10/9/2019
WABASH CLASH USAC SPRINT RACE PREVIEW
Terre Haute, Indiana .......The final stretch of the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car season is about to commence, but first things first, it's time for one more round at western Indiana's legendary Terre Haute Action Track this Friday, October 11, for the Wabash Clash as the series bids adieu to the Midwest before heading west. in for the season closers in November.
The last time out at Terre Haute, Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) led all 30 laps to win September's Jim Hurtubise Classic for his first career sprint car score on the half-mile. In fact, he's won twice at Terre Haute under the USAC banner, capturing his first main event victory there in 2018's Sumar Classic Silver Crown 100-lapper. He's been a force at Terre Haute this year in USAC Sprint Car competition, finishing 5th in May, then leading a race-high 21 laps en route to a 2nd place finish in July.
Like Grant, series point leader C.J. Leary (Greenfield, Ind.) has won once at Terre Haute before in a Silver Crown car, doing so in the 2016 Sumar Classic. He's still seeking his first USAC Sprint win at Terre Haute, however, after setting quick time in May where he finished 9th after encountering late-race trouble. He won his heat and took 6th in July followed by a 5th place run in September.
Three-time Terre Haute USAC Sprint winner Tyler Courtney (Indianapolis, Ind.) stands a mere 47 points behind Leary in the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship race with six events remaining. Courtney swept the night in July at Terre Haute by recording fast time, winning his heat race, then scoring the feature win where he led the final eight laps en route to the checkered. He also collected 3rd place results at Terre Haute in both May and September of this year, the latter of which he won his heat and was the night's hard charger after starting 9th.
Kevin Thomas, Jr. (Cullman, Ala.) is the series' most recent winner, connecting on his second USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car victory of the season last Saturday at Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway. He's a two-time USAC Sprint winner at Terre Haute, first finding victory lane in 2013 and again in 2017 during the most recent October race at the track. He won his heats in both May and July and took home a 3rd place finish during July's feature and a 2nd in September.
Of Friday's expected entrants for the Wabash Clash, no driver owns more USAC Sprint victories at Terre Haute than Chris Windom (Canton, Ill.) with four. He won twice in 2011, once again in October of 2016 and for the fourth time in the Fall of 2017. He also was victorious in a Silver Crown car at Terre Haute in 2017. He was 2nd in May at Terre Haute and 5th in July where he led the opening lap of the main. In September, the 2016 USAC Silver Crown and 2017 Sprint champ was the Fatheadz Eyewear fast qualifier and finished 4th.
Chase Stockon (Fort Branch, Ind.) had his first career USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car triumph occur right at Terre Haute in October of 2012. He's won twice since then at the Wabash Valley Fairgrounds racetrack with the second coming in the summer of 2016 and, most recently, this past May where he led all 30 laps on his way to victory. In fact, he's led all 30 laps in all three of his Terre Haute USAC victories. He's already won the other three Terre Haute USAC Sprint Car races on the schedule - the Tony Hulman Classic, Jim Hurtubise Classic and Don Smith Classic, and a first Wabash Clash win on Friday would make him the first driver to accomplish the feat of winning all four.
Twice a winner at the Action Track with the USAC Sprint Cars is Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, Okla.), who won the final USAC Sprint races held at Terre Haute in both 2014 and 2018. The two-time USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car champ in 2014 and 2016 was 6th in May and 4th in July, where he collected hard charger honors after starting from the 14th position.
Jason McDougal (Broken Arrow, Okla.) was 7th in May and 6th in September at Terre Haute. Isaac Chapple (Willow Branch, Ind.) was the hard charger in May's Hulman Classic, finishing 10th after starting 16th. Max Adams (Loomis, Calif.) collected an 8th in July in an impressive series debut at the track. Likewise, Nick Bilbee (Indianapolis, Ind.) was 8th in September at Terre Haute, beginning a stretch of three-straight top-ten finishes with the series that remains active coming into Friday's race. Josh Hodges (Tijeras, N.M.) notched a 9th in September with the series. Leading series Rookie Dustin Clark (Washington, Ind.) was 19th in July and 15th in September during his first two career appearances at Terre Haute.
Of note, it's been 20 years since at least four different drivers have claimed USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car victories at Terre Haute in a single season. Stockon, Courtney and Grant have already won this year entering Friday's race. In 1999, there were five different winners: Tracy Hines, Tony Jones, Jerry Coons, Jr., Frankie Kerr and Terry Pletch.
The Wabash Clash featuring the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship and DIRTcar Modifieds is this Friday, October 11, at the Terre Haute Action Track in Terre Haute, Ind. Pits open at 3pm Eastern, grandstands at 4pm, drivers meeting at 6pm and cars on track at 6:30pm. Adult general admission tickets are $25, adult reserved grandstands are $30. Children 11 and under general admission tickets are free, and $10 for reserved grandstand. Adult infield tickets are $15. Kids 11 and under are free. Pit passes are $30 for members and $35 for non-members.
Article Credit: Richie Murry