Buckeye Nationals recap, RIR preview

SPRINTS TAKE TO RIR 3/4-MILE FRIDAY
DARLAND, WESTFALL SCORE; NEELY TAKES "BUCKEYE" TITLE

The USAC National Sprint Cars return to Richmond International Raceway's 3/4-mile paved oval in Virginia Friday as 2005 USAC National Midget Champion Josh Wise of Riverside, Calif. continues his quest for the 2006 Sprint Car title. The 60-lap feature (to be run in two 30-lap segments) is part of the track's SunTrust Indy Challenge weekend.

Wise and his Tony Stewart teammate, defending National Sprint Car Champion Levi Jones of Olney, Ill., rank first and third in the current standings and are separated by current series runner-up Mat Neely of Robinson, Ill.

Neely earned the 2006 "Buckeye Nationals" championship with second-place finishes in the two races held this past weekend in Ohio, presented by The University of Northwestern Ohio.

Dave Darland of Lincoln, Ill. won Friday night's 30-lapper at Limaland Motorsports Park and Matt Westfall of Ludlow Falls, Ohio won Saturday night's 30-lapper at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Darland trailed Wise for nine laps at Lima, then led the final 21 laps in his Hoosier Race Tires/Weld Wheels Bullet/Claxton to beat Neely, Jon Stanbrough, Daron Clayton and Bryan Clauson. Westfall's initial series victory came in the Lucas Oil/Team ASE Maxim/Gaerte as he paced the first 20 laps at Eldora, then led the final two laps after Rob Chaney hit the wall while leading on the white-flag lap. Trailing Westfall and Neely were Wise, Stanbrough and Clauson.

Kyle Stuchell of Tipp City, Ohio suffered multiple fractures of vertebrae at the base of his neck and a fractured thoracic vertebrae in a flip during qualifications and he is undergoing treatment for his injuries at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, Ind. There is no paralysis and he is anticipating a release by next weekend.

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