HERNANDEZ LEADS ROGERS IN TIGHT USAC SPRINT ROOKIE RACE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (September 10, 2020)………A debut season on the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car trail can be a trial that runs the gamut, from highs to lows, and learning a variety of racetracks that have infrequently been inhabited by said driver, which can all prove to be a valuable learning experience.
The goal is to finish races, learn, and show improvement throughout the season. At the end of the year, the reward is earning the title of USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year.
Entering this weekend’s trio events, Friday, Sept. 11, at Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway followed by twin features on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, Anton Hernandez (Arlington, Texas) is four points up on Jadon Rogers (Worthington, Ind.) in the series’ Rookie race.
The 22-year-old Hernandez has earned four top-ten finishes, a heat race victory and a semi-feature victory in eight starts as a true USAC Sprint Car Rookie, making his series debut in the season opener at Ocala, Fla. in February of this year. He’s finished 8th twice, once in Ocala and again in Pevely, Mo. in June. After wheeling the Baldwin Brothers Racing No. 5 in his first eight starts, Hernandez will make his debut this weekend in the Michael Dutcher Motorsports No. 17GP.
Rogers, meanwhile, has twice been a top-ten finisher in his nine starts with a best result of 9th in June at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind. In early July, the 18-year-old earned his first career Fatheadz Eyewear Fast Qualifying time with the series in Putnamville, Ind. Rogers has split his driving duties between the family-owned No. 14 and the Randy Edwards No. 61m, which he took controls of in late July.
Friday at Bloomington, pits open at 4pm ET, grandstands at 5pm, drivers meeting at 5:45pm and hot laps at 6:30pm. General admission tickets are $25 while children age 10 and under are free. Pit passes are $30 apiece, with kids age 10 and under $15. You may use your Bloomington Speedway Indiana Sprint Week tickets if they have not been used for the Lincoln Park Speedway Indiana Sprint Week Show. Modifieds are also on the event card.
Saturday at Lincoln Park, pits open at 3pm ET, grandstands at 4pm, drivers meeting at 5:30pm and hot laps at 6pm. General admission tickets are $25 while children age 10 and under are free. Pit passes are $35 with kids 10 and under free.
At Lincoln Park, the racing program will have the last four laps of the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car semi-feature and the 30-lap feature from the rained out July event, plus another full USAC Sprint event featuring qualifying, heat races, last chance races and a second 30-lap feature. Modifieds and Super Stocks will also be in action.
Tickets will be available at the gate, but you can purchase your tickets in advance at http://usactickets.com.
All three events will streamed live on FloRacing at https://bit.ly/3frPoW6.
2020 USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ROOKIE DRIVER POINT STANDINGS:
1. 365-Anton Hernandez (Arlington, TX)
2. 361-Jadon Rogers (Worthington, IN)
3. 255-Chris Phillips (Plainfield, IN)
4. 253-Dennis Gile (Phoenix, AZ)
5. 232-Wyatt Burks (Topeka, KS)
6. 203-Anthony D’Alessio (Apollo Beach, FL)
7. 174-Sterling Cling (Tempe, AZ)
8. 126-Nate McMillin (Rosedale, IN)
9. 110-Terry Richards (Denton, NE)
10. 90-Harley Burns (Brazil, IN)
ALL-TIME USAC SPRINT CAR ROOKIES OF THE YEAR
1971: Darl Harrison
1972: Billy Cassella
1973: Rich Leavell
1974: Lee Osborne
1975: Marvin Carman
1976: Roger Rager
1977: Eddie Leavitt
1978: Tim Richmond
1979: Jerry Carman
1980: Frank Riddle
1981: Steve Long & Johnny Coogan
1982: Danny Milburn
1983: Dean Shirley
1984: Jerry Russell
1985: Terry Shepherd
1986: Kenny Jacobs
1987: Rick Ungar
1988: Dean Jacobs
1989: Eric Gordon
1990: Rick Howerton
1991: Tony Stewart
1992: Gary Cameron II
1993: Kenny Irwin Jr.
1994: Bobby Smith
1995: Mark Cassella
1996: Gus Wasson
1997: J.J. Yeley
1998: Tracy Hines
1999: Ryan Newman
2000: Bud Kaeding
2001: Ed Carpenter
2002: Boston Reid
2003: Michael Lewis & Mat Neely
2004: Josh Ford & Josh Wise
2005: Darren Hagen
2006: Scotty Weir
2007: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
2008: Chad Boat
2009: Henry Clarke
2010: Justin Grant
2011: Coleman Gulick
2012: C.J. Leary
2013: Tyler Courtney
2014: Jarett Andretti
2015: Aaron Farney
2016: Isaac Chapple
2017: Stevie Sussex
2018: Timmy Buckwalter & Logan Seavey
2019: Dustin Clark
