WS: Roseville preview

HUNT SEEKS 25TH CAREER WESTERN SPRINT WIN IN SATURDAY's RACE AT ALL-AMERICAN SPEEDWAY

All-American Speedway in Roseville, Calif. hosts the opening race of USAC's 2008 Western Sprint Car Series this Saturday. It marks only the fifth time USAC has competed at the 1/4-mile high-banked asphalt oval, but the first USAC race there was 35 years ago!

Last year, the Sprint cars made their Roseville debut and Ryan Kaplan of Chico, Calif. used the event as a launching ramp to the series championship. It was the first of two wins for Kaplan, who won the 2007 series title as a "rookie."

One driver chomping at the bit to race at Roseville is three-time Western Sprint Champ Tony Hunt, who lives in nearby Lincoln. Hunt had to miss last year's Roseville race due to commitments in the annual "Little 500" Sprint classic in Anderson, Ind., turning his ride over to Jimmy Sills, who finished sixth.

Hunt posted two victories at Madera last year to bring his all-time leading series total of wins to 24.

Drivers will aim at Greg Anderson's one-lap track qualifying mark of 12.711 seconds when qualifying gets under way.

-credit: usac