INDIANPOLIS (September 21, 2016) — Saturday night’s 35th “4-Crown Nationals” brings all three of USAC’s National divisions to Rossburg, Ohio’s half-mile Eldora Speedway for one night and, as usual, the one thing that is predictable in the AMSOIL National Sprint Car portion of the program is unpredictability.
There have been nine different feature winners in the last nine “4-Crown” Sprint Car races and no repeat winner since Bud Kaeding in 2001 and 2002.
San Jose, California’s Thomas Meseraull earned his first career USAC National victory in last year’s event and joins Brady Bacon (2014), Chris Windom (2013), Jerry Coons Jr. (2009) and Dave Darland (1999) as series regulars who are expected to compete this Saturday night.
Current drivers in the top-ten in the AMSOIL National Sprint points who are looking for their first “4-Crown” triumph include Chase Stockon (third), C.J. Leary (seventh) and Aaron Farney (tenth). Hanford, California’s Chad Boespflug (sixth) won at Eldora in May, but seeks his first career “4-Crown” win this Saturday.
Bacon, of Broken Arrow, Okla., is firmly locked into the lead in the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship standings by a whopping 219 points over the injured Robert Ballou – a 2007 “4-Crown” Sprint winner.
Chase Stockon is poised to take over the number two position in the standings, trailing Ballou by just two points after last Saturday’s race at Haubstadt, Ind. won by Kyle Cummins. Ballou continues to recuperate from injuries suffered in a crash at Calistoga, Calif. earlier this month.
Cummins, of Princeton, Ind., led the final 21 laps of last Saturday’s “Haubstadt Hustler” co-sanctioned by MSCS after passing Tyler Courtney on lap 20 in his Rock Steady Racing/ProGlide Bearings – Tim Mason ReMax/Mach-1/Cummins. Tyler Courtney took second ahead of Shane Cottle, Kevin Thomas Jr. and Stockon.
Tyler Hewitt was Saturday’s ProSource fast qualifier while Jon Stanbrough came from 22nd to 10th to claim the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award.
Last Friday night’s “Jim Hurtubise Classic” at the Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track was rained out and has been rescheduled for Saturday, October 15.
Spectator Gates open at noon, while hot laps are set to begin at 4:30pm with qualifications and racing to immediately follow.
Saturday night’s card at Eldora also features the USAC Silver Crown Championship, the USAC Midget National Championship and the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions.