By Shawn Brouse
Broken Arrow Oklahoma’s Brady Bacon took the win in the USAC East 360 sprint feature after leader Robert Ballou of Rocklin, California turned into the outside first turn fence before flipping on lap 14.
Alex Bright led the first two laps of the 20-lap USAC East 360 sprint main before second starter Brady Bacon took command.
However Bacon soon lost the lead to eighth starter Robert Ballou who was working the top cushion to perfection and in thrilling style as Ballou went out front on the fifth tour.
The leader hit traffic with nine laps to go but was working perfectly through the field when it appeared something may have broken on the front of his racer in the first turn.
Ballou pushed up over the cushion as he set the car into the corner and careened straight into the outside fence before flipping although escaping injury.
This handed the lead back to Bacon with defending series champion Steve Drevicki lining up second for the restart.
Bacon controlled action on the restart and again on a restart with five laps to go but a final restart with one lap to go found Drevicki in contention.
The Reading driver got under Bacon in the first turn for the lead only to see Bacon hold the line and race to his outside in turn two before the pair drag raced into the third corner.
Drevicki hung tough with Bacon through the turns but Bacon had just enough bite to surge ahead to the finish, taking the win by. .381 seconds.
Mark Smith was third followed by Kevin Thomas Jr. and Alex Bright.
Heats went to Drevicki, Ballou and Carmen Perigo Jr.
360 Sprint Cars:
20-Lap A-Main: 1) 5G Brady Bacon 2) 19 Steven Drevicki 3) M1 Mark Smith 4) 20 Kevin Thomas Jr. 5) 20B Alex Bright 6) 16 Steve Buckwalter 7) 71 Chris Allen Jr. 8) 21 Carmen Perigo 9) 7 Alex Yankowski 10) 33B Bill Unglert 11) 83 Bruce Buckwalter 12) 32 Eric Jennings 13) 35 Andrew Layser 14) 23 John Stehman 15) 67 Jason Cherry 16) 27C Craig Pellegrini 17) 3H Heidi Hedin 18) 96 Lee Kauffman 19) 39 Robert Ballou 20) 17M Chritain Bruno 21) 07 Colby Womer 22) 5Q Ryan Quakenbush