By Dick Jordan
Brady Bacon will take a 44-point lead over Dave Darland into a trio of races June 20-22 as the AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car series heads for the upper Midwest. Races are slated June 20-22 at Superior, Wisc., Spring Valley, Minn. and Sun Prairie, Wisc.
Bacon, of Broken Arrow, Okla., emerged as the champion of last week’s RW & Partners “Eastern Storm” in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. His three feature finishes of first, third and fifth were enough to edge Chase Stockon by 15 points in the final tally. Races at New Oxford, Pa. (Thursday) and Newberrytown, Pa. (Sunday) were interrupted by rain, New Oxford (Lincon Speedway) after the semi and Newberrytown (Susquehanna Speedway) after qualifying.
Stockon, of Elizabethtown, Ind., led all 40 laps in the Superior Tank & Trailer/Crescent Electric Supply DRC/Fisher to win Wednesday night’s “Jesse Hockett Classic” at Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pa. Jon Stanbrough took second ahead of Dave Darland, Justin Grant and Bacon.
Bryan Clauson of Noblesville, Ind. wheeled the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing Chevy Performance Beast/Kistler to victory in Friday night’s 30-lap feature at New Egypt (N.J.) Speedway. He caught C.J. Leary on the final lap for the win. Leary finished second after leading 29 laps and he was followed by Bacon, Darland and Stockon.
The New Egypt victory was the 100th in USAC competition for car owner Mike Curb of Nashville, Tenn.
Bacon’s victory in Saturday night’s 30-lapper at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway was a historic 84th for all-time leading series car owner Hoffman Auto Racing. Bacon passed Kevin Thomas Jr. on the 18th lap in his Mean Green Triple X/Williams Mopar and led the rest of the way to beat Thomas, Jon Stanbrough, Robert Ballou and Darland.
2014 AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Standings: 1-Brady Bacon-836; 2-Dave Darland-792; 3-Chase Stockon-766; 4-Bryan Clauson-752; 5-Jon Stanbrough-719; 6-Tracy Hines-716; 7-Justin Grant-711; 8-Hunter Schuerenberg-638; 9-Chris Windom-583; 10-C.J. Leary-653.
2014 RW & Partners USAC “Eastern Storm” Sprint Final Standings: 1-Brady Bacon-310; 2-Chase Stockon-298; 3-Dave Darland-295; 4-Justin Grant-281; 5-Jon Stanbrough-264; 6-Bryan Clauson-260; 7-Kevin Thomas Jr.-247; 8-C.J. Leary-244; 9-Robert Ballou-243; 10-Tracy Hines-240.