USAC Eastern Storm rolls into PA
Reigning series champion Chris Windom of Canton, Ill., scored back-toback USAC Eastern Storm victories at Williams Grove and Port Royal as the series rolled through Pennsylvania last weekend.
Brady Bacon was the winner in the opener at Grandview Speedway on June 14. The USAC Eastern Storm continued into this week with stops at BAPS Raceway in York Haven (June 17), Bridgeport (June 18) and Weedsport (June 19).
Grandview
Bacon, of Broken Arrow, Okla., 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.
“The Ringoes Rocket” Ryan Godown won the 358 Modified feature event aboard the Searock Fabrications No. 26 machine. The win marked Godown’s second NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill victory – and first since 2012.
Williams Grove
Chris Windom took the lead from Brady Bacon with five laps to go and went on to win the USAC Sprint Car feature as part of the Eastern Storm Series Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway.
In the regular 25-lap sprint car feature, Lucas Wolfe scored his second win of the season.
Robert Ballou started second and grabbed the race lead at the start of the 30-lap Eastern Storm main event. Bacon passed C.J. Leary for second on the first lap. Windom started fifth and moved into fourth with a pass of Tim Buckwalter. Fast timer Kevin Thomas Jr. was also moving forward and into the top five.
Bacon caught Ballou, but couldn’t make a pass for the lead on a fast racing surface.
The leaders had a close call with a slower car on the front stretch while Windom raced by Leary and into third.
The first caution of the race flew with 13 laps completed.
Windom, the defending USAC sprint car champion, challenged Bacon for second following the restart as the top three raced under a blanket. Bacon took the lead from Ballou off turn two on lap 21.
Windom took second one lap later.
Windom closed on Bacon and took the lead on lap 26 off turn two.
A caution flag slowed the pace with two laps to go.
Windom, of Canton, Ill., controlled the final laps scoring the $6,000 win.
“This win means a lot,” Windom said. “It was so cool to get the first Silver Crown win here (last year). It’s an historical place to win at. This car was awesome.”
Bacon, Ballou, Thomas Jr. and Pennsylvania’s Buckwalter completed the top five. Dave Darland, Chase Stockon, Tyler Courtney, Justin Grant and Leary rounded out the top 10.
Port Royal
Windom of Canton, Ill., scored the USAC Eastern Storm victory on Saturday night at Port Royal Speedway for the second year in a row, taking the $6,000 victory after exchanging the lead four times with Brady Bacon.
In the regular 25-lap 410 sprint car main, Greg Hodnett wired the field for the $4,000 payday in what was a crash-marred event.
The 30-lap USAC feature saw Windom and Bacon share the front row for the start with Bacon taking the lead over Windom during the early going before the red flag unfurled on just the third lap for a vicious front stretch crash by Trevor Kobylarz.
Kobylarz made contact with the outside wall and flipped in front of the grandstand but escaped injury.
Four more laps were recorded before a yellow flag bunched the field with Bacon still in control over Windom but it wasn’t until lap 12 that the front duo began battling fiercely for control.
Windom blasted under Bacon in the first turn on the 12th lap to slide up and snag the lead but just that quick Bacon dropped off of the cushion and rallied to Windom’s inside racing down the backstretch to regain control by bolting inside in the third turn and driving up to get the lead back.
The next time into turn one, Windom again pulled the same move for control and likewise Bacon again did the same thing as he had done the lap prior and he again dropped off of the cushion, drove a lane lower under Windom on the backstretch and blasted back into control entering the third turn.
After that Bacon stayed just far enough out of Windom’s reach to begin looking like he had a shot at the win only to suddenly slow with 13 laps to go, relinquishing control to Windom just as Jarrett Andretti hit the wall in the second turn.
Both Andretti and Bacon made repairs and tagged to the rear of the field for the restart.
Sixth starter Kevin Thomas Jr., the night’s fast timer in qualifications, tussled with Windom on the restart but gradually the smooth running Windom started to get away on the cushion.
Windom rode the cushion to the victory in the end by .698 seconds over Thomas with Tyler Courtney ending up third.
Robert Ballou and Dave Darland completed the top five.
Sixth through 10th went to Chase Stockon, Justin Grant, Chad Boespflug, Tim Buckwalter and CJ Leary.