Versatility Equals Success at Terre Haute & Tri-State
Versatility Equals Success at Terre Haute & Tri-State
Terre Haute is a 1/2-mile while Tri-State is a 1/4. Though dissimilar, there's a similarly-talented bunch ready to tackle this weekend's USAC doubleheader.
The Terre Haute Action Track is a large, sweeping half-mile while Tri-State Speedway is a quarter-mile paperclip. One takes roughly 20 seconds to get around and one is about seven or eight seconds shorter.
Watch 2019 USAC Sprints at Terre Haute Action Track!
There aren’t many similarities you can point to at each Hoosier state track that gives one driver an advantage over another entering this weekend’s races. However, these two distinctive speedways both require drivers to be on the gas and up on the wheel at all times.
No less than 16 drivers have found victory lane at both Terre Haute and Tri-State with the USAC National Sprint Cars over the years. Namely, Brady Bacon, Robert Ballou, Steve Butler, Daron Clayton, Dave Darland, Jay Drake, Tony Elliott, Tracy Hines, Rick Hood, Levi Jones, Cory Kruseman, Jon Stanbrough, Chase Stockon, Kevin Thomas, Jr., Chris Windom and, J.J. Yeley are among those drivers who have came away with wins.
What else do these individuals have in common?
Well, for starters, let's take a look at the collection of USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car championships this group has racked up. Bacon has two (2014-16), Ballou has one (2015), Butler has four (1986-87-88-90), Darland has one (1999), Drake has one (2004), Elliott has two (1998-2000), Hines has one (2002), Hood has two (1984-85), Jones has five (2005-07-09-10-11), Windom has one (2017), and Yeley has two (2001-03).
Those drivers who've won at both Terre Haute and Tri-State account for nine of the 13 most recent USAC National Sprint Car champions over the past two decades.
The ones who weren't champions with the series are some of the most accomplished drivers of their eras. Clayton has run a partial schedule for the better part of a decade and has never chased a title with USAC. Kruseman is an SCRA champ, USAC/CRA champ, Western States Midget champ, and two-time Indiana Sprint Week titlist. Stanbrough ranks ninth on the all-time win list alongside Rich Vogler, but never chased a championship during his illustrious career. Stockon is one of the most consistent drivers of the past decade, finishing in the top-five of the standings in six consecutive years. Thomas, meanwhile, finished runner-up in last year’s title race.
Watch 2019 USAC Sprints at Tri-State Speedway!
On the other side of things is three-time Terre Haute winner and defending series champ Tyler Courtney, who has yet to win at Tri-State. Neither has three-time Tri-State winner Kyle Cummins or one-time Tri-State champ Carson Short. USAC points leader C.J. Leary won three MSCS-sanctioned feature events at Tri-State in 2018, but none yet with the USAC Sprints at either Terre Haute or Tri-State. He’s also won with USAC at Terre Haute, but in a Silver Crown car. Justin Grant and Jason McDougal have yet to win at either venue, but are consistently strong runners at both, so don't you dare count them out.
Both of this weekend’s races from Terre Haute and Tri-State will have live, flag-to-flag coverage on FloRacing.