WS: Altamont preview

RESCINO LEADS WESTERN SPRINTS TO ALTAMONT

Nick Rescino Jr. of San Francisco, Calif. returns to Altamont Motorsports Park in Tracy, Calif. Saturday as the USAC Western Sprint Car point leader, holding a 15-point lead over runner-up Tanner Swanson.

Rescino, the 2004 and 2005 CASA Sprint Car Champion, finished ninth in last year's standings and has one career USAC triumph, at Stockton (Calif.) 99 Speedway. This season he finished fifth in the season opener at Roseville, Calif., then put together back-to-back seconds at Tracy and Salt Lake City, Utah,

Swanson, the younger brother of 2005 USAC Western Sprint Car Champ Kody Swanson of Kingsburg, Calif., is in his second season with the series and was the fastest qualifier when the Sprints ran at Altamont earlier this year. He finished eighth in last year's standings and also won USAC's Carolina Ford Focus Midget Championship.

JoJo Helberg also bears watching Saturday, having won last Saturday night's USAC Rocky Mountain Sprint feature at Salt Lake City, Utah, Helberg ranks fifth in the current Western Sprint points. Brian McClish won the April 19 race at Tracy.

-credit: usac