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11-30-11 Tony Hunt Adds
Seventh And Eighth USAC Titles to Resume
Source RSWC PR
USAC Western Sprints
55-time USAC feature winner Tony
Hunt of Lincoln, CA can now call himself an eight-time USAC champion,
claiming both the USAC Western Sprint Car Series and USAC Western
Classic Pavement championships for the 2011 season following the “Turkey
Night Grand Prix” at TOYOTA Speedway in Irwindale, CA on Thursday.
Hunt, possibly the most accomplished pavement racer in USAC history,
finished fifth in the season-closing event aboard the Mike Phulps-owned
Metal Works #56 Schwanke Beast, allowing him to clinch both
championships.
The season started off strong with a hard fought victory over Scott
Pierovich in the “Gerhardt Classic” at Madera Speedway and a second
place finish at Roseville in the “Burton Classic” in May.
But Hunt’s championship chances took a hit when wet weather delayed the
prestigious Little 500 in Anderson, IN to a Sunday afternoon start on
Memorial Day weekend. Hunt elected to compete in the Little 500, forcing
him to miss the USAC Western Sprint Car Series points race held the
following day in Salt Lake City, UT.
Following Salt Lake City, Hunt was in fifth in the standings facing a 35
point hole while also trying to acclimate himself to the dirt for the
USAC Western Classic Racing Series championship. The brand-new Western
Classic series encompassed eight of the pavement races on the Western
Sprint Car trail along with eight dirt races.
A key victory in the “Pombo Classic” at Madera Speedway in June allowed
Hunt to take over the Western Classic lead and also close within 24
points on the Western Sprint Car side. The Western Classic lead was
critical coming into a double-header dirt weekend at Ocean Speedway in
Watsonville, CA and Santa Maria Speedway.
Hunt scored his first career dirt “top-ten” against a talent-laden field
at Ocean Speedway to leave the weekend leading by 63 points in the
Classic standings. After struggling through July races at Salt Lake City
and Stockton, Hunt went on the offensive at Meridian, ID in one of the
most critical weekends for his championship campaign.
Showing true veteran driving ability, Hunt led all 50 laps in the Friday
feature and followed that up with a clutch fourth place run on Saturday
night to take over the USAC Western Sprint Car points lead.
Hunt only relinquished the USAC Western Sprint Car Series points lead
after a 13th place finish at Shasta Raceway Park in October gave him a
20 point deficit heading into the finale at Irwindale.
On the Western Classic side, engine troubles throughout the weekend at
Calistoga on Labor Day weekend, coupled with the Shasta DNF, gave Hunt
an 18 point hole for that series.
Hunt found himself in the rare position of trailing two different
championships during the “Turkey Night Grand Prix” and finished out of
the points in qualifying with a seventh place effort.
Starting seventh for the 40 lap feature, Hunt had a front-row seat for a
wild start crash that involved as many as six cars and eliminated
Western Sprint points leader Audra Sasselli from the feature. With the
Western Sprint and Western Classic pavement championships nearly
clinched, Hunt ran a solid race with a fifth place finish to wrap up his
seventh and eighth driving titles.
Geoff Ensign successfully became the newest USAC champion as an eight
place finish allowed him to beat out Hunt by just nine points in a hard
fought battle for the USAC Western Classic Racing Series title. Ensign
won the dirt portion of the series while Hunt won the pavement portion
and finished second in the dirt portion of the title.
Tony Hunt’s 2012 plans are to be announced at a later date with race
fans encouraged to visit www.tonyhunt.com for more information.
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