Eldora IV: Race report

Kevin Huntley of Bloomington, Ind. captured Saturday night's "Mopar Thunder at Eldora," the nation's richest non-wing Sprint car race, at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. The victory earned his team, Roberts Motorsports, a paycheck in the amount of $50,000!

Huntley caught front-row starter Bill Rose on the second lap and led the rest of the 40-lap feature in his Service Drywall/Thermo-Spray of Indiana Competition Welding Chevy. World of Outlaws veteran Sammy Swindell finished a close second, ahead of Rose, Davey Ray and Mat Neely.

Valvoline National Sprint Car Series point leader Jay Drake finished eighth in the $166,600 event and has a comfortable lead over Cory Kruseman going into this week's races at North East, Pa. and Salem, Ind. Friday night's race at Lake Erie Speedway marks the debut for the series at that 3/8-mile paved oval, while Saturday night's race at the 1/2-mile paved Salem Speedway is the 45th Jasper Engines & Transmissions "Joe James/Pat O'Connor Classic. A 40-lap feature is slated at Lake Erie and the Salem feature is a 50-lapper. The USAC National Midgets share the Saturday Salem card.

Rounding out the "top-10" at Eldora Saturday were Dickie Gaines (sixth), Bud Kaeding (seventh), Drake, J.J. Yeley (ninth) and Rob Chaney (10th).

Yeley was the fastest of 68 qualifiers at Eldora. Heat winners included Neely, Kruseman, Swindell, Huntley, Rose and Dale Blaney. Josh Wise won the "C" Main and Tracy Hines won the "B" Main.

Former winners on the Indiana high-banks of Salem and Winchester who could be among favorites for Saturday's "Joe James/Pat O'Connor Classic" at Salem include Drake, Dave Darland, Eric Gordon, Dave Steele, Brian Tyler and Brad Armstrong.

VALVOLINE USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR SERIES STANDINGS
1.-Jay Drake-1,069
2.-Cory Kruseman-933
3.-Bud Kaeding-910
4.-Levi Jones-881
5.-Dave Darland-732
6.-Tony Elliott-649
7.-Josh Ford-633
8.-Brian Tyler-607
9.-Josh Wise-552
10.-Dickie Gaines-531

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