4-CROWN USAC SPRINT CAR PREVIEW

By: Richie Murray – USAC Media

Rossburg, Ohio (September 25, 2019)………For the 201^st time in series history, the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship heads for the banks of Eldora Speedway this Saturday, September 28, for the 38^th running of the 4-Crown Nationals presented by NKT.tv.

Tyler Courtney arrives as the defending winner of the event in 2018 and, in fact, has won the last three USAC National Sprint Car events at Eldora, picking up two more along the way in the spring and summer of this season.  This Saturday, the Indianapolis, Ind. native could become the first driver to win four consecutive USAC National Sprint Car feature events at Eldora, whose history with the club dates back to 1962.  He’s also a three-time 4-Crown feature winner, winning in each division over the past two years.

Series point leader C.J. Leary has been steady and fast during the 4-Crown throughout his career, capturing the 2017 USAC Sprint Car portion as well as the Silver Crown main in 2018.  In last year’s 4-Crown Sprint feature, he finished as the runner-up after winning his heat earlier in the night.  The Greenfield, Ind. driver has been right on the cusp of another Eldora victory this year, snagging Fast Qualifier honors twice and finishing 2^nd in both Eldora USAC Sprint rounds.

Two-time USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car champion Brady Bacon is twice a 4-Crown Sprint Car winner, winning the USAC portion in 2014 and the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star feature in 2017.  The Broken Arrow, Okla. driver won again in USAC Sprint Car competition at The Big E in the spring of 2018 and has been 3^rd behind Courtney and Leary in both visits this year to the half-mile.  He was 10^th at the 4-Crown a year ago.

Kevin Thomas, Jr. remains on the hunt for his first career USAC feature victory at Eldora this coming Saturday.  The Cullman, Ala. native was the only driver in last year’s 4-Crown to finish all three USAC feature events inside the top-five.  He was 4^th in the midget main, won his heat race and finished 4^th in the sprint race and was the runner-up in the Silver Crown race.

Justin Grant, a recent winner two weeks ago in the Jim Hurtubise Classic at Terre Haute, has been a frontrunner at Eldora throughout his career.  The Ione, Calif. driver was the fastest USAC Sprint qualifier at last year’s 4-Crown and won his heat race and was battling for 2^nd in the feature with four laps remaining when he was involved in a grinding crash against the back-straightaway wall.  He’s a three-time USAC Sprint Car winner at Eldora in 2015-16-17, the 2016 being a 4-Crown score.  He was fastest qualifier again at Eldora this past summer.

Chris Windom is a four-time Eldora USAC winner himself, three of which have come during the 4-Crown Nationals.  He doubled-up in 2013, taking the Silver Crown and Sprint ends of the show.  He dominated the Silver Crown event in 2016, then won again on the western Ohio soil in a Sprint Car in the spring of 2018.  The Canton, Ill. native was 5^th in the 4-Crown USAC Sprint feature last year and was 4^th in the sprint and 5^th in the summer of this year.  In fact, he’s finished in the top-five in each of his previous five Eldora USAC Sprint starts, the longest active streak among all drivers.

Dave Darland is one of the most decorated 4-Crown Nationals drivers of all-time.  His seven feature victories in the event rank second only to Jack Hewitt with four Silver Crown wins, two Midget victories and a USAC Sprint score in 1999.  He’s won five USAC Sprint features at Eldora in his career, which ranks in the top-ten.  The Lincoln, Ind. driver took 7^th in last year’s USAC Sprint 4-Crown main event.

Matt Westfall’s biggest shining moment of his USAC Sprint Car career came right at Eldora where he raced to victory in June of 2006.  The versatile veteran from Pleasant Hill, Ohio finished 14^th in the 2018 4-Crown and ran a season-best 6^th in July’s 200^th USAC Sprint Car event held at Eldora.

Chase Stockon, Jason McDougal, Carson Short, Isaac Chapple and Nick Bilbee are among those seeking their first USAC Sprint victories at Eldora.

Series ironman Stockon (Fort Branch, Ind.) was 6^th at the 4-Crown in 2018 and finished 4^th in the summer this year.  McDougal (Broken Arrow, Okla.) was 18^th in his 4-Crown USAC Sprint debut a year ago but did come home with a 4^th in the Silver Crown car later that night.  Short (Marion, Ill.) was 5^th in the Spring of this year, his best run at Eldora.  Chapple (Willow Branch, Ind.) earned the best finish of his USAC Sprint Car career at the 4-Crown in 2018, finishing 3^rd.  Bilbee (Indianapolis, Ind.) was 8^th in last year’s 4-Crown, earning hard charger honors after starting 19^th.

Dustin Clark and Brian VanMeveren carry on their battle for USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year honors.  Clark (Washington, Ind.) now holds a 28-point lead over VanMeveren (Woodbury, Minn.).  Clark took 15^th in his first trip to Eldora in July while VanMeveren was 16^th in the spring and 22^nd in July of this year.

The 4-Crown Nationals kicks off with Silver Crown practice and qualifying on Friday night, September 27, along with a complete show for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars.  Pits open at 1:30pm Eastern, front gates at 2pm, drivers meeting at 5:30pm and cars on track at 6pm.  General admission tickets are $29 for ages 13 & up and free for ages 12 & under.  Reserved tickets are $34 for ages 13 & up and $9 for ages 12 & under.

The following day, on Saturday, September 28, the Silver Crown teams will again have a practice session, leading into their 50-lap finale as part of the event which will feature complete events for the USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midgets, USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Cars and the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions.

On Saturday, pits open at 11am Eastern, spectator gates open at noon, drivers meeting at 4:30pm and cars on track at 6pm.  General admission tickets are $34 for ages 13 & up and free for ages 12 & under.  Reserved tickets are $39 for ages 13 & up and $9 for ages 12 & under.

The USAC portion of the 4-Crown can be watched LIVE and on-demand on FloRacing, listened to via live audio on the USAC app as well as live timing and scoring on both the USAC app and the Race-Monitor app.

USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-C.J. Leary-1,835, 2-Tyler Courtney-1,720, 3-Brady Bacon-1,647, 4-Kevin Thomas, Jr.-1,637, 5-Justin Grant-1,629, 6-Chris Windom-1,626, 7-Chase Stockon-1,585, 8-Jason McDougal-1,381, 9-Carson Short-1,361, 10-Isaac Chapple-1,058.

2018 4-CROWN USAC AMSOIL NATIONAL SPRINT CAR FEATURE RESULTS: 1. Tyler Courtney (1), 2. C.J. Leary (4), 3. Isaac Chapple (10), 4. Kevin Thomas, Jr. (5), 5. Chris Windom (3), 6. Chase Stockon (7), 7. Dave Darland (14), 8. Nick Bilbee (19), 9. Dickie Gaines (16), 10. Brady Bacon (9), 11. Carmen Perigo (15), 12. Shane Cottle (21), 13. Dakota Jackson (11), 14. Matt Westfall (18), 15. Dustin Ingle (17), 16. Ty Tilton (20), 17. Justin Grant (6), 18. Jason McDougal (12), 19. Robert Ballou (2), 20. Aric Gentry (22), 21. Timmy Buckwalter (13), 22. Jacob Wilson (8). NT

ALL-TIME 4-CROWN USAC SPRINT CAR WINS:

1. (5) Jack Hewitt

2. (3) Tracy Hines

3. (2) Steve Butler, Tony Elliott, Levi Jones, Bud Kaeding & Steve Kinser

8. (1) Brady Bacon, Robert Ballou, Jerry Coons Jr., Tyler Courtney, Dave Darland, Kevin Doty, Dickie Gaines, Justin Grant, Kyle Larson, C.J. Leary, Thomas Meseraull, Larry Rice, Jimmy Sills, Danny Smith, Tony Stewart, Brad Sweet, Rich Vogler & Chris Windom

ALL-TIME 4-CROWN USAC SPRINT WINNERS:

1981: Steve Kinser (10/11)

1982: Steve Kinser (10/3)

1983: Jack Hewitt (9/25)

1985: Larry Rice (10/6)

1986: Rich Vogler (9/28)

1987: Tony Elliott (9/27)

1988: Steve Butler (9/25)

1989: Steve Butler (9/24)

1990: Jack Hewitt (9/30)

1991: Jack Hewitt (9/22)

1992: Danny Smith (10/4)

1993: Tony Elliott (10/3)

1994: Kevin Doty (9/25)

1995: Tony Stewart (9/23)

1996: Jimmy Sills (9/28)

1997: Jack Hewitt (9/20)

1998: Jack Hewitt (9/26)

1999: Dave Darland (9/25)

2000: Tracy Hines (9/30)

2001: Bud Kaeding (9/22)

2002: Bud Kaeding (9/21)

2004: Dickie Gaines (9/25)

2005: Levi Jones (9/24)

2006: Tracy Hines (9/23)

2007: Robert Ballou (9/22)

2008: Brad Sweet (9/20)

2009: Jerry Coons, Jr. (9/26)

2010: Levi Jones (9/25)

2011: Kyle Larson (9/24)

2012: Tracy Hines (9/22)

2013: Chris Windom (9/21)

2014: Brady Bacon (9/21)

2015: Thomas Meseraull (9/26)

2016: Justin Grant (9/24)

2017: C.J. Leary (9/23)

2018: Tyler Courtney (9/22)