FRIDAY I-80 USAC SPRINT RACE LIVE ON SPEED SHIFT TV
Greenwood, Nebraska………Friday night’s USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car action from I-80 Speedway will be streamed LIVE via pay-per-view on http://www.SpeedShiftTV.com/.
The field features all the top guns from the series, including point leader Kevin Thomas, Jr. of Cullman, Alabama, a two-time winner this season who holds down the point lead by 31 markers, and reigning race winner Tyler Courtney, the winningest driver in the series thus far with three triumphs piloting the Clauson Marshall Newman No. 7BC.
One of the most defining moments of last season came at I-80 via Courtney and a late-race battle with Chris Windom. Windom pounced on Courtney for the final two-lap shootout. On the 29th lap, Windom took the first swing at Courtney, pulling ahead between turns one and two. Courtney kept his foot on the throttle and escaped around the outside of Windom with mere inches to spare to retain the lead. Windom came back twice more on the final lap with a turn one slider to no avail and one last final run at him going into turn three, but each time, Courtney successfully countered, turning down the hill off turn four to cut underneath Windom and emerged with the victory by 0.184 of a second.
USAC Sprint Car history in Nebraska is surprisingly short with the first of its six visits to the Cornhusker state coming within the decade of the 2010s. This will be the second-ever trip for the series to the 4/10-mile dirt oval I-80 Speedway, located a half-hour southwest of Omaha.
Dave Darland is twice a winner at I-80 with the Sprint Bandits Tour ‘N Topless series in 2007 and 2008. The Lincoln, Indiana driver is also the only multi-time USAC Sprint winner in Nebraska, picking up both at Eagle Raceway. A year ago, Darland was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and is enjoying a solid season, currently holding down 7th in the standings, winning at Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway in April for the 60th time in USAC National Sprint Car competition.
Chad Boespflug won in Nebraska two years ago, also at Eagle, after taking the lead on lap two and soaring to one of his six overall USAC victories in 2016. The Hanford, California native who holds down the 10th spot in points, aims to reach victory lane for the first time in 2018 aboard his own No. 98. Sixth in points is Rocklin, California’s Robert Ballou, an I-80 Sprint Bandits winner in 2006, who is looking to do likewise having last won in July of 2017.
Brady Bacon took a Sprint Bandits feature victory at I-80 in 2009, and the two-time USAC National Sprint Car champ from Oklahoma bagged a victory in USAC’s foray to Knoxville in 2011. He stands eighth in points after a victory at Eldora in May and hasn’t finished outside the top-ten since moving to his own No. 99 in April.
Brody Roa, the 2016 USAC West Coast Sprint Car champ, will make the venture to I-80 for a rare appearance outside the Golden State. The Garden Grove, California driver finished 5th at I-80 last year and closed the season out with his first career USAC National Sprint Car victory at Perris (Calif.) Auto Speedway. This year, he’s already picked up a pair of West Coast victories at Las Vegas and Hanford, and also scored a win at Ventura with CRA.
Reigning series champ Windom of Canton, Illinois runs second in the standings behind Thomas and recently closed the gap with a win at Eldora in May. He finished runner-up to Courtney at I-80. Greenfield, Indiana’s C.J. Leary is fourth in points and set quick time at Nebraska’s Eagle Raceway in 2016. Chase Stockon, fifth in points, set the standard for one-lap prowess in qualifying at I-80 last season and won this year’s season opener in Ocala, Florida.
Pits open for Friday’s “I-80 Dirt Classic” 3pm. Grandstands open at 5:30. Adult General Admission tickets are $25. Children Age 6-12 are $5. Kids Age 5 and Under are Free. Pit Passes are $40. As always, you can view each and every USAC event one-day after the race is run, on-demand at http://www.Loudpedal.TV/.
