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USAC 410 SPRINTS, MIDGETS INVADE KINGS SPEEDWAY MAY 16
It’s been 23 years since Robby Flock won USAC’s first race at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif. but the thrill of victory there has never left. The USAC Western Midgets return to the 3/8-mile dirt oval in Hanford, Calif. May 16, a track where Flock recorded four of his 52 career wins. That night’s program also includes the Lucas Oil USAC/CRA Sprint cars, California Dirt Ford Focus Midgets and Junior Focus Midgets.
“Racing at Kings is always a blast,” says Flock. “If I remember right, the 1986 win came on a rough track. I guess I was the bravest of the cowboys that night and when it was over I was looking for my spurs. I thought I swallowed them! The track truly separates the men from the boys. You either get hooked up on the top or you have to run on the bottom. It seemed like it was always a close finish, there were never any run-aways at Kings. The fans there are great too, the track creates a great family atmosphere.”
Nic Faas won last year’s race at Kings on his way to the series championship and “Rookie of the Year” honors. The win was one of four the 2007 USAC California Ford Focus Dirt Champion would post on his way to his second USAC driving title.
“Kings is a multi-groove track, easy to pass on, and my win was a real confidence-booster, that’s for sure,” says Faas. “We started sixth, spun, then came back to win it, so it’s a great track to race on.”
Hanford has hosted 65 USAC events in the past 23 years, more than half of those in USAC’s Western Midget Series. Midget Winners have included, in addition to Flock and Faas, the likes of Tony Stewart, Rich Vogler, Billy Boat, Sleepy Tripp, Ron Shuman, Donnie Beechler, Jimmy Sills, Josh Wise, Rusty Rasmussen, Tommy Astone, Joe Gaerte, Ricky Shelton, Ronnie Day, Marc DeBeaumont, Alex Harris, Danny Ebberts, Dallen McKenney, Danny Stratton and Matt Streeter.
Hanford itself has a rich USAC heritage, with the USAC Indy Cars and Stock Cars competing at the nearby Hanford Motor Speedway in the 1960s.
The April 18 race program will be pivotal in the early battle for points in four of USAC’s most competitive racing series. Early 2009 title hopefuls include Garrett Hansen of Manhattan Beach, Calif. (Midgets) plus defending USAC/CRA Champ Mike Spencer of Temecula, Calif., 2009 California Dirt Focus point leader Nick Carlson of Norwalk, Calif. and 2009 Junior Focus point leader Kyle Edwards of Fountain Valley, Calif. Hansen won the Midget race at Bakersfield March 21.
“It’s good to be leading the Midget standings,” says Hansen. “The effort my team put forth this winter appears to be paying off. The Bakersfield win came in Andy Bondio’s car, but I’ll be back in my own car at Kings. It seems like I always qualify fast there but my luck hasn’t been good. It’s a challenging track, changing from event to event.”
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