DRAKE, McGEE, RANKINE, KOSTECKI (3), STOWE & RAIN VICTORIOUS

 


USAC’s Ford Focus activity ramps up this week, with the Eastern, Western and Midwest series all in action. “Double” feature for the Eastern Ford Focuses and Young Guns are on tap Monday night (tonight) at East Lincoln Speedway in Stanley, N.C., while Concord (N.C.) Motor Speedway hosts Wednesday night’s Focus/Young Guns “doubleheader.” The Western Ford Focuses compete in a pair of features at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway’s Bullring Saturday night, while the Midwest Ford Focus and Focus Young Guns join the Mopar D1 Midgets for Saturday’s “tripleheader” at Kalamazoo (Mich.) Speedway.


 


Nick Drake of Mooresville, N.C. and Mikell McGee of Doylesburg, Pa. captured USAC feature victories at Concord Motor Speedway Wednesday night. Drake wheeled his Haas Automation Beast to victory in the 75-lap Eastern Ford Focus race, leading all but the first two laps. Scott Hunter took second ahead of Chris Lamb, Nic Davidson, who led the first two laps, and Austin Prock. McGee scored his initial USAC win in the Eddie Sachs/CM Fuels Hawk, leading the final nine laps of the Eastern Focus Young Guns main event after passing Jared Irvan on lap 27. Irvan finished second ahead of Sam McGhee, who led the first 25 laps, Trey Hutchens and Cole Custer.


 


USAC Midwest Ford Focus point leader Ross Rankine of Willard, Ohio led all 20 laps to win Friday night’s feature at Gas City I-69 Speedway. Patrick Bruns, Toby Alfrey, John Heydenreich and Byron Stowe rounded out the top-five at the checkered flag.


 


Brodie Kostecki of Roseville, Calif. sped to victory in three separate USAC feature events Saturday night at Stockton 99 Speedway. He passed Garrett Peterson on lap 14 of the 30-lap Western Ford Focus race and led the rest of the way to beat Cody Gerhardt, Keegan Walmer, Jessica Clark and Paul Graham. In the accompanying Focus Young Guns features (two) he passed Keegan Walmer on the third lap of the 15-lap opener and held on to beat Trevor Hunt, Walmer and James Eden. The same finish resulted in race two as Kostecki passed Walmer on lap four for the lead.


 


Byron Stowe of Westchester, Ohio emerged with his first USAC feature win Saturday night at Montpelier Motor Speedway, concluding a wild 25-lap feature. He took the lead on lap 24 after a four-car tangle involved the leaders and he led the last two laps in his Traxxas/Amsoil Beast. Toby Alfrey finished second ahead of Ross Rankine, Josh Staten and Dillon Welch. The accompanying Midwest Focus Young Guns feature was rained out after Sam McGhee won the heat race. In the Focus feature, Nick Drake led the first five laps, Patrick Bruns led the next 12, Drake led one and Bruns then led five before incidents jumbled the standings and left Stowe as the leader on the lap 24 restart.