HINES, DARLAND RESUME “ACTIVE” VICTORY LEAD BATTLE
IN “BUBBA’S WINTER DIRT GAMES” FEBRUARY 9-11 AT OCALA


    Tracy Hines and Dave Darland will resume their battle for the all-time USAC National feature victory lead among “active” drivers when the 2012 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series opens February 9-11 at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla.

    “Bubba’s Winter Dirt Games” will feature three complete nights of sprint car action on the exciting 3/8-mile dirt oval. The races are the first of nearly 50 on the 2012 USAC AMSOIL calendar.

    Hines sits atop the “active” lead with 77 total wins (41 in Sprints, 28 in Midgets and eight in Silver Crown). Darland is just one back with 76 (34 in Sprints, 28 in Midgets and 14 in Silver Crown). Hines ranks seventh on the all-time USAC list, while Darland is tied with Jack Hewitt for eighth. They are chasing Bob Wente’s total of 79, then will challenge Tom Bigelow’s total of 81 and Gary Bettenhausen’s total of 82. Mel Kenyon has 111, Rich Vogler 134 and A.J. Foyt 154.

    Hines failed to crack the “top-10” in his three Ocala appearances last year. Darland likewise was unable to crack the “top-10” in his two 2011 Ocala starts.

    Damion Gardner won twice at Ocala in 2011 and Bryan Clauson also was victorious. Both are expected to be in the field Hines and Darland will face.

    Both Hines and Darland are former series champions (Hines in 2002 and Darland in 1999). Hines’ last USAC Sprint win came at Dodge City, Kans. Last August. Darland won at Gas City, Ind. last July.

    Defending five-time AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Champion Levi Jones holds the 1-lap Ocala track qualifying record of 14.758 seconds set last year. He recorded a third, fourth and ninth in last year’s three Ocala events.

    A practice session on Wednesday night, followed by a pre-race party for participants and fans at the Ocala WingHouse kick off the activities prior to the Florida openers.

LEVI JONES OPENS PURSUIT OF USAC TITLE #8
WITH A.J. FOYT’S ALL-TIME RECORD OF 11 THE TARGET


    Levi Jones of Olney, Ill. appears ready to challenge one of USAC’s most revered all-time records. That pursuit begins February 9-11 when the AMSOIL National Sprint Cars open their 2012 campaign with ‘Bubba’s Winter Dirt Games” at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla.

    The 2011 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Champion and Traxxas Silver Crown king now owns seven USAC National Championships and only one driver stands between him and the top of the pyramid – A.J. Foyt.

    Driving for NASCAR Champion Tony Stewart, Jones has reeled off four titles in the past two years and is tied with Mel Kenyon and Rich Vogler with seven National crowns, four behind Foyt’s record of 11. Foyt owns seven National Championships in Indy cars, three in Stock Cars and one in Silver Crown. Jones has two Silver Crown titles in addition to his five in the Sprint cars.

    Jones scored three victories on his way to the 2011 Sprint title and now has 27 career wins in USAC’s tough Sprint series. He has yet to win in the Sunshine State, however, finishing seventh and fifth in two 2010 races at East Bay Raceway Park and a fourth, ninth and third at Ocala last year.

    “Just having a chance to challenge A.J. on the all-time list is something I never even dreamed about,” admits Levi. “I’m sure when he was winning all those races and championships back then he probably didn’t think much about all-time records either, so it’s not something I dwell on. I’ve had a great run the past couple of years but it’s hard to stay on top. The team Tony has assembled has sure made my job easier and it’s a pleasure to approach each race with a chance to win. Ocala offers a challenge unlike some other tracks we go to, with a different type surface which makes car set-up a primary objective. We’ve qualified well there but things seem to change by the time the feature rolls around. This year we have a different game plan so we’ll see how it works out.”

    Levi has plenty of competition in the upcoming Ocala races, with drivers like USAC National Drivers Champion Bryan Clauson and Damion Gardner, the winners at Ocala last year, plus drivers like Tracy Hines, Jon Stanbrough, Dave Darland and others.

    “Bubba’s Winter Dirt Games” open the 2012 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car calendar, which spans nearly 50 events across America.

DYNAMICS FIELDING OCALA SPRINTS FOR BACON & HAGEN;
BENIC SELECTS EAST; WALKER & DARLAND TEAM FOR 2012 OPENERS


    New driver/car combinations are expected to be highlights of next week’s 2012 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car openers at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla.

    “Bubba’s Winter Dirt Games” presented by eBay Motors will showcase USAC’s finest in three consecutive nights of racing on the one-third-mile dirt oval and a healthy list of entries has already revealed some new combinations.

    Dynamics, Inc. of Milford, Ohio, the winningest team in USAC Sprint Car history, will seek wins #79, 80 or 81 and will field a pair of entries, driven by Oklahoma hot-shoe Brady Bacon and USAC Pavement Midget Champion Darren Hagen. Hagen has six career USAC Sprint wins and Bacon two.

    Scott Benic of Fairmount, Ind., returns as a full-time car owner with driver Bobby East, whose 14 career wins include his first on dirt which came last year at Bechtelsville, Pa. Benic earned USAC’s “Chief Mechanic of the Year” honors in 2005 as he orchestrated the first of Levi Jones’ record five USAC titles.

    Jeff Walker Racing of Noblesville, Ind. has selected Dave Darland to pilot its Ocala entry. Darland has 34 career USAC Sprint feature victories and won the series crown in 1999. Dave is one of only five USAC “Triple Crown Champions” who own championships in all three USAC National racing series.

    Another newcomer to watch at Ocala will be C.J. Leary of Greenfield, Ind., the son of 1997 Hoosier Hundred winner Chuck Leary, who will make his series debut in a family-owned car.

    “Bubba’s Winter Dirt Games” presented by eBay Motors unfolds Thursday through Saturday (Feb. 9-11) following an open practice session at the track on Wednesday night and a special Wednesday pre-race party at the Ocala WingHouse restaurant.