USAC 2019

Good one, Courtney was definitely the man on the move throughout that one. Onto Eldora for the 4 Crown Natonals. WoO and Silver Crown qualifying tonight, all three USAC national series tomorrow.
 
Phenomenal night of racing for the 4 Crown Nationals at Eldora. All three USAC classes were good, and the ASCoC were in action too.

Tyler Courtney came from behind to win both the midget and sprint features, and was trying to sweep the night but had bad luck in the Silver Crown race which Brady Bacon won over Kevin Thomas Jr. Thomas led most of the sprint and crown races, but bobbled once in both and lost the lead. Watching these guys wrestle these cars around on a razor thin cushion is the purest oval racing there is in my mind. There is nothing better.





Haven't seen the midget highlights posted yet. It might have been the best of all of them.
 
Attended the 4-Crown Nationals both nights.

First, it's a good thing the rain came Friday and not Saturday. Saturday they were booking it and still got done at 12:30. Friday had a 3-hour rain delay and got done at 1:15.

Thought the USAC sprint cars put on the best show of the 5 races. Midgets like was stated above were crazy. Only 20 showed up, I wonder like with the IRP midget races of old, racing at Eldora in a midget is a "new engine, then it needs overhauled immediately" affair. Courtney was great going 2-for-2 in midgets and sprints. Ran into some trouble in the Silver Crown race.
 


“James McElreath Jr was set to become one of the superstars of the sport. He had won three titles in two years at Devil’s Bowl Speedway before moving up to USAC. In 1976 he was named the USAC Midget Division rookie of the Year and had scored a prestigious win at Terre Haute in the “Hulman Classic”.

On October 17, 1977, McElreath was racing at Winchester Speedway in Indiana as part of the USAC Sprint and Midget National Tour.

On the first lap of the race Larry Moore’s car spun across the track directly in front of McElreath’s car. Trying to avoid a multiple car pile up with Larry Rice, Tom Bigelow and other competitors, McElreath lost control of his car and crashed into a barrier and was hit by another car. The car impacted with such force that it launched the car and driver over the guard rail, flipping in the air and ended up landing in a tree over 300 feet away.

McElreath was 23 years old. His father Jim was with him at the track that day, assisting as a mechanic on the younger McElreath’s car. “When I got to him and looked in his eyes, I knew he was gone,” the elder McElreath later said. James died a short time later at Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie Indiana. The race was won by Pancho Carter.”
https://www.onedirt.com/news/flashback-friday-october-16-1977-james-mcelreath-jrs-last-lap/

The carnage in sprint car and super modified racing at that time was horrendous. The survivors still talk about that.
 
The World Finals isn't the only major dirt event of the weekend. Last big (outdoor) dirt week of the year will be a good one.

 
Night one national sprint and midget highlights at the Western World in AZ. Night two is ongoing now.



 
Stenhouse looked good tonight. Larson flew from 23rd to 4th in the A. Bell also started in the back and only got to 15th. Stacked field with 57 cars there. Young Gio Scelzi gets the victory, he is going places.

 
Larson wins the 100 lapper, Bell second after a long battle with Tanner Carrick. I believe Larson started 10th and Bell 13th.
 
Also, Stenhouse was really fast and was running in the top five before the car broke, causing him to finish last. But he had speed and was holding his own.

Placerville is a cool little bull ring, would like to get down there sometime.
 
Went to P'Ville for the two day Hangtown 100. Fantastic turn out and they did a really nice job with the show. Sounds like next year will fall on a weekend will be nice as we left the track at 11:40pm and got home at 1:30AM.

Track was awesome and the racing was tremendous. This is the best form of auto racing on the planet when you are able to assemble this level of talent. Larson was fast both nights. He absolutely had the field covered last night. Logan Seavy is amazing. The kid made save after save last night until he got collected in turn 4. the battle between Bell and Carrick was epic. Bell made numerous mistakes and drove back up to Carrick for the eventual pass. Stenhouse can drive. I will never criticize his ability. Dude wheeled his car around that place. P'Ville is a tough track. It is tight and will grab you in a second. KTJ took a huge spill on the back off of 2. He flipped two full rotations about 20 feet in the air.

50 laps into the race they had the fuel break and the entire crowd applauded the efforts. It was as if the entire place took a breath at the same time. It is the single best race I have ever attended in person.
 
gnomesayin said:
Larson again, hard battle with Pickens.

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Damn, I wish I would have known that race was this weekend. I was just in Bakersfield helping a team that was doing some testing at the drag strip on Thur and Fri. If I would have known the midgets were going to be in town I would have stayed and went to that. Oh well, I will get to see them in Ventura this Thur night. Last year Bell and Larson put on an incredible show.
 
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