From Dick Jordan
Five races in five nights await the AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Cars this weekend as Jon Stanbrough and Levi Jones continue their torrid duel for the lead in search of the National title.
Friday night’s race is at Eagle (Neb.) Raceway, while Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo. hosts Saturday night’s race. Sunday night’s venue is U.S. 36 Raceway in Cameron, Mo. “Special events” are also planned Monday and Tuesday nights, August 6-7 at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
The August 6 Oskaloosa race is part of the track’s 17th Annual Musco Front Row Challenge” and does not offer USAC National points. The August 7 Oskaloosa race, the 11th Annual Casey’s General Stores “Ulktimate Challenge,” with $15,000-to-win and another $10,000 in bonus product incentives posted for participants, is a USAC “special event” and offers appearance points only.
Dave Darland of Lincoln, Ind. cashed a paycheck of $10,500 after his victory in Saturday night’s NAPA Auto Parts “Summer Sprint Car Shootout” at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Darland, who ranks third in the standings, earned his fourth 2012 feature victory in the Jeff Walker Racing Jam-It-In Storage/Hoosier Tire Maxim/Claxton by leading the final 28 laps after passing Bryan Clauson on lap 23 of the 50-lap race. The race celebrated USAC’s 50 years of Sprint car racing at the half-mile oval.
Trailing Darland at the checkered flag were Clauson, who led 19 laps, Stanbrough, Chase Stockon and Thomas Meseraull. Coleman Gulick led the first three laps from the pole.
This week’s races will also feature a hotly-contested battle for the 2012 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Owner’s Championship between Roberts/Tate Racing, CTR/BCI/Mike Curb-Agajanian and Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing with only six points separating the three teams.
2012 AMSOIL USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Jon Stanbrough-1,198, 2-Levi Jones-1,192, 3-Dave Darland-1,115, 4-Bryan Clauson-1,012, 5-Damion Gardner-1,010, 6-Tracy Hines-945, 7-Hunter Schuerenberg-893, 8-Robert Ballou-884, 9-Kevin Thomas Jr.-877, 10-Chase Stockon-876.