LEARY’S QUALIFYING PROWESS HAS SET UP SPRINT SUCCESS IN 2019
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
San Tan Valley, Arizona………To be in the championship hunt, you must be able do more than just win features. You’ve got to qualify well and you’ve got to transfer through your heat race regularly. Accomplishing those two items will put a driver in a better position to achieve a better finish in the main event later that night.
While USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car point leader C.J. Leary has won just two feature events this year, including the recent Oval Nationals in Perris, Calif. last weekend, his success has started nearly from the instant the team has rolled the car off the trailer.
Through 33 qualifying sessions this year, the Greenfield, Ind. driver has collected fast time during Fatheadz Eyewear qualifying 10 times, nearly one of every three times he and his Reinbold/Underwood Motorsports No. 19AZ hits the track.
He’s already become just the fifth driver in series history to reach double-digit fast qualifying times in a single season, followed by Tom Bigelow's 14 in 1978, Rich Vogler's 10 in 1989, Bryan Clauson's 10 in 2012 and Kevin Thomas, Jr. in 2018, who recorded a record of 15 one year ago.
One thing in common among that group of drivers is that, during their double-digit fast qualifying seasons, three of the four captured the series title that same year. Only Thomas missed the title, ultimately tying Tyler Courtney for the most points, but losing out on a tiebreaker of most feature wins.
Leary’s run of 10 fast times this year marks the first time in USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car history that there has been a driver record 10 or more fast qualifying times in consecutive years.
In essence, with 6 points gained for each fast qualifying time, that has provided Leary an extra 60 points to his total. With a 44-point lead over Tyler Courtney entering the final two races of the year this weekend, November 15-16, at Arizona Speedway for the 52nd annual Western World Championships presented by San Tan Ford, each of those points have paid dividends toward his quest on reaching the pinnacle.
Leary has found qualifying success with fast times this season on quarter miles, three-eighths miles and half-miles, at Bloomington, Eldora twice, Terre Haute, Port Royal, Knoxville, Kokomo, Lawrenceburg, Gas City and Perris.
This weekend, it’s a one-third mile that Leary and the series are ready to tackle, on one sized track he has yet to record fast qualifying this year, the 1/3-mile Arizona Speedway in San Tan Valley. If not, keep in mind he's qualified within the top-six of the field in 24 of 31 qualifying sessions in 2019, helping set him up for 30 top-ten finishes in his first 32 starts, most in the series, which he'll need to do two more times this weekend to help him cap off a series championship.
Both nights, pits open at 2pm Mountain, grandstands at 3pm, drivers meeting at 4:30pm, and cars on track at 5:30pm. Adult tickets are $30-$35, seniors are $30-$35, kids 11 and under are $15, adult pit passes are $40, kids 7-12 pit passes are $20, kids 6 and under pit passes are $10.
A practice night begins the festivities on Thursday, November 14. Adult pit passes are $30, kids 7-12 pit passes are $10 and kids 6 and under pit passes are free.
If you are unable to make it to the track, all the action can be watched live on FloRacing, listened to live on the USAC app with live timing and scoring available on both the USAC and Race-Monitor apps.
2019 FAST QUALIFYING TIMES:
1. (10) C.J. Leary
2. (7) Tyler Courtney
3. (4) Justin Grant
4. (3) Carson Short & Chase Stockon
6. (2) Chris Windom
7. (1) Brady Bacon, Timmy Buckwalter, Thomas Meseraull & Kevin Thomas, Jr.
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MOST FAST QUALIFYING TIMES (SINGLE SEASON) – USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CARS
BY RANK:
2018: 15-Kevin Thomas, Jr.
1978: 14-Tom Bigelow
2019: 10-C.J. Leary
1989: 10-Rich Vogler
2012: 10-Bryan Clauson
1977: 9-Pancho Carter
1995: 9-Kenny Irwin, Jr.
2002: 9-J.J. Yeley
2003: 9-J.J. Yeley
1976: 8-Pancho Carter
1979: 8-Steve Chassey
2013: 8-Dave Darland
2014: 8-Brady Bacon
2015: 8-Chase Stockon
2000: 7-Jay Drake & Tracy Hines
2017: 7 Justin Grant
1961: 6-Roger McCluskey
1966: 6-Don Branson & Roger McCluskey
1968: 6-Sonny Ates & Larry Dickson
1970: 6-Larry Dickson & Bill Puterbaugh
1971: 6-Larry Dickson
1984: 6-Rick Hood
1990: 6-Steve Butler
1991: 6-Steve Butler
1996: 6-Dave Darland
1997: 6-Richard Griffin
1999: 6-Tracy Hines
2001: 6-Tracy Hines
2016: 6-Bryan Clauson & Chase Stockon
1962: 5-Parnelii Jones
1965: 5-Johnny Rutherford
1973: 5-Sam Sessions & Tom Sneva
1974: 5-Tom Bigelow
1980: 5-Tom Bigelow
1981: 5-Eddie Leavitt
1982: 5-Sheldon Kinser
1983: 5-Rich Vogler
1994: 5-Mike Bliss & Doug Kalitta
1998: 5-Tony Elliott & Brian Tyler
2004: 5-Levi Jones
2005: 5-Levi Jones
2006: 5-Levi Jones & Josh Wise
2008: 5-Tracy Hines
2010: 5-Bryan Clauson
2011: 5-Levi Jones
1964: 4-A.J. Foyt & Jud Larson
1967: 4-Greg Weld
1969: 4-Larry Dickson, Cy Fairchild & Greg Weld
1972: 4-Tom Bigelow
1975: 4-Marvin Carman, Pancho Carter & Larry Dickson
1985: 4-Steve Butler
2009: 4-Bryan Clauson, Tracy Hines & Jon Stanbrough
1963: 3-Don Branson, A.J. Foyt, Chuck Hulse & Parnelli Jones
1987: 3-Rich Vogler
1988: 3-Tray House & Rich Vogler
1992: 3-Jim Keeker & Robbie Stanley
1993: 3-Doug Kalitta
2007: 3-Bryan Clauson, Jerry Coons, Jr. & Levi Jones
1986: 2-Sheldon Kinser
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MOST FAST QUALIFYING TIMES (SINGLE SEASON) – USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CARS
BY YEAR:
1961: 6-Roger McCluskey
1962: 5-Parnelii Jones
1963: 3-Don Branson, A.J. Foyt, Chuck Hulse & Parnelli Jones
1964: 4-A.J. Foyt & Jud Larson
1965: 5-Johnny Rutherford
1966: 6-Don Branson & Roger McCluskey
1967: 4-Greg Weld
1968: 6-Sonny Ates & Larry Dickson
1969: 4-Larry Dickson, Cy Fairchild & Greg Weld
1970: 6-Larry Dickson & Bill Puterbaugh
1971: 6-Larry Dickson
1972: 4-Tom Bigelow
1973: 5-Sam Sessions & Tom Sneva
1974: 5-Tom Bigelow
1975: 4-Marvin Carman, Pancho Carter & Larry Dickson
1976: 8-Pancho Carter
1977: 9-Pancho Carter
1978: 14-Tom Bigelow
1979: 8-Steve Chassey
1980: 5-Tom Bigelow
1981: 5-Eddie Leavitt
1982: 5-Sheldon Kinser
1983: 5-Rich Vogler
1984: 6-Rick Hood
1985: 4-Steve Butler
1986: 2-Sheldon Kinser
1987: 3-Rich Vogler
1988: 3-Tray House & Rich Vogler
1989: 10-Rich Vogler
1990: 6-Steve Butler
1991: 6-Steve Butler
1992: 3-Jim Keeker & Robbie Stanley
1993: 3-Doug Kalitta
1994: 5-Mike Bliss & Doug Kalitta
1995: 9-Kenny Irwin, Jr.
1996: 6-Dave Darland
1997: 6-Richard Griffin
1998: 5-Tony Elliott & Brian Tyler
1999: 6-Tracy Hines
2000: 7-Jay Drake & Tracy Hines
2001: 6-Tracy Hines
2002: 9-J.J. Yeley
2003: 9-J.J. Yeley
2004: 5-Levi Jones
2005: 5-Levi Jones
2006: 5-Levi Jones & Josh Wise
2007: 3-Bryan Clauson, Jerry Coons, Jr. & Levi Jones
2008: 5-Tracy Hines
2009: 4-Bryan Clauson, Tracy Hines & Jon Stanbrough
2010: 5-Bryan Clauson
2011: 5-Levi Jones
2012: 10-Bryan Clauson
2013: 8-Dave Darland
2014: 8-Brady Bacon
2015: 8-Chase Stockon
2016: 6-Bryan Clauson & Chase Stockon
2017: 7 Justin Grant
2018: 15-Kevin Thomas, Jr.
2019: 10-C.J. Leary