GROAT, PANKRATZ, KOSTECKI, HUNTER, CUSTER, DRAKE ALL WIN

 


USAC’s busy Ford Focus and Focus Young Guns campaigns continue at a rapid pace this week, with races slated at five tracks in Indiana, North Carolina and California.


 


The Midwest and Eastern series convene at Plymouth (Ind.) Motor Speedway Friday night, while the Western series are in action Wednesday at Ventura (Calif.) Raceway, Friday at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, Calif. and Saturday at Santa Maria (Calif.) Speedway.


 


Monday night's USAC Eastern Ford Focus/Focus Young Guns racing program at East Lincoln Speedway in Stanley, N.C. was rained out. Double feature events for each series will be held on August 15 at East Lincoln.. 


 


Chuck Groat of West Valley City, Utah passed Austin Luttmer on lap four and led the final 22 laps to win Saturday night’s USAC Utah Ford Focus feature at Rocky Mountain Raceways. Trailing Groat at the checkered flag were Kipp Posey, Jim Waters, Gregg Fuette and Luttmer. Groat was also the fastest qualifier.
 


Wally Pankratz of Orange, Calif. and Brodie Kostecki of Roseville, Calif. were the winners in Saturday night’s USAC Western Ford Focus and Focus Young Guns races at Santa Maria Speedway. Pankratz benefitted when the engine expired in Jarid Blondel’s car and Pankratz ended up the 35-lap race winner over Tyler Dolacki, Jet Davison, Daniel Williams and Brodie Kostecki. In the 20-lap Focus Young Guns race, Kostecki led all the way to beat Parker Colston, Trevor Hunt and Christine Breckenridge


 


Scott Hunter of Concord, N.C. and Cole Custer of Kannapolis, N.C. scored feature victories at East Lincoln Speedway Saturday night before rains washed out the second features for the USAC Eastern Ford Focus and Focus Young Guns, postponing them to August 8 when the track will again host “double features.” Hunter caught Custer on lap 28 in the Ford Focus race and led the final eight laps to win the 35-lapper over Ross Rankine, Shane MacMillan, Nick Drake and Custer. In the Focus Young Guns, Custer passed Jared Irvan on lap 13 and led the rest of the way to take the 25-lapper over Irvan and Sam McGhee


 


Nick Drake and Cole Custer drove their #55 cars to victory in Wednesday night’s USAC Eastern Ford Focus and Focus Young Guns features at Concord Motor Speedway. Drake, of Mooresville, N.C., led the final 36 laps of the 75 Ford Focus feature to beat Scott Hunter, Chris Lamb, Austin Prock and Nick Davidson. Custer, of Kannapolis, N.C., passed Sam McGhee on lap eight and led the rest of the 40-lap Focus Young Guns race to beat McGhee, Jared Irvan, Cooper Clouse and Mikell McGee