Indiana Open Wheel

USAC SPRINT 50-LAP CHASE WORTH $10,000 IN UNIQUE FORMAT, WITH PASSING BONUS

NAPA Auto Parts Sponsored July 28 Event at Eldora Speedway Includes NRA Sprints & Stocks

ROSSBURG, OH (July 19) – With $10,000 to win, a unique racing format, an increase in Feature Race laps and a bonus for the winner determined by their starting row, the ingredients are present for a United States Auto Club (USAC) non-winged Sprint Car event indicative of its title – the July 28 Summer Sprint Car Shootout, presented by NAPA Auto Parts at Eldora Speedway. The benchmark occasion will celebrate the 50th anniversary of USAC Sprint Car racing at Eldora and include NRA Sprint Invaders and Eldora Stock Cars in the tripleheader program.

The impressive money flow doesn’t stop at first place. By offering $2,000 for tenth place and $1,000 to take the green flag; the Shootout becomes one of the highest paying events on the 2012 USAC Sprint Car schedule.

Getting a shot at that $10,000 is going to take an ‘all out’ racing approach from the drivers. While the standard format of two-lap time trials will place the cars into traditional heat races, the similarities of a conventional USAC Sprint Car event end there. From that point forward, all further starting positions, including the 50-lap Feature Event, will be determined by a driver’s finishing position in their qualifying event rather than their time trial effort.

Based upon a four-heat program, the top four finishers of each qualifying heat race will advance to the rewarding Feature, while the next three will line-up in the B-Feature and the remaining finishers into the C-Feature; again based upon their finishing position in the heat race. After the heat races, the quickest two cars from time trials that did not advance will be locked into positions 17 & 18. The balance of the field will consist of the top five finishers from the B-Feature and a provisional spot reserved for the highest finishing driver from the 2012 Indiana Speed Week that did not transfer through the preliminary events.

Adding intensity to the winner’s payoff will be the unique “more you pass-more you cash” bonus that offers $500 for every row advanced from the start. An example of that would be if the winning driver came from one of the starting positions in row 8; that driver would earn an additional $4000 to make for a $14,000 payday.

The Eldora/USAC association dates back to April of 1962, when Stan Bowman laid claim to the first USAC Sprint Car checkered flag on Eldora’s .500 mile clay oval. Since that afternoon, 180 additional USAC Sprint races have been staged, with 70 different drivers tasting the flavor of an Eldora victory.