DRAKE TAKES NATIONAL FORD FOCUS TITLE AT LAS VEGAS


The 2010 USAC Ford Focus campaign is winding down, with a few championships yet to be determined, but Nick Drake of Mooresville, N.C. tucked one under his belt Saturday in Las Vegas, Nev.


 


Drake, son of former USAC Champion Jay Drake, won Saturday night’s 35-lap USAC National Ford Focus Championship race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring. Drake took the lead from Kyle Bailey on lap 11 and led the rest of the way in his Troy Cline-owned Haas Automation/SEM Beast.


 


The championship puts Drake and his father Jay in select company. The only previous father-son USAC Champions were Tony and Gary Bettenhausen, Mario and Jeff Andretti, Al Unser and Al Jr. and Mel & Brice Kenyon.


 


Bailey led the first 10 laps of the race but slipped to seventh at the finish behind Drake, Cody Gerhardt, Garrett Peterson, Kyle O’Gara, Jake Blackhurst and Cody Thompson. Tyler Cottongim was the fastest qualifier.


 


Drake’s name will be inscribed on the permanent Henry Ford Sweepstakes Trophy as the 2010 National Ford Focus Champion.


 


Austin Farley of Brighton, Colo. piloted a Ron Sutton's Winners Circle K & N Kent to victory in the accompanying 20-lap Focus Young Guns feature, leading the final 11 laps to beat Jessica Clark, Brandon White, Jarid Blondel and Christine Breckenridge. Clark led the first two laps and White the next seven.


 


The ARP Fall Classic will include the Ford Focus and Focus Young Guns at Ventura (Calif.) Raceway November 20 and the Ford Focus campaign will conclude November 27 in the 70th “Turkey Night Grand Prix” activities November 25 at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.).