WHITT (2) & HOCKETT GRAB “EASTERN STORM” VICTORIES


Dave Darland continues to lead the USAC National Sprint Car standings as the series gears up for its first appearance in Michigan in nine years! Kalamazoo Speedway will host the June 20 race, marking the first time the USAC Sprint cars have competed there. Jay Drake won the last USAC Sprint race in Michigan, in 2000 at Hartford Speedway Park.


 


Darland has a slim six-point lead over Levi Jones in the new standings after finishing second, fifth and sixth in three Pennsylvania races last week. Eastern race winners Jesse Hockett and Cole Whitt round out the “top-four” in the points, 20 and 92 points in arrears respectively.


 


Whitt, of Alpine, Calif., earned his second straight “Eastern Storm” Thunder & Lightning Tour victory Saturday night at Mercer (Pa.) Raceway Park, leading the final 27 laps of the 30-lap race in his Red Bull/Ferguson Bullet/Brannan Chevy. Hockett led the first three laps of the race presented by Rotondo Weirich but finished fourth behind Whitt, Jones and Darren Hagen. Darland rounded out the “top-five” in USAC’s inaugural race at the Mercer oval.


 


Whitt repeated his 2008 victory at Big Diamond Raceway in Minersville, Pa., leading all 30 laps of Thursday night’s feature. He piloted the Red Bull/Ferguson Bullet/Brannan Chevy to the win over Darland, Jones, Damion Gardner and Hagen.


 


Hockett, of Warsaw, Mo., led all 50 laps of Tuesday night’s “Eastern Storm” Thunder & Lightning Tour opener at Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pa. Hockett drove the VKCC Motorsports/Parker Store of Phoenix JEI/Stanton Mopar to victory over Chris Windom, Bryan Clauson, fast qualifier Tracy Hines and Jerry Coons Jr.


 


Rains forced cancellation for the second consecutive year of Wednesday night’s scheduled race at the Williams Grove (Pa.) Speedway.