AXSOM’S TOP-3 STREAK TRANSLATES TO USAC SPRINT RECORDS & POINT LEAD
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (July 1, 2023)………Emerson Axsom’s ongoing run of success since mid-June has been paramount in elevating him from sixth to first in the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship standings.
Entering the Sunday-Monday, July 2-3, Bill Gardner Sprintacular at Putnamville, Indiana’s Lincoln Park Speedway, the Franklin, Ind. native has reeled off six consecutive top-three finishes with the series in his Clauson Marshall Newman Racing/Driven2SaveLives – ZMax Race Lubricants/Spike/Kistler Chevy.
In doing so, Axsom’s performances made it just the 42nd occurrence of a driver earning six consecutive top-three results in the 68-year history of USAC National Sprint Car racing. In that span, he’s won twice, finished as the runner-up on three occasions and also notched a third. During that time, he added an Eastern Storm title to his credit, and at press time, has led each of the last five feature events he competed in.
Axsom’s current streak is impressive, and it’s actually the second time this season in which a driver has finished on the “podium” in at least six consecutive feature events. Jake Swanson (Anaheim, Calif.) also put together a string of six-in-a-row, which ironically, overlapped with the first race of Axsom’s current run.
From early May at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway until mid-June’s victory at Pennsylvania’s Grandview Speedway, Swanson captured three victories, a pair of runner-up results and a single third. As a result, he’s positioned himself squarely within the championship race, and currently stands second in series points, 33 behind Axsom.
Perhaps, not unsurprisingly, these types of results have positive ramifications in terms of championships. We’ve delved into the record books to pick out not only the top “podium” streaks of all-time in USAC National Sprint Car racing, but also how they fared in the title races that same season.
The great Parnelli Jones stands head and shoulders above all in this regard when he manhandled Harlan Fike’s No. 1 to 12 consecutive top-three finishes in 1961 and lasted from June until September. In a dozen race stretch, the Californian, via Texarkana, Ark., racked up six wins in all, including a then-series-record five straight victories at New Bremen (Ohio) Speedway, Indianapolis Raceway Park twice, Salem (Ind.) Speedway and Ohio’s Dayton Speedway.
In 1968, Marietta, Ohio’s Larry Dickson broke Parnelli’s consecutive feature win record by knocking out six-straight early in the season, a record that still stands to this day. His accolades included a succession of 10-straight top-three results in Ray Smith’s No. 4, with 30-lap triumphs at Pennsylvania’s Heidelberg Raceway and Reading Fairgrounds, plus New Bremen and Winchester (Ind.) Speedway as well as Ohio’s Dayton Speedway and Tri-County Speedway.
Thirty-five summers later in 2003, J.J. Yeley put together the most prolific season in USAC history, winning a record 24 feature events across the board in all disciplines, 13 of which came in USAC National Sprint Car competition. In fact, the Phoenix, Ariz. racer finished 25 of his 31 starts that season on the podium. He very easily could’ve ended the campaign on a streak of 16 consecutive top-three had he not run into a hiccup at Salem when he spun while leading, six races from the end of the season in which he ran away with the championship.
Nonetheless, what Jones, Dickson and Yeley all have in common is that they all translated that consistency into championships. The same tune rings true for the majority of drivers who’ve hung immaculate top-three runs at some point during a season.
Go down the list. Drivers who finished nine-straight on the podium include Parnelli Jones (1960 Midwest), Greg Weld (1967), Pancho Carter (1976) and Rick Hood (1984), all of whom won championships that same year. It holds true on the “eight-straight” line as well, with Pat O’Connor (1956 Midwest), Roger McCluskey (1966) and Rick Hood (1985) also scoring championships.
While it’s not a prerequisite for a championship, garnering top-three results night-in, night-out is at least a surefire way to thrust oneself into title contention. Emerson Axsom and Jake Swanson have certainly accomplished that throughout the first half of the 2023 season, and for their sake, there’s an entire latter half that remains in the second half to make a championship push.
UPCOMING RACE DETAILS
The ninth annual IndianaOpenWheel.com Bill Gardner Sprintacular awaits this weekend, Sunday-Monday, July 2-July 3 at Putnamville, Indiana’s Lincoln Park Speedway.
On Sunday, the program consists of the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship co-sanctioned by the Midwest Sprint Car Series, plus 305 RaceSaver Sprint Cars and Modifieds.
Monday’s event features the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship co-sanctioned by the Midwest Sprint Car Series, plus the Midwest Mini Sprint Association, Super Stocks and Bombers.
The MSCS format will be utilized throughout Sunday’s $5,000-to-win 30-lap feature while USAC’s format will be used during Monday’s program, which culminates with a $10,000-to-win 40-lap main event.
Pits open at 2pm Eastern with the front gates opening at 4pm and hot laps at 6pm with qualifying and racing immediately following.
General admission tickets are $30, kids 10 and under are free. Pit passes are $40 with kids 10 and under free.
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SINGLE SEASON CONSECUTIVE TOP-3 USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR FEATURE FINISHES:
BY RANK:
12 - TWELVE
Parnelli Jones (1961)
10 - TEN
Larry Dickson (1968)
J.J. Yeley (2003)
9 - NINE
Parnelli Jones (1960 Midwest)
Greg Weld (1967)
Pancho Carter (1976)
Rick Hood (1984)
8 - EIGHT
Pat O’Connor (1956 Midwest)
Roger McCluskey (1966)
Steve Chassey (1980)
Rick Hood (1985)
Justin Grant (2020)
7 - SEVEN
Jim Hurtubise (1961)
Parnelli Jones (1962)
Johnny Rutherford (1965)
Larry Dickson (1968)
Larry Dickson (1970)
Rollie Beale (1975)
Mike Bliss (1994)
Kevin Doty (1998)
Dave Steele (2002)
Brady Bacon (2016)
6 - SIX
Tommy Hinnershitz (1959 Eastern)
Don Branson (1960 Midwest)
Jim Hurtubise (1961)
Jim Hurtubise (1962)
Bobby Marshman (1963)
Larry Dickson (1969)
Sammy Sessions (1971)
Tom Bigelow (1977)
Billy Cassella (1978)
Danny Smith (1991)
Chet Fillip (1997)
Dave Darland (1999)
Tracy Hines (2002)
J.J. Yeley (2002)
Robert Ballou (2014)
Chris Windom (2016)
Tyler Courtney (2019)
6-C.J. Leary (2019)
Emerson Axsom (2023-Active)
Jake Swanson (2023)
5 - FIVE
Elmer George (1956 Eastern)
Andy Linden (1957 Midwest)
Don Branson (1959 Midwest)
Parnelli Jones (1962)
Roger McCluskey (1963)
Don Branson (1964)
A.J. Foyt (1964)
Jud Larson (1964)
Don Branson (1966)
Roger McCluskey (1966)
Larry Dickson (1970)
Larry Dickson (1971)
Lee Kunzman (1973)
Tom Sneva (1973)
Pancho Carter (1976)
Pancho Carter (1977)
Pancho Carter (1979)
Rich Vogler (1982)
Sheldon Kinser (1984)
Rick Hood (1990)
Eric Gordon (1991)
Jim Keeker (1993)
Tony Elliott (1994)
Jay Drake (2000)
J.J. Yeley (2003)
J.J. Yeley (2003)
Bobby East (2005)
Damion Gardner (2005)
Levi Jones (2007)
Levi Jones (2010)
Bryan Clauson (2012)
Tyler Courtney (2018)
Tyler Courtney (2018)
Chris Windom (2018)
Kyle Cummins (2020)
Robert Ballou (2022)
BY YEAR:
1956: 8-Pat O’Connor (Midwest) & 5-Elmer George (Eastern)
1957: 5-Andy Linden (Midwest)
1959: 6-Tommy Hinnershitz (Eastern) & 5-Don Branson (Midwest)
1960: 9-Parnelli Jones (Midwest) & 6-Don Branson (Midwest)
1961: 12-Parnelli Jones, 7-Jim Hurtubise & 6-Jim Hurtubise
1962: 7-Parnelli Jones, 6-Jim Hurtubise & 5-Parnelli Jones
1963: 6-Bobby Marshman & 5-Roger McCluskey
1964: 5-Don Branson, 5-A.J. Foyt & 5-Jud Larson
1965: 7-Johnny Rutherford
1966: 8-Roger McCluskey, 5-Don Branson & 5-Roger McCluskey
1967: 9-Greg Weld
1968: 10-Larry Dickson & 7-Larry Dickson
1969: 6-Larry Dickson
1970: 7-Larry Dickson & 5-Larry Dickson
1971: 6-Sammy Sessions & 5-Larry Dickson
1972: None
1973: 5-Lee Kunzman & 5-Tom Sneva
1974: None
1975: 7-Rollie Beale
1976: 9-Pancho Carter & 5-Pancho Carter
1977: 6-Tom Bigelow & 5-Pancho Carter
1978: 6-Billy Cassella
1979: 5-Pancho Carter
1980: 8-Steve Chassey
1981: None
1982: 5-Rich Vogler
1983: None
1984: 9-Rick Hood & 5-Sheldon Kinser
1985: 8-Rick Hood
1986: None
1987: None
1988: None
1989: None
1990: 5-Rick Hood
1991: 6-Danny Smith & 5-Eric Gordon
1992: None
1993: 5-Jim Keeker
1994: 7-Mike Bliss & 5-Tony Elliott
1995: None
1996: None
1997: 6-Chet Fillip
1998: 7-Kevin Doty
1999: 6-Dave Darland
2000: 5-Jay Drake
2001: None
2002: 7-Dave Steele, 6-Tracy Hines & 6-J.J. Yeley
2003: 10-J.J. Yeley, 5-J.J. Yeley & 5-J.J. Yeley
2004: None
2005: 5-Bobby East & 5-Damion Gardner
2006: None
2007: 5-Levi Jones
2008: None
2009: None
2010: 5-Levi Jones
2011: None
2012: 5-Bryan Clauson
2013: None
2014: 6-Robert Ballou
2015: None
2016: 7-Brady Bacon & 6-Chris Windom
2017: None
2018: 5-Tyler Courtney, 5-Tyler Courtney & 5-Chris Windom
2019: 6-Tyler Courtney & 6-C.J. Leary
2020: 8-Justin Grant & 5-Kyle Cummins
2021: None
2022: 5-Robert Ballou
2023: 6-Emerson Axsom (Active) & 6-Jake Swanson
