| Huntley
Tunes Up For Repeat Thunder Win With Saturday’s Triumph |
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ROSSBURG, Ohio – Kevin Huntley of Bloomington, Ind.
tuned up for a chance of a repeat victory Saturday, winning the prelude to the “Mopar
Thunder” – the “Buckeye Nationals” at Eldora Speedway.
Huntley led all 30 laps after starting on the pole, driving the No 21x Service
Drywall/Thermo Spray of Indiana F-5/Chevy and winning in front of Josh Wise, Dickie
Gaines, John Scott and Jonathan Vennard. Gaines emerged as the sprint car titlist.
“I was pretty confident once we got out front,”
Huntley said.
Huntley was never really challenged throughout the event, though the final five laps Wise
and Gaines gave him a bit of a fit.
The defending winner of the “Mopar Thunder” kept his lead at a distance of 2-5
car lengths nearly the entire event, stretching the gap to about seven car lengths.
However, following a caution on Lap 25 brought forth by debris from Mat Neely’s
machine, the Top 3 kept to within two car lengths.
Although Huntley was not seriously challenged, he won by about a car length over Wise and
another over Gaines. All three had slipped from the top groove to the middle lane by the
end of the race.
Only two cautions slowed the event.
The event was a step toward defending the “Mopar Thunder,” which pays $50,000 to
the winner of the race. The event is scheduled for Aug. 6.
“That’s what we’re working for the rest of the year,” Huntley said.
Jesse Hockett, Mike Miller, Shane Cottle and Bud Kaeding won 10-lap heats, while series
points leader Jay Drake won the 12-lap semifeature. Rob Chaney, who won the May 30 race,
set fast time in qualifying, stopping the clock at 18.227 seconds.
Bryan Clauson, in his first attempt at making a race at Eldora, flipped during practice
and was transported to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio for evaluation.
Drake, who finished 10th earlier in the day in the Liberty Challenge at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway, takes a 22-point advantage into Friday’s event at Richmond
International Raceway in Richmond, Va.
| Darland
Posts 30-Lap Eldora Midget Victory |
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ROSSBURG, Ohio – Dave
Darland knows a thing or two about winning midget races at Eldora Speedway. In
Saturday’s 30-lap USAC National Midget Car Series feature, he testified to that once
again.
The Lincoln, Ind. native had
several challengers, but none could knock him from the throne, as he posted his fifth
career victory at the high-mile track in a midget and won the finale of the two-race
“Buckeye Nationals,” a series in which he also claimed the title.
“This is great to win this race,” said Darland, who
drove the No. 27 U.S. Technologies/Rusty Kunz Spike/Esslinger. “I’ve had a lot
of success here in the midget, and enjoy it a lot.”
Darland led all 30 laps after blowing by
polesitter Todd Beach with a slide job in Turn 3 of the opening lap, but the Donnelsville,
Ohio driver wasn’t his only competitor. Todd’s older brother Teddy went to
second on the second lap, and followed Darland for the next 12 laps.
That’s when Carey Becker spun in Turn 3.
Darland dived underneath Becker’s car, which slid up the track next to the wall, but
Teddy Beach wasn’t so lucky. He slammed into the side of Becker’s car,
eliminating both cars.
The incident
moved Darren Hagen up to second, and the Californian didn’t disappoint. He buzzed by
Darland on the inside to take a brief lead, but Darland returned the favor just before the
duo crossed under the flag stand. Darland inched away forcefully, and increased the
advantage to a second after 19 laps.
Jay Drake, who
started ninth, maneuvered through the field and took second from his teammate Hagen on Lap
22. But that pass and position didn’t last long.
Exiting Turn 2 on
Lap 24, Hagen and Drake tangled, resulting in a flip by Drake. However, Hagen continued,
and retained his second-place spot.
Again, Darland
pulled away on the restart, as Hagen and Jerry Coons Jr. battled. But Hagen couldn’t
overcome what two other second-place runners had endured already: misfortune. Hagen spun
in Turn 2, relinquishing his spot. Defending USAC Western Midget Car Series champion
Johnny Rodriguez also spun in an attempt to avoid hitting Hagen.
Coons moved up to
second, but couldn’t catch Darland on the restart. Darland won the midget portion for
his third team in three seasons, moving to within one win of Rich Vogler’s all-time
record of six.
“Rich
Vogler was a heck of a racecar driver, and to be within one of his records is a great
accomplishment,” said Darland, who won the 4-Crown Nationals last year as well as the
“Buckeye Nationals” event in 2003. “Hopefully, I can keep getting good
racecars so I can go out and beat that record someday.
Series points leader Josh Wise was third, while Friday’s winner Brad Kuhn and Jon
Stanbrough rounded out the Top 5
Defending National series champion Bobby East
suffered a flat right rear tire during an early caution, and climbed back to fifth only to
endure more car trouble on the white flag lap. He finished 18th.
East and the Beach brothers won eight-lap
heats.
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