THE CHAMP

Levi Jones went on a tear beginning with his victory on the asphalt at Anderson Speedway in May, then winning three and finishing second in the fourth race during the Lucas Oil national tour’s trek through Pennsylvania and Maryland.  Darren Hagen used an average finish of 4.1 in the pavement races to take the point lead as the series headed into Indiana Sprint Week. 
But Jones’s strong Sprint Week performance (six top 10s) as Hagen struggled made the difference. Jones left Sprint Week with a 100-point advantage and wasn’t headed the rest of the season as he claimed his second USAC National Sprint Car Series championship.

TIMELINE

April 21: Levi Jones opens the season at Lawrenceburg Speedway with what is reported to have been the closest victory margin ever in the USAC sprint series. Brady Bacon led all except the last .01 second. 
April 28: In the first visit of the Sprint Car Series to Eldora Speedway since the addition of a new clay surface, Robert Ballou survives to score his first series victory and Darren Hagen climbs into the point lead. 
June 7: Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. races to victory at Big Diamond Raceway as the Tony Stewart team sweeps the Pennsylvania and New York campaign.
July 12: For the first time in the history of Indiana Sprint Week, USAC runs back-to-back programs at Lawrenceburg and Gas City speedways.
July 21: Dave Darland cashes in on his third Indiana Sprint Week championship, scoring victories at Lawrenceburg and Bloomington speedways in the Pace Brothers Construction Maxim.
Nov. 9: Jones captures his second USAC national sprint car championship.

ON THE RECORD

“Sometimes you get stuck in a mindset that you have to do ‘this’ at a certain track.  You don’t necessarily have to do that.  Sometimes, I might try something that guys who have been to the track might not try because they don’t think it will work.” — Brady Bacon

LOOKING AHEAD

The USAC National Sprint Car Series season was nearly 20 percent shorter than 2006, partially the result of rainouts and the cancellation of events at several Indiana tracks. 
The series was absent from eight of the facilities where it competed last year, while running at six ovals not visited in 2006. The good news is that sprint car supervisor Greg Staab is making headway with the 2008 schedule, including a return of the popular back-to-back Indiana Sprint Week races.

STAT PACK

8      States that hosted USAC National Sprint Car Series events in 2007

TOP 10

    Driver    Points    Wins    Top 5    Top 10
    1. Levi Jones    1,402    4    11    21
    2. Darren Hagen    1,317    0    14    18
    3. Dave Darland    1,274    3    10    19
    4. Brady Bacon    1,087    0    9    15
    5. Jesse Hockett    1,073    1    8    14
    6. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.    1,023    1    8    15
    7. Brady Short    955    1    6    13
    8. Kevin Swindell    952    0    5    10
    9. Jerry Coons, Jr.    909    3    6    11
    10. Damion Gardner    903    0    3    9

WHO, WHAT, WHEN AND WHERE

    Date    Track        Winner    Car    Laps
    April 21    Lawrenceburg Speedway (Ind.)    Levi Jones    Stewart 20    30
    April 22    Winchester Speedway (Ind.)    Marc Jessup    Kunz 67k    30
    April 28    Eldora (Ohio) Speedway    Robert Ballou    MPHG 81    25
    May 5    Iowa Speedway        Tyler Walker    Kahne 99    25
    May 19    Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track    Jon Stanbrough    Fox 53    24
    May 22    Twin Cities Raceway Park (Ind.)    Brady Short    2B Racing 2b    29
    May 23    Anderson Speeday (Ind.)    Levi Jones    Stewart 20    100
    June 6    Grandview Speedway (Pa.)    Levi Jones    Stewart 20    30
    June 7    Big Diamond Raceway (Pa.)    Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.    Stewart 21    30
    June 9    Hagerstown Speedway (MD)    Levi Jones    Stewart 20    30
    June 14    Gas City I-69 Speedway (Ind.)    Jon Stanbrough    Fox 53    30
    June 16    O’Reilly Raceway Park (Ind.)    Bobby Santos III    Santos 98S    30
    June 30    Richmond Int’l Raceway (Va.)    Bobby East    Klatt 5    30
    July 6    Toledo Speedway (Ohio)    Dave Darland    Pace 44    30
    July 7    Mansfield Speedway (Ohio)    Bobby East    Klatt 5    30
    July 11    Lawrenceburg Speedway (Ind.)    Jon Stanbrough    Fox 53    30
    July 12    Lawrenceburg Speedway (Ind.)    Dave Darland    Pace 44    30
    July 13    Gas City I-69 Speedway (Ind.)    Daron Clayton    Dynamics 69    30
    July 14    Gas City I-69 Speedway (Ind.)    Jon Stanbrough    Fox 53    30
    July 15    Kokomo Speedway (Ind.)    Jon Stanbrough    Fox 53    30
    July 19    Kamp Motor Speedway (Ind.)    Jerry Coons, Jr.    Dynamics 69    30
    July 20    Bloomington Speedway (Ind.)    Dave Darland    Pace 44    30
    July 21    Tri-State Speedway (Ind.)    Daron Clayton    Walker/Guiducci 11d    30
    Sept. 22    Eldora (Ohio) Speedway    Robert Ballou    MPHG 81    30
    Nov. 1    Perris Auto Speedway (Calif.)    Daron Clayton    R&B 10    25
    Nov. 2    Perris Auto Speedway (Calif.)    Jesse Hockett    VKCC 75    25
    Nov. 3    Perris Auto Speedway (Calif.)    Bud Kaeding    BK 29    40
    Nov. 9    Manzanita Speedway (Ariz.)    Jerry Coons, Jr.    Dynamics 69    25
    Nov. 10    Manzanita Speedway (Ariz.)    Jerry Coons, Jr.    Dynamics 69    40