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INDIANA SPRINT WEEK’S WINNINGEST DRIVER KRUSEMAN ENTERS ENTIRE TEAM FOR 2008 BID |
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JULY 4, 2008 --- Cory Kruseman of Ventura, Calif. is bringing his entire Sprint car team to Indiana for this year’s Chevy Powers Indiana Sprint Week which debuts Wednesday night at the newly-refurbished and re-configured Lawrenceburg Speedway. Following Wednesday night’s opener the series continues Thursday at Lawrenceburg before races Friday and Saturday at Gas City I-69 Speedway and Sunday night’s event at the Kokomo Speedway. The eight-race series concludes with races at Kamp Motor Speedway in Boswell July 17, Bloomington Speedway July 18 and Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt on Saturday, July 19. Kruseman owns a dozen victories in the extremely-competitive series which debuted in 1988. He won three straight to open the 2002 series, a feat only accomplished one other time in the series’ 20-year history. Jay Drake, now manager of the Tony Stewart Racing Team, won three in a row on his way to the 2000 title. Kruseman also won the 2005 championship, the last time he won during Indiana Sprint Week. He’ll be joined by Henry Clarke of Orange, Calif. and Austin Mero of Kingsburg, Calif., regulars on his USAC/CRA Sprint Car team. Primary challengers to Kruseman include 2008 USAC National Sprint Car point leader and former Indiana Sprint Week Champ Levi Jones of Avon, Ind. and 2008 USAC K & N Silver Crown and 2008 Mopar National Midget point leader Tracy Hines of New Castle, Ind., teammates on the Tony Stewart team; former Indiana Sprint Week Champ Jon Stanbrough of Avon, Ind.; Kasey Kahne Racing teammates Brad Sweet of Grass Valley, Calif. and Brady Bacon of Broken Arrow, Okla.; plus Keith Kunz Motorsports teammates Cole Whitt of Alpine, Calif. and Darren Hagen of Riverside, Calif.; Chad Boat of Phoenix, Ariz.; Jerry Coons Jr. of Tucson, Ariz. and 3-time defending Indiana Sprint Week Champ Dave Darland of Lincoln, Ind. Whitt and Boat at age 16 are the youngest feature winners in USAC National Sprint Car series history and Whitt ranks third in the latest National Sprint Car standings. Coons, who earned his initial Indiana Sprint Week victory last year at Boswell, hopes to extend the Hoffman Auto Racing Team’s all-time career leading record of 70 USAC National Sprint wins after taking the recent 60-lapper at Richmond, Va. Coons is second in the latest National points. Stanbrough, Indiana’s 2007 “Driver of the Year,” has won six of the last 11 Indiana Sprint Week features and he and Darland could challenge Kruseman’s claim to the winningest driver ever, each needing two wins to catch Kruseman’s 12. Darland will be trying to match Kevin Thomas’ record of four Indiana Sprint Week titles. A total of 35 drivers have posted wins in the 108 Indiana Sprint Week races held to date. At least 15 of those are expected to compete in the 2008 series. These eight races will surely have a significant impact on the battle for the 2008 USAC National Sprint Car Championship and a $10,000 point fund will be distributed to series participants following the July 19 finale at Haubstadt. |
