Brady Bacon Goes Back-To-Back In USAC Eastern Storm At Grandview
Story By: BOB MILLER / THUNDER ON THE HILL / EASTERN STORM – BECHTELSVILLE, PA – Second verse same as the first. Broken Arrow, Oklahoma’s Brady Bacon scored his second consecutive NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series win on Thursday night, when the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series invaded Grandview Speedway for the kick-off of the 2018 Eastern Storm swing of events.
Bacon took home a $6,000 prize for the Jesse Hockett Classic win in front of a capacity crowd at the Berks County dirt track.
Outside front row starter, Chad Boespflug blasted to the early lead aboard the AMSOIL-sponsored No. 98 machine charging ahead of Bacon and defending USAC Champion, Chris Windom. Not letting Boespflug gain an advantage, the lead trio soared in tandem around the one-third mile.
Lapped traffic would prove to be Boespflug’s demise as he shot to the outside and Bacon shot to the inside of a slower machine. Bacon, using the lapper to his advantage overtook the top spot.
A three-wide battle for third on the 12th circuit saw current USAC Series point leader, Kevin Thomas, Jr. slip into the third position.
The red flew on lap 16 when Justin Grant got upside down on the front stretch ending his night.
Bacon pulled back to the lead on the restart with KTJ challenging for the top spot. The laps clicked off until the 27 circuit when Trevor Kobylarz spun out.
Kevin Thomas Jr. pulled to the top spot with 10 laps remaining and charged away from Bacon – but Bacon charged back with two to go and to win the opening event of the Eastern Storm. Thomas finished second, Windom in third, Tyler Courtney in fourth and Jarret Andretti rounding out the top-five.
USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series
Time Trials – 1. Jarett Andretti – 13.978 2. Tony DiMattia – 14.008 3. Chris Windom – 14.048 4. Kevin Thomas, Jr. – 14.148 5. Chad Boespflug – 14.377 6. Chase Stockon – 14.378 7. Brady Bacon – 14.388 8. Thomas Meseraull – 14.497 9. Justin Grant – 14.497 10. Robert Ballou – 14.505 11. CJ Leary – 14.509 12. Tyler Courtney – 14.541 13. Zach Daum – 14.582 14. Timmy Buckwalter – 14.637 15. Jerry Coons, Jr. – 14.730 16. Dave Darland – 14.761 17. Joey Biasi – 14.780 18. Matt Westfall – 14.818 19. Kyle Moody – 14.830 20. Carmen Perigo – 15.099 21. Trevor Kobylarz – 15.101 22. Isaac Chapple – 15.145 23. JR Berry – 15.156 24. Ryan Godown – 15.157 25. Kyle Lick – 15.284 26. Robert Bell – 15.916 27. Eric Jennings – 16.017
Heat 1 – 1. Robert Ballou 2. Kevin Thomas, Jr. 3. Dave Darland 4. Jarret Andretti 5. Brady Bacon
Heat 2 – 1. CJ Leary 2. Thomas Meseraull 3. Tim Buckwalter 4. Chad Boespflug 5. Tony DiMattia
Heat 3 – 1. Tyler Courtney 2. Matt Westfall 3. Chris Windom 4. Jerry Coons 5. Justin Grant
Semi – 1. Chase Stockon 2. Isaac Chapple 3. Carmen Perigo 4. Zach Daum 5. Trevor Kobylarz 6. Kyle Lick 7. Joey Biasi 8. Eric Jennings 9. Kyle Moody 10. Robert Bell 11. Ryan Godown
Feature (40 Laps) – 1. Brady Bacon 2. Kevin Thomas, Jr. 3. Chris Windom 4. Tyler Courtney 5. Jarrett Andretti 6. Chad Boespflug 7. Chase Stockon 8. Robert Ballou 9. Thomas Meseraull 10. Justin Grant 11. Dave Darland 12. Matt Westfall 13. CJ Leary 14. Isaac Chapple 15. Tony DiMattia 16. Zach Daum 17. Timmy Buckwalter 18. Jerry Coons, Jr. 19. Joey Biasi 20. Kyle Lick 21. Trevor Kobylarz 22. Carmen Perrego