Terre Haute Action Track

Terre Haute, IN (07-05-08) by Robert Cortum - O'Reilly All Star Public Relations  

The track at Terre Haute, Indiana's Vigo County Fairgrounds is simply known as "The Action Track."  Action is what Tim Shaffer had in mind Friday, July 4th as he took home the $5,000 top prize in O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions action.  Shaffer, in his debut with the Call Motorsports #83, lapped more than half the field and had a full straight away lead on second place Danny Smith at the checkers at “The Action Track” in Terre Haute, Indiana with the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions.  Shaffer has etched his name into history books as he is the first to win the annual Wolfe’s Auto Auction “Run with the Pack Classic.” 

Drawing the Ace during redraw would put Shaffer on point for the feature.  He would go on to lead the way the entire 25-lap affair putting the distance on runner-up Danny Smith in the Doug Williams Trucking supported #4, Brandon Martin in the BMI Racing #11M, and the other 22 contenders.  As mentioned, Shaffer lapped more than half the field while lapping several cars twice on the always fast ½-mile. 

Kaley Gharst in the #51 machine took home the checkers in the first heat race.  Rookie of the Year contender Ryan Meyers would pedal his way to victory in the 2nd Heat Race in his Garrett Motorsports #56R.  Tiffany Wyzard lead the distance in the Wyzard Cleaning #5 machine for the 3rd event.  The Fourth event belonged to Brandon Martin in the #11M.

Danville, Indiana native Danny Smith won the Dash event with Shaffer following.  Randy Hannagan in the Penthouse sponsored #1X, Dale Blaney in the George Fisher #2, and Lance Dewease in the Catoctin Motorsports 30C would follow in order.  The O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions Dash event is for registered members only and gives the drivers one last run at the track before the Feature event. 

Chad Blonde in the Blonde Motorsports #5B would own the checkers from the “B” Main.  Blonde would take in tow with him Lee Stark in the Jack Hewitt wrenched #16, Aussie superstar Troy Little in the #20AU, and Bill Rose in his familiar black #6 machine.

Levi Jones wins Tony Hulman Classic - Photo: Lonnie Wheatley

By Todd Golden
The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE — If you could master restarts, you would be the master of the 38th Annual Tony Hulman Classic.

Ten red- and yellow-flag stoppages slowed the Classic to a crawl, but Levi Jones persevered. Jones survived nearly every restart he had to take, holding off Brad Kuhn at the flag to win the U.S. Auto Club National Sprint Car Series race in front of a large weeknight crowd at the Terre Haute Action Track on Thursday.

“All those restarts, and we were getting low on fuel too,” said Jones, who was presented with twin rifles, the traditional reward for a Hulman Classic winner. “We had just enough tonight to win.”

It was Jones’ second Hulman Classic victory. He also won in 2005. He beat Kuhn, who came back all the way back from an early spin.

“I’ve won quite a few races here, but to finally get the rifle, that’s pretty cool. When I won in 2005, I didn’t get one and I felt pretty bummed about that. To win at Terre Haute, I’ve said it a million times, it’s the best track in the country,” Jones said.

Jerry Coons Jr. led the first lap, but hopped his car on the inside going into turn 2 on the second lap, allowing Jones to go by. Coons Jr. also led the first lap of the 2005 Classic.

On the next lap, front-row starter Kuhn did a 360-degree turn sliding into turn 2. He made a great save in the face of two-thirds of the field, but Robert Ballou had nowhere to go on the outside and was collected. Kuhn limped on, and Ballou’s car came to a rest on the track, but Kuhn continued and the yellow allowed him to change a tire and stay on the lead lap.

“I hit the rut and biked up real hard, came down and someone got over our left rear and flattened our tires,” Kuhn said.

That accident begot a much more serious incident as Damion Gardner flipped three times on the restart going into turn 1, his car coming to a rest on its wheels near the wall, resulting in a 10-minute red flag. Gardner walked away from the accident.

After another yellow, when Ballou got into the turn 3 wall, Jones settled into a groove. After a brief challenge by Thomas Meseraull on a restart, Jones used a smooth, low line in the corners to begin to draw away from Meseraull, who himself began to pull away from Coons Jr. Jones’ momentum was slowed when a yellow came out eight laps in when Brad Sweet’s car slowed on the backstretch.

On the restart, the high line suddenly became the line of choice. Coons Jr., who had been using the high line throughout, got good bite out of turn 4 on the restart and got by Jones. Further back, former winner Daron Clayton used the same line to make a demon restart, moving into the top five from out of the top 10.

Coons Jr. and Jones drew away and dueled for nine laps until another red flag with 17 laps left. Jeff Bland Jr. flipped between turns 1 and 2. He was not injured.

The restart took two contenders out of action. After third-place driver Jesse Hockett’s stricken car slowed drastically coming out of turn 2, bringing out a yellow flag, leader Coons Jr., entered the pits with a flat left rear tire. He continued, but had to go to the back of the field.

Jones inherited the lead and led for three green flag laps, though under duress from Kuhn, who was able to get back to the front of the field after his early spin. A spin by Neil Shepherd brought out the yellow with 20 laps completed.

After one more green flag lap, Coons Jr. spun going into turn 1. After one more, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. also spun going into turn 1.

With eight laps to go, the Classic finally settled into its conclusion. Jones got a solid restart on Kuhn and broke into a tenuous lead. Kuhn made a run at Jones on the penultimate lap and nearly got him again going into the final turn but Jones, using the middle of the track, held off Kuhn up high to get the win.

“My line was everywhere. It’s Terre Haute. You watch those old videos of Jan Opperman, Sheldon Kinser and all those guys, they’re everywhere. You’re through the ruts, you go everywhere you need to go, you just stay on the gas,” said Jones, who used both a low and middle line to good effect.

The four heats were mostly crash-free. Dustin Morgan got into the turn 3 wall in the third heat, knocking his car out for the night. Morgan was uninjured. Heats were won by Coons Jr., Darren Hagen, Jones and Cole Whitt.

The B feature was won by Kuhn, who controlled the race, along with runner-up Shane Cottle. Daron Clayton just barely tipped Scotty Weir at the wire for the last spot to advance to the Classic.

Besides Shawn Krockenberger, there were three other Wabash Valley drivers participating. Terre Haute’s Darren Krockenberger finished eighth in the fourth heat and 18th in the B feature. Shawn Krockenberger went on to finish the B feature in 16th and finished ninth in the second heat.

West Terre Haute’s Blake Fitzpatrick was eighth in the second heat, but finished 14th of 19 drivers in the B feature. Robinson’s Mat Neely was seventh in his heat and 12th in the B feature.



38th annual Tony Hulman Classic

30 laps

1. Levi Jones; 2. Brad Kuhn; 3. Darren Hagen; 4. Daron Clayton; 5. Cole Whitt; 6. Thomas Meseraull; 7. Shane Cottle; 8. Chad Boat; 9. Jerry Coons Jr.; 10. Dave Darland; 11. Jon Stanbrough; 12. Brady Bacon; 13. Tracy Hines; 14. Hunter Scheurenberg; 15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.; 16. Brad Sweet; 17. Neil Shepherd; 18. Jesse Hockett; 19. Brady Short; 20. Jeff Bland Jr.; 21. Robert Ballou; 22. Damion Gardner.

Leaders: Coons 1, Jones 2-9, Coons Jr. 10-17, Jones 18-30.

Heats (top four advanced to feature)

Heat 1 — 1. Jerry Coons Jr., 2. Tracy Hines, 3. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 4. Brad Sweet, 5. Hunter Scheurenberg

Heat 2 — 1. Darren Hagen, 2. Damion Gardner, 3. Jon Stanbrough, 4. Brady Short, 5. Chris Windom, 8. Blake Fitzpatrick, West Terre Haute; 9. Shawn Krockenberger, Terre Haute.

Heat 3 — 1. Levi Jones, 2. Brady Bacon, 3. Robert Ballou, 4. Dave Darland, 5. Chad Boat

Heat 4 — 1. Cole Whitt, 2. Neil Shepherd, 3. Jesse Hockett, 4. Thomas Meseraull, 5. Kenny Biro, 8. Darren Krockenberger, Terre Haute

B Feature (top 6 advanced to Hulman Classic)

1. Brad Kuhn; 2. Shane Cottle; 3. Jeff Bland Jr.; 4. Chad Boat; 5. Hunter Scheurenberg; 6. Daron Clayton; 7. Scotty Weir; 8. Windom; 9. Rose; 10. Mellenbrandt; 11. Biro; 12. Mat Neely, Robinson; 13. Wisemiller; 14. Shane Fitzpatrick, West Terre Haute; 15. Stark; 16. Shawn Krockenberger, Terre Haute; 17. Spencer; 18. Darren Krockenberger, Terre Haute; 19. Matt Goodnight.

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