By Dick Jordan
The “Don Branson/Jud Larson Classic” is next up for the AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Series, slated April 19 at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.
Dave Darland, the 2013 series runner-up, holds a one-point lead over Justin Grant in the latest standings after Grant and Darland finished 1-2 in Saturday night’s midwestern opener at Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway.
Grant, of Ione, Calif., who scored his initial USAC victory two years ago at Lawrenceburg, got past Jon Stanbrough on a 28th-lap restart and paced the final three laps in his Mark Hery Racing S & H Nerf Bars DRC/Claxton Chevy. Darland, who led the first nine laps of the race, took second ahead of Jerry Coons Jr., Brady Bacon and Stanbrough, who led 18 laps of the feature.
Stanbrough, who appeared headed for victory until the final restart, would have tied Darland as the winningest USAC Sprint drivers at Lawrenceburg had he won the race.
Tracy Hines, who failed to finish at Lawrenceburg, enters the April 19 Eldora race as the defending “Branson/Larson” winner, since he won in 2012 and last year’s race was rained out.
2014 AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Standings: 1-Dave Darland-183, 2-Justin Grant-182, 3-Chase Stockon-171, 4-Bryan Clauson-169, 5-Brady Bacon-167, 6-Jon Stanbrough-146, 7-Tracy Hines-138, 8-Chris Windom-118, 9-Robert Ballou-113, 10-Hunter Schuerenberg-108.