From Dick Jordan
The AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Cars have announced their 2013 “Eastern Storm” schedule which includes two repeat engagements and a pair of races at venues which will host their inaugural USAC events.
Joining the swing this year will be Path Valley Speedway Park in Spring Run, Pa. and Susquehanna Speedway Park in Newberrytown, Pa. Path Valley is a quarter-mile dirt oval, while Susquehanna is a 4/10-mile dirt.
Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville and Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal return for 2013 as the four-race series will all unfold in Pennsylvania.
“We’re looking forward to the fourth installment of what has become a signature series for our participants and for Eastern race fans,” says USAC’s Jason McCord. “The racing has been fantastic so far and we anticipate no less this coming summer.” The annual USAC Eastern trek actually was revived in 2006 although the “Eastern Storm” points championship was created in 2010.
Levi Jones won the 2010 and 2011 Eastern Storm titles, while 2012 AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car king Bryan Clauson won last year’s championship. Clauson won last year’s Grandview race and Damion Gardner was the 2012 winner at Port Royal.
The “Eastern Storm” calendar opens at Grandview on Wednesday night, June 5, followed by a Thursday, June 6 appearance at Path Valley. Port Royal welcomes the Saturday, June 8 event, while the series concludes Sunday night, June 9 at Susquehanna.
“It’s always fun to race against the Eastern drivers,” says Clauson. “When they take off the wings and get competitive with us it makes it a challenge for us. The tradition of USAC in the East is great and it’s nice to be part of it. Grandview is one of my favorite Eastern tracks and I like the fact that it’s not only like a bullring but it also has some characteristics of a longer oval too. It gets wide by feature time and there’s never a bad race there. The tribute to Jesse Hockett is always a special part of our schedule and it was fun to win it last year.”
USAC’s Eastern Sprint Car history dates all the way back to April, 1956 events at the Reading (Pa.) Fairgrounds and from 1956-1960 USAC Eastern Sprint Car Championships were awarded to drivers Tommy Hinnershitz (1956), Bill Randall (1957), Johnny Thomson (1958), Hinnershitz again (1959) and A.J. Foyt (1960).
2013 AMSOIL USAC “EASTERN STORM” SPRINT SCHEDULE
June 5 – Bechtelsville, PA/Grandview Speedway
June 6 – Spring Run, PA/Path Valley Speedway
June 8 – Port Royal, PA/Port Royal Speedway
June 9 – Newberrytown, PA/Susquehanna Speedway