Nazareth: Race report

Tracy Hines of New Castle, Ind. broke the track record at Nazareth (Pa.) Speedway Friday, then led all 30 laps of Saturday's Valvoline National Sprint Car race at the 1-mile paved oval. He'll try to back that up with a victory in this Saturday ...

Tracy Hines of New Castle, Ind. broke the track record at Nazareth (Pa.) Speedway Friday, then led all 30 laps of Saturday's Valvoline National Sprint Car race at the 1-mile paved oval. He'll try to back that up with a victory in this Saturday night's 30-lapper at the 1/2-mile dirt Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track.

Hines, USAC's 2002 National Sprint Car Champion, won the 2001 "Tony Hulman Classic" at Terre Haute and he and series point leader Jay Drake are the only drivers to win races on both paved and dirt ovals this season. Terre Haute practice starts at 6 pm, followed by qualifying at 6:30 and racing at 7:30.

Hines qualified at 142.354 mph at Nazareth and was never seriously challenged during Saturday's race in his Kroger-Tide, Pringles-Bounty Beast/Gaerte, posting a record 59th victory for the Dynamics, Inc. Racing Team. He was followed at the checkered flag by Dave Steele, Bobby Santos III, Eric Gordon and Drake.

Drake holds a comfortable 171-point lead in the standings, but Bud Kaeding, Cory Kruseman and Valvoline "Indiana Sprint Week" Champion Levi Jones are locked in a tight battle for second in the points going into Saturday's race. The three are separated by only 65 points, with Kaeding only nine ahead of Kruseman.

Kruseman won this year's "Tony Hulman Classic" at Terre Haute and joins J.J. Yeley as USAC Sprint winners at the storied oval in 2004.

VALVOLINE USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR SERIES STANDINGS
1.-Jay Drake-1,167
2.-Bud Kaeding-996
3.-Cory Kruseman-987
4.-Levi Jones-931
5.-Dave Darland-753
6.-Brian Tyler-701
7.-Josh Ford-699
8.-Tony Elliott-691
9.-Josh Wise-553
10.-John Scott-536