Justin Grant (Video Highlights from FloRacing.com)
2/9/24
Ocala Speedway
Ocala, FL
USAC National Sprint Cars
30 cars
Kevin Thomas Jr. (27th car out to time) set quick time in his new Rock Steady ride at 13.858 seconds on the 3/8-mile. Logan Seavey (8th car out) was second quick, Justin Grant (1st), CJ Leary (30th), Brady Bacon (4th), Jake Swanson (20th), Robert Ballou (28th), Sterling Cling (17th), Chase Stockon (18th) and Briggs Danner (3rd).
Heat one (started): 1. Stockon 5s (4) 2. Thomas 3R (6) 3. Timmy Buckwalter 20 (2) 4. Bacon 69 (5) 5. Tom Harris 84 (1) / 6. Alex Bright 27 (3) 7. Chase Howard 13 (8) 8. Hunter Maddox 24m (7)
8-lap heats transferred the top five to the feature. Stockon led wire to wire. KTJ made a late pass to secure second. Bacon took fourth from Harris on lap five.
Heat two (started): 1. Danner 39 (4) 2. Carson Garrett 15 (2) 3. Kyle Cummins 3P (3) 4. Seavey 57 (6) 5. Swanson 2B (5) / 6. Trey Osborne 5 (1) 7. Shane Butler 18 (7) 8. Will Hull 7s (8)
Hull flipped wildly down the backstretch on the first lap. He was uninjured but done for the night. Danner took the lead immediately and looked strong in the win. Seavey and Swanson passed Osborne on lap two to move into fourth and fifth.
Heat three (started): 1. Grant 4 (6) 2. Matt Westfall 33m (2) 3. Daison Pursley 21AZ (4) 4. Ballou 12 (5) 5. Mark Smith 43 (1) / 6. Brandon Mattox 28 (7) 7. Zach Daum 5D (3)
Westfall lead Pursley, Grant and Smith early. Grant took over second from Swanson on lap two and used the high side of turn three to shoot by Westfall for the lead on lap three. Ballou snatched fourth from Smith as well. Once out front, Grant dominated.
Heat four (started): 1. Jadon Rogers 17GP (2) 2. Joey Amantea 88J (3) 3. Leary 15x (6) 4. Tye Mihocko 5T (1) 5. Mitchel Moles 19AZ (4) / 6. Cling 34 (5) 7. John Mollick 4J (7)
Rogers led the distance in front of Amantea. Leary claimed third from Mihocko on lap two.
B main (started): 1. Bright (2) 2. Daum (5) 3. Mattox (4) 4. Cling (1) / 5. Butler (6) 6. Howard (8) 7. Maddox (9) 8. Mollick (7) 9. Osborne (3) DNS – Hull
The 12-lapper took the top four to the A. Bright led Mattox, Cling and Osborne early. Maddox spun to the infield bringing caution two laps in. Daum took the final transfer spot from Osborne on the low side of turn two o lap three, and then took third from Cling the next time around. Osborne stalled while running fifth with one lap to go.
A main (started): 1. Grant (4) 2. Leary (3) 3. Seavey (5) 4. Ballou (10) 5. Danner (8) 6. Swanson (1) 7. Thomas Jr. (6) 8. Stockon (7) 9. Cummins (15) 10. Rogers (9) 11. Pursley (12) 12. Moles (13) 13. Amantea (17) 14. Garrett (19) 15. Bright (14) 16. Bacon (2) 17. Harris (21) 18. Westfall (20) 19. Mihocko (23) 20. Daum (16) 21. Mattox (24) 22. Buckwalter (18) 23. Smith (22) 24. Cling (11)
The 30-lapper started roughly when Cling flipped in turn four. He was o.k. Bacon led Swanston, Grant, Leary and Seavey early on. Westfall spun on lap five bringing the first caution. Grant worked on Swanson, getting by him on the low side of four to take over second on lap 11. Bacon was into lapped cars on lap 14. Leary grabbed third from Swanson a lap later. The bottom became the preferred line in the middle stages. With five to go, Bacon took a higher line to deal with a lapper and Grant got by in one and two. Bacon charged back under him by the flagstand. Grant got back by to take the lead on lap 26, but coming out of four got sideways. Bacon got into him, straightening Grant out, but spinning Bacon. Grant now led Leary, Seavey, Ballou and Danner back to green. Danner shot under Ballou for fourth with three to go, but Ballou came back by with two to go. Grant held on for the win. Ballou was the hard-charger.