DARLAND FINALLY CLAIMS VICTORY IN "BOB DARLAND CLASSIC"

Kokomo, IN.......Dave Darland of Lincoln, Ind. finally got the emotional victory that had eluded him for several years, winning Sunday night' "Bob Darland Classic" 30-lap USAC National Sprint feature at the Kokomo Speedway. The race, named in memory of Dave's late father, was round four of the 2008 Chevy Powers Indiana Sprint Week and Darland's victory gave him a 26-point lead in the ISW standings going into the July 17 race at Kamp Motor Speedway in Boswell, Ind. Darland appeared headed for a third-place finish before late-race drama unfolded at the 1/4-mile dirt oval. First, leader Jon Stanbrough, who snatched last year's "Bob Darland Classic" from Dave on the final lap, got tangled with a lapped car in turn one on the last lap and flipped! That put Robert Ballou, who had dogged Stanbrough for many laps, into the lead on the restart. Darland quickly jumped ahead of Ballou and on the final lap exiting turn four Ballou's car hit the outside wall and snagged the cagtch-fence, flipping end-over-end, bringing out a red flag after Darland took the chekcered flags. Levi Jones also flipped but was officiallyn scored fourth behind Cole Whitt and Tracy Hines. Darren Hagen rounded out the "top-five." Darland piloted the Rotondo Weirich/Karavan Trailers Maxim/Gaerte 2B Racing entry. Brad Sweet, the fastest qualifier, also flipped, bringing out the red flag on the first lap of the race.