2/22/2010
Sprint Source
One Jackpot Under his Belt, Levi Jones Heads for Las Vegas
Defending three-time USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Champion Levi Jones of Olney, Ill. hit the jackpot Sunday in Tucson, Ariz. and now heads for the “home” of jackpots, Las Vegas, Nev., for Thursday night’s “Las Vegas Super Sprint Classic” at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway dirt track.
Jones, bidding to become USAC’s first-ever four-time National Sprint Champ, moved to within 19 points of series point leader Damion Gardner after winning Sunday afternoon’s 40-lap Rosemont Copper “Copper on Dirt” feature at USA Raceway in Tucson, Ariz. Jones trailed Chris Windom for the first 38 laps but took over the lead when Windom’s car ran out of fuel on the white-flag lap!
Jones led the final two laps to post the Tucson victory in his Tony Stewart Racing Bass Pro Shops/Chevy Maxim/Kistler Chevy. Jerry Coons Jr. finished second ahead of Bud Kaeding, Gardner and Robert Ballou as Windom was relegated to a 17th-place finish.
Gardner, who won the two series openers in Tampa, Fla., enters the Las Vegas races as the point leader and seeks to better his 2009 Las Vegas finish of sixth.
Kaeding was the fastest Tucson qualifier, while rain forced Saturday night’s Tucson events to be postponed to Sunday.
Mike Spencer of Temecula, Calif., the defending two-time Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Champion, holds the 1-lap LVMS track record of 17.015 seconds going into Thursday’s National/CRA competition at the 1/2-mile dirt oval. Spencer finished 12th in Sunday’s Tucson feature. The National track record at LVMS is 17.334 seconds, set last year by Jon Stanbrough.
Thursday’s “Las Vegas Super Sprint Classic” events get under way with practice at 3 pm and also includes the USAC Mopar National/Western Midgets. Fans are encouraged to meet their favorite USAC stars during the autograph session on the Dirt Track’s midway from 5:15-6:15 p.m.
USAC AMSOIL NATIONAL SPRINT SERIES POINT STANDINGS
1-Damion Gardner-191; 2-Levi Jones-172; 3-Bryan Clauson-171; 4-Jerry Coons Jr.-167; 5-Robert Ballou-148; 6-Henry Clarke-127; 7-Dave Darland-123; 8-Brady Short-122; 9-Tracy Hines-113; 10-Shane Cottle-88.
USAC AMSOIL CRA SPRINT SERIES POINT STANDINGS
1-Levi Jones-68; 2-Bud Kaeding-68; 3-Jerry Coons Jr.-66; 4-Robert Ballou-56; 5-Damion Gardner-54; 6-Bryan Clauson-53; 7-Henry Clarke-45; 8-R.J. Johnson-43; 9-Casey Shuman-38; 10-Tracy Hines-38.
Submitted By: USAC Sprints
