike, Scott Holcomb fixed a water leak in this Pontiac Quad 4 engine and scored his first USAC Dirt Midget Association win of the season at Bear Ridge Speedway Saturday night.
“For the past two weeks, we finished on three cylinders because a water leak was shorting out the ignition system. We finally got it fixed and I had enough power to get the job done this week,” Holcomb said.
Starting ninth, Holcomb quickly moved through the field and was running third when back-to-back minor incidents brought out the yellow flag twice on lap four. Holcomb was then able to power by early race leader Dana Shaw on lap five.
Defending champion Joe Krawiec was briefly able to get a few feet ahead of Holcomb when the pair split a lapped car, but Krawiec, who started 11th, wasn’t able to maintain traction and slid up the racetrack slightly, allowing Holcomb to motor by on the inside. Krawiec had to settle for second while his teammate Kevin Chaffee started tenth and finished third. Olson was fourth and 70 year old Hall of Famer Ray Miller was fifth. After wrecking in his heat, young Tim Gallant had another strong feature performance, starting 15th and finishing sixth.
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CALEB LEADS ‘ARMSTRONG SWEEP’ AT TOLEDO
Toledo, Ohio……New Castle, Indiana driver Caleb Armstrong took off from outside the front-row to lead wire-to-wire in Friday night’s Mopar National Midget event at Toledo Speedway on “Ron Hemelgarn Night.”
Toledo Top 3
Armstrong, who dominated much of last Friday’s race at Iowa Speedway before losing an engine late in the race, was completely unchallenged throughout the race. It was the first win of the season for Caleb in the Syngenta Seed – EverFi #7c Beast/Stanton Toyota.
“It’s been a real long week. We had to get engines rebuilt and all that stuff, and we didn’t have things ready to go until like two in the morning. It still sucks that we didn’t win Iowa, but to bounce back and get one feels pretty good. Our guys work hard, so it’s a great way to finish the night,” Armstrong said.
After a caution just past halfway, Caleb held a healthy advantage as cousin Dalton Armstrong tried to hold back the sudden surge of New Track Record holder Kyle Hamilton, who moved by Bobby East on the restart to grab the third spot.
Armstrong pulled back away from Hamilton over the last few laps and actually chipped into his cousin’s lead, coming home second in the Syngenta Seed – EverFi #7A Beast/Stanton Toyota.
“Caleb just got the start on me. He was just a little bit more freed up than me. I was tight and couldn’t hold the bottom off the corner. I thought I’d have a chance on the restart, but I just couldn’t get a run on him. It’s been a tough year, so it’s good to get a solid finish,” Armstrong said of his best finish on the season.
Hamilton backed up his track-record run with a podium finish in just his second National Midget race of the season in the Curtis Motor Sales – Hamilton Painting #33 Spike/Esslinger.
“I got stuck back there in fourth for a while, and once I got to third, I think I just burnt my right-rear off. We had it a hair loose and the first place, and working so hard to get there kinda sealed our fate. We were just kinda hanging on from there, but it’s a great night for our team to have such a good night racing with the big dogs and getting a new track record,” Hamilton said.
Mario Clouser made a late pass to net fourth in the Rotondo Weirich – Fontana Automotive #27 Beast/Fontana, while East held on for fifth in the Klatt Classic Car Sales – East Enterprises #4 Beast/Chevy.
MOPAR USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RACE RESULTS: June 29, 2012 – Toledo, OH – Toledo Speedway – “Ron Hemelgarn Night”
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