USAC Non-Wing Sprints Head East To Start Tour At Grandview

Story By: BOB MILLER / THUNDER ON THE HILL – BECHTELSVILLE, PA – The Amsoil USAC Non-wing Sprints Eastern Storm is heading east with the opening set for the Grandview Speedway on Tuesday, June 13. This will also mark the opening event of the NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series presented by Pioneer Pole Buildings. If you have never seen a non-wing 410 sprint car race (especially at Grandview Speedway) this is the show to see.

From wheelies to roster-tails, a little wheel banging and always a bounce or two off the outside boiler-plate, USAC non-wing sprint car racing on the “hill” at Grandview Speedway is always a thrill, especially with talent like Brady Bacon from Broken Arrow, OK, Robert Ballou from Rocklin, CA and Chad Boespflug from Handford, CA. Plus a long list of other invaders and local talent chasing the win in the 40 lap $6,000 to win Jesse Hockett Classic.

The Tuesday, June 13 event at Grandview Speedway will get underway at 7:30 PM. Joining the USAC non-wing sprints on the program will be the 358 Modifieds chasing a $3,000 payday for the 30 lap run. Qualifying will take place for both divisions.

Brady Bacon has one career win on the Amsoil Eastern Storm and in 2014 he was the Eastern Storm Champion. It was the same year that Bacon won his first USAC Sprint Car National Championship, repeating again in 2016. Over the 2016 season, Bacon delivered twenty-two top-five finishes and 36 top ten finishes in forty-one starts. He also qualified for the pole at the “Hoosier Hundred” at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in May and finished fourth in this prestigious event. Bacon is the only driver to set fast time in all three USAC national series. And another point, Brady Bacon loves racing at Grandview.

Another favorite of the Eastern Storm is Robert Ballou. To date, he has three career Eastern Storm victories all coming in 2015 with wins at New Egypt, Port Royal and the Susquehanna Speedway. In 2016, Ballou won four USAC National Sprint features at Ocala, Fl, Terre Haute, IN, Kansas City, KS and Putnamville, IN on his way to an eight place finish in the standings. His 2016 season was cut short due to injuries suffered in a sprint car crash in Calistoga, CA in September. Ballou owns twenty-six USAC victories and is nicknamed “The Madman”, after winning in just his second start after returning from the injury, that win coming at the Eldora Speedway in May of 2017.

Last, but certainly not least is Chad Boespflug, a native of California. He won the USAC show at New Egypt in 2016 and was USAC’s Most Improved Driver in 2016 after a break out year in the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship. Chad enjoyed a big two day weekend at Badlands Motor Speedway in Brandon, South Dakota that netted him a grand total of $60,000! He was first among all drivers, leading a total of 145 laps over the season. Boespflug is known in the racing circles as the “Hanford Hornet”, and he’ll be the buzz when he enters the pits at Grandview on Tuesday night, June 13.

Advance tickets for the Grandview USAC/358 Modified events are available by calling 443 513 4456. Please leave your name, phone number and the number of tickets you need. You may pay for and pick-up your tickets on race night at the Grandview Speedway WILL CALL window after 4 PM. Advance ticket holders may enter the grandstand at 4:30 PM with General Admission tickets going on sale at 5 PM.

The Amsoil Eastern Storm continues.

It’s off to Abbottstown, PA for a stop at the Lincoln Speedway, an Eastern Storm staple since 2010, bringing the series into night two on Wednesday, June 14. The 358 Sprints will be part of this double header event that will carry a 7:30 PM starting time.

The Eastern Storm continues at Williams Grove on Thursday night, June 15 followed by a stop at the Port Royal Speedway on Saturday night, June 17. The venerable Susquehanna Speedway has taken a new look over the past couple of years with upgrades continually being made to the facility, but for the fifth consecutive year, remains in its familiar spot as the host of the series-ender on Sunday night, June 18.

Other USAC entries to expect include Fort Branch, Indiana’s Chase Stockon, Kokomo, IN driver Shane Cottle, Sikeston, MO favorite Hunter Schuerenberg, USAC’s Triple Crown champion Dave Darland of Lincoln, IN and Landon Simon of Tipp City Ohio. I’m sure we all remember the 2016 Grandview performance by Mooresville, North Carolina’s driver Jarett Andretti, almost taking the win. Tyler Courtney of Indianapolis, IN, and Greenfield, IN driver C.J. Leary are hoping to break through for an Eastern Storm taste of victory.

On the local scene, Danny Dietrich a 410 sprint car feature winner at Grandview and the winner of the 2016 National Open at Williams Grove, plans to make his initial foray into USAC for Eastern Storm on the “hill” at Grandview. Defending ARDC Midget champion and 2016 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals preliminary feature winner Alex Bright, is a regular in USAC’s midget division, and will try his hand for the first time in a USAC Sprint Car.

AMSOIL USAC EASTERN STORM 2017

Tuesday, June 13 USAC Non-Wing Sprints

11th Annual Jesse Hockett Classic Plus 358 Modifieds Grandview Speedway

Wednesday, June 14 USAC Non-Wing Sprints & 358 Sprints- – Lincoln Speedway

Thursday, June 15 USAC Non-Wing Sprints & USAC/ARDC Midgets- – Williams Grove Speedway

Saturday, June 17 USAC Non-Wing Sprints & 410 Sprints- – Port Royal Speedway

Sunday, June 18 USAC Non-Wing Sprints & Extreme Stocks & Stock 600 Micros – – Susquehanna Speedway