By Dick Jordan
Tony Hunt and Brian McClish took home USAC Western Classic Sprint championships Saturday, but Audra Sasselli stole some of their thunder with her wire-to-wire 50-lap victory in Madera (Calif.) Speedway’s “Harvest Classic.”
Sasselli, of Visalia, Calif., became the third female to win a USAC professional feature this year, beating McClish, Tim Skoglund, Hunt and Shauna Hogg to the checkered flag. Eariler this season Michelle Decker won a USAC Western Midget race and Kaitlyn Leer won a USAC Western Ignite Midget race.
Hunt emerged as the overall Western Classic champion, his 10th USAC driving title, surpassing the nine titles posted by Rich Vogler and Mel Kenyon. Only A.J. Foyt has more, earning 23 titles during his USAC career.
McClish hung on to claim the 2012 Western Classic Pavement title, 37 points better than Skoglund in the final standings.
FINAL 2012 USAC WESTERN CLASSIC SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS
1-Tony Hunt-821, 2-Shauna Hogg-802, 3-Gordon Rodgers-511, 4-Tom Baker-416, 5-Scott Pierovich-388, 6-Marty Hawkins-359, 7-Taylor Simas-312, 8-Brian McClish-277, 9-Tim Skoglund-240, 10-Cody Gerhardt-224.
FINAL 2012 USAC WESTERN CLASSIC SPRINT CAR PAVEMENT POINT STANDINGS
1-Brian McClish-277, 2-Tim Skoglund-240, 3-Shauna Hogg-226, 4-Cody Gerhardt-224, 5-Tony Hunt-222, 6-Gordon Rodgers-198, 7-Scott Pierovich-174, 8-Marvin Mitchell-147, 9-Tom Baker-88, 10-Jerry Kobza-88.