Winchester, IN – Tracy Hines of New Castle, Ind. captured Thursday night’s 40-lap “Rich Vogler Classic” as USAC returned to “Thursday Night Thunder” at the Winchester Speedway. Hines was the fastest qualifier for the USAC National Sprint race and trailed Cole Whitt until the 37th lap when he made the winning pass in turn three.
Hines then led the final four laps in his Tony Stewart Racing Chevy/Bass Pro Shops Beast/Kistler Chevy to beat Whitt, Bobby East, Darren Hagen and Jacob Wilson. Shane Hmiel led the first two laps and Whitt, trying to become the fourth different Keith Kunz team driver to win the race in the last four years, led the next 34.
The series continues Friday night at the Toledo (Ohio) Speedway.
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Darland, 2. Hagen, 3. Whitt, 4. Hines, 5. Jessup, 6. Jones, 7. Livernash, 8. Gardner. 2:04.11
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Wilson, 2. Coons, 3. Gerster, 4. Hmiel, 5. Clarke, 6. Armstrong, 7. East. 1:59.60
FEATURE: (40 laps) 1. Tracy Hines, 2. Cole Whitt, 3. Bobby East, 4. Darren Hagen, 5. Jacob Wilson, 6. Levi Jones, 7. Brian Gerster, 8. Jerry Coons Jr., 9. Dave Darland, 10. Henry Clarke, 11. Brad Armstrong, 12. Snake Livernash, 13. Shane Hmiel, 14. Marc Jessup, 15. Damion Gardner. 15:13.54
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-2 Hmiel, Laps 3-36 Whitt, Laps 37-40 Hines.
NEW USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Jones-754; 2-Darland-744; 3-Whitt-695; 4-Coons-682; 5-Jesse Hockett-647; 6-Hines-616; 7-Gardner-562; 8-Brad Sweet-508; 9-Hagen-500; 10-Chris Windom-412.
NEXT USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR RACE: July 3 – Toledo (OH) Speedway