INDIANA SPRINT WEEK OPENS AT GAS CITY, KOKOMO, LAWRENCEBURG;

COONS TAKES LINCOLN PARK SPRINT WEEK “TUNEUP”

The 27th “Indiana Sprint Week,” one of America’s most awaited dirt motorsports extravaganzas, is upon us. The first of seven races in nine nights is scheduled this Friday at the Gas City I-69 Speedway and includes, in addition to the AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Cars, the USAC Midwest Dirt HPD Midgets.

“Indiana Sprint Week” continues this Saturday at the Kokomo Speedway and Sunday at the Lawrenceburg Speedway. Subsequent races are Wednesday (July 16) at the Terre Haute Action Track, Thursday (July 17) at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, Friday (July 18) at Bloomington Speedway and Saturday (July 19) at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt.

Bryan Clauson is the defending champion of “Indiana Sprint Week” and he resides fourth in the latest AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car points. He was also fourth in last Friday night’s “Independence Day” race at Lincoln Park.

Jerry Coons Jr. of Tucson, Ariz. scored his first USAC feature victory on the campaign at Putnamville, passing Clauson on lap 27 and leading the final four laps in his Crume Evans Insurance/RG Enterprises Spike/Chevy. C.J. Leary took second in another podium performance, followed by Shane Cottle, Clauson and Dave Darland. Darland led the opening lap and Coons led all but one of the remaining 29 laps for the win.

Brady Bacon of Broken Arrow, Okla. has a 29-point lead over Darland in the latest series standings. Jon Stanbrough and Clauson round out the “top-four” entering “Indiana Sprint Week,”

Darland will continue to seek the all-time record for USAC National Sprint Car victories in the seven-race ISW swing. He has 50 career wins, compared to all-time leader Tom Bigelow’s 52.