UP & ATOM: A DEEP DIVE INTO USAC HISTORY AT ATOMIC

By: Richie Murray – USAC Media

Chillicothe, Ohio (April 12, 2022)………Sixteen different Ohio racetracks have hosted a USAC National Sprint Car series event.  Eldora, New Bremen, Toledo, and the like, are drenched in USAC lore and rank among the most prevalent venues in the series’ 66-year history.

One track that has played a role in that history is Atomic Speedway, host of this Saturday night’s first USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship event at the track in nearly 12 years on April 16, as driver pursue $6,000-to-win and $600 to start in the evening's 30-lap feature.

But you won’t find it in USAC’s record books listed that as Atomic Speedway.  Oh, no sir.  In USAC’s era at the 3/8-mile dirt oval in Chillicothe between 1987 and 2010, the track was tabbed as K-C Raceway, the “K” such named for Karshner and the “C” standing for Cooper, the last names of the individuals who purchased the Atomic Speedway property after the track sat idle in 1984.

Resuming competition in 1985, it wasn’t until 1987 that USAC debuted at the rechristened K-C Raceway.  It just so happened to be the first year of USAC’s brief dalliance with wings.  In fact, it was the fourth such race, and many of the era’s winged luminaries were there to preside over the proceedings versus USAC staples Steve Butler, Sheldon Kinser and Rich Vogler.  Kenny Jacobs, a four-time All Star Circuit of Champions titlist, with a wing, dominated the night aboard the Gohr Distributing Genesee Beer Wagon owned and wrenched by Dick Hammond and Galen Fox.  Jacobs set quick time in qualifying, winning his heat and taking over when leader Jack Hewitt dropped out with seven laps remaining.

Four years later, in 1991, K-C hosted the 37th and final USAC winged sprint car event.  Attesting to the versatility of the schedule at the time, the series had competed the week before on the pavement of Indianapolis Raceway Park, then after K-C, the teams headed to Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway the very next night for a USAC event without wings.  Winged regular Harry Garrett set the tone with quick time in qualifying at K-C.  But it was Kelly Kinser, in his own No. 4K, who led the final 13 laps after working his way past Charlie Fisher.  Wingers Fisher and Rocky Hodges took second and third, respectively, while Bobby Allen ran fifth.  Reigning USAC champ Steve Butler represented with a fourth.

The following year in 1992 was all different.  Gone were the wings and a wholesale changeover in the lineup saw the domination from the regular non-winged contingent while winged racers became scarce in the finishing order outside of Byron Reed and Todd Kane, both of whom proved themselves to be more than formidable with or without the air foil in the years to come.  Oklahoma’s Gary Cameron II timed in quickest and won his heat, yet it was the master Jack Hewitt leading all 30 laps from the pole in his Robert Milleville owned machine ahead of Tray House and Cary Faas, who put on a spectacular charge to third on a last lap dice, naturally.

At K-C in 1993, nothing was different at the front in a field that featured a hefty contingent of 46 cars.  Once again, it was Hewitt, who won his fourth USAC feature in his last five starts, when he caught series point leader Robbie Stanley on lap 12 to keep ahead of the fray, with Tray House second once more and Rusty McClure third while Stanley slipped over the bank late in the race and fell to ninth.  David Harrison, son of USAC’s first National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year, Darl Harrison, set a new 10-lap track record that remains to this day of 2:27.28 in his heat race.

Dave Darland has raced his way to an illustrious career which features an all-time record 62 USAC National Sprint Car feature wins.  All the way back in 1994, Darland still was seen as the “local guy.”  After putting himself on the national racing landscape in 1993 with a pair of USAC wins, he hit number three at K-C late in ’94 as he led all 30 laps to win over infrequent non-wing starters Jimmy Stinson and Charlie Fisher.  Stinson finished a career best second with USAC on this night while Fisher took fourth behind Tony Elliott.

The most recent such USAC event at K-C came at the end of July in 2010.  It’s a date that you won’t see prominently displayed in the record books, being so when rain called off the program between the second and third heat races.  The short, but sweet night witnessed the still-standing USAC one-lap track record of 13.712, set by Dave Darland in qualifying.  Eventual champ Levi Jones and recent first-time USAC feature victor Henry Clarke were the heat winners, but the remainder of the night was washed away.

This Saturday night, April 16, our countdown to USAC’s relaunch at Atomic Speedway begins.  For the first time in nearly 12 years, USAC is back in Chillicothe, and for the first time since then, we’ll get the chance to add on to an interesting legacy at an Ohio racing institution.

On Saturday, the pits open at 2pm ET with the grandstands opening at 3pm and cars on track at 5pm.  Adult general admission is $30.  Senior general admission is $25.  Military general admission is $25.  Adult pit passes are $35 for members and $40 for non-members.  Kids age 6-10 pit passes are $20.

Full coverage of Saturday’s event at Atomic Speedway can be watched LIVE on www.FloRacing.com at https://bit.ly/3dgONXz.

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ATOMIC SPEEDWAY USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR FEATURE RESULTS:

1987 FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Kenny Jacobs, 2. Rick Ungar, 3. Al Liskai, 4. Rodney Duncan, 5. Steve Butler, 6. Rich Vogler, 7. C.J. Holley, 8. Harry Garrett, 9. Dave Fisher, 10. Tray House, 11. Gary Fisher, 12. Steve Bixler, 13. Mike Imler, 14. Bud Jacobs, 15. Randy Fink, 16. Ross Rogers, 17. Jack Hewitt, 18. Sheldon Kinser, 19. Rusty McClure, 20. Mike Bowling, 21. Pepi Marchese, 22. Tony Reed, 23. Steve McCann, 24. Kevin Huntley. NT

1991 FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Kelly Kinser, 2. Charlie Fisher, 3. Rocky Hodges, 4. Steve Butler, 5. Bobby Allen, 6. Terry Shepherd, 7. Craig Keel, 8. Kevin Huntley, 9. Todd Kane, 10. Dave Fisher, 11. Danny Smith, 12. Rodney Duncan, 13. Byron Reed, 14. Robbie Stanley, 15. Kerry Madsen, 16. Tony Elliott, 17. Eric Gordon, 18. Rick Ungar, 19. Jack Hewitt, 20. David Snell. NT

1992 FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Jack Hewitt, 2. Tray House, 3. Cary Faas, 4. Steve Butler, 5. Jon Stanbrough, 6. Bill Rose, 7. Robbie Stanley, 8. Gary Fisher, 9. Byron Reed, 10. Jerry Nemire, 11. Gary Cameron II, 12. C.J. Holley, 13. Eric Gordon (#8), 14. Brad Marvel, 15. Tim Jodrey, 16. Ken Kimbler, 17. Rick Holley, 18. Tony Jarrett, 19. Tommy Nichols, 20. Todd Kane. NT

1993 FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Jack Hewitt, 2. Tray House, 3. Rusty McClure, 4. Kevin Thomas, 5. Doug Kalitta, 6. Johnny Parsons, 7. David Harrison, 8. Eric Gordon, 9. Robbie Stanley, 10. Steve Butler, 11. Gary Fisher, 12. Mark Goodfleisch, 13. Brad Marvel, 14. Jerry Nemire, 15. Tony Stewart, 16. Duffy Smith, 17. Brian Hayden, 18. Tony Elliott, 19. Dave Darland, 20. Bill Rose. NT

1994 FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Dave Darland, 2. Jimmy Stinson, 3. Tony Elliott, 4. Charlie Fisher, 5. Kevin Thomas, 6. Tray House, 7. Doug Kalitta, 8. Todd Kane, 9. Gary Fisher, 10. Jerry Nemire, 11. Chip Thomas, 12. Bill Rose, 13. Kent Christian, 14. Eric Gordon, 15. Ken Rice, 16. Troy Link, 17. Cary Faas, 18. Tracy Hoover, 19. Greg Staab, 20. Jack Hewitt. NT

2010 FEATURE: Rained Out