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2022 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora Speedway

Home Of The Sprint: USAC Sprints Mark No. 300 For Eldora

Home Of The Sprint: USAC Sprints Mark No. 300 For Eldora

There are five of a kind in USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship competition headed to Rossburg, Ohio's Eldora Speedway on Saturday night.

Sep 22, 2022 by FloRacing Staff
Home Of The Sprint: USAC Sprints Mark No. 300 For Eldora

There are five of a kind in USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship competition headed to Rossburg, Ohio's Eldora Speedway for the 40th running of the 4-Crown Nationals Presented by NKTELCO on Saturday night.

2022 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora Speedway

Five past 4-Crown USAC National Sprint Car winners are seeking a second career triumph to match their recent glory in the event at the famed half-mile dirt oval in what will be a milestone race in USAC's six-decade history at Eldora.

Entering this weekend, 297 points-paying USAC national open wheel racing events have been held at Eldora since 1962. That includes 203 Sprint, 53 Midget and 41 Silver Crown events. 

Following the midget races Friday and Saturday, Saturday's USAC Sprint Car race is slated to be event No. 300.

Robert Ballou (2007), Chris Windom (2013), Brady Bacon (2014), Justin Grant (2016) and C.J. Leary (2017) all have had a prime night at the 4-Crown and intend to do so once again Saturday.

Ballou (Rocklin, California) is a six-time Eldora USAC Sprint Car winner, with the second of those six coming during the 4-Crown in 2007. At the 4-Crown, the 2015 series titlist also has chalked up a third-place finish in 2017 and fifth in 2013.

Leary (Greenfield, Indiana) has finished inside the top 2 twice in his 4-Crown USAC Sprint Car career, notching a 2017 victory, followed by a second-place result in 2018. The 2019 series champion came away from his first 4-Crown visit in 2012 with a sixth-place effort, followed by a seventh in 2014.

Grant (Ione, California) laid down a victory in the 2016 4-Crown Nationals USAC Sprint Car race. The 2020 USAC Silver Crown champ sandwiched the triumph between top-5 finishes in 2014, where he finished third, in addition to fifth in 2017, third in 2019 and fourth in 2021. He owns three career USAC Sprint Car wins at Eldora.

Bacon (Broken Arrow, Oklahoma) got his 4-Crown USAC Sprint win in a Sunday matinee during the 2014 campaign. The 2014, 2016 and 2020 series king earned his first career "podium" finish at the 4-Crown in 2006, finishing third. Since then, he's added a second in 2017, another third in 2016 and a fifth in 2019. He also scored a second Eldora win in May 2018.

Windom (Canton, Illinois) doubled up in 2013 by winning both the USAC Sprint and Silver Crown main events at the 4-Crown. The 2017 series champion has been masterful at the 4-Crown in a USAC Sprint Car, adding second-place finishes in 2016 and 2019, third in 2012 and 2021 and a fifth in 2018.

Matt Westfall (Pleasant Hill, Ohio) scored his one career USAC National Sprint Car victory at Eldora in 2006. His 4-Crown USAC Sprint record is marvelous with a fourth in 2004 as his best, followed by a seventh in 2019, an eighth in 2016, ninth in 2010 and 2021 and a pair of 10th-place results in 2006 and 2017.

Logan Seavey's 4-Crown USAC Sprint Car debut in 2021 was phenomenal, as he led a race-high 13 laps and finished as the runner-up. He reached 4-Crown victory lane with the Silver Crown cars in the 2021 night capper.

Kevin Thomas Jr. (Cullman, Alabama) has finished inside the top 7 in his last four 4-Crown USAC Sprint starts, with fourth-place results in 2017, 2018 and 2019, in addition to a seventh in 2021. He seeks his first Eldora victory.

Experience at the Big E is a key component of getting around the half-mile dirt oval, and this group definitely has an abundance of it. 

Shane Cottle (Kansas, Illinois) finished second during the 4-Crown USAC Sprint race in 2005 and finished fifth the year prior. In 2021, he came home eighth, after starting in 18th.

Scotty Weir (Marion, Indiana) has earned a plentiful amount of top-flight performances at the 4-Crown, slotting into third in 2009, fifth in 2015, sixth in 2017, ninth in 2008 and 10th in 2012.

Chase Stockon (Fort Branch, Indiana) possesses six career 4-Crown top-10 finishes, with a best of fourth in 2012, a pair of sixth-place results in 2015 and 2018, seventh in 2016, eighth in 2019 and ninth in 2017.

Dallas Hewitt (Troy, Ohio), nephew of the all-time king in terms of 4-Crown feature wins with 19 total wins, Jack Hewitt, has had a handful of solid performances in his career at Eldora during the 4-Crown, finishing sixth in both 2016 and 2019, and he was seventh in 2015. In May 2017, Hewitt earned his best career USAC Sprint Car finish of second.

Jadon Rogers (Worthington, Indiana), who finished as high as third with the USAC Sprints at Eldora in May 2021, was superb in his 4-Crown debut in 2021, earning hard charger honors. He started 22nd and finished 10th.

Emerson Axsom and Mitchel Moles have been the two most impressive USAC National Sprint Car Rookies in 2022. Each has won twice this season, but neither has made a series start at Eldora just yet. 

Axsom did earn an eighth-place result at Eldora in his first midget start at the track in 2021. 


Meanwhile, Alex Bright (Collegeville, Ohio), the reigning USAC East Coast Sprint Car champion, will pilot a car for owner A.J. Felker.

Getting back after it in a USAC Sprint Car at the 4-Crown are Broken Arrow, Oklahoma's Jason McDougal (12th in 2019); Auburn, Illinois' Mario Clouser (14th in 2019); Terre Haute, Indiana's Brandon Mattox (15th in 2014); Plainfield, Indiana's Chris Phillips (15th in 2019), Loomis, California's Max Adams (16th in 2021), Winchester, Indiana's Matt Goodnight (18th in 2016) and Anaheim, California's Jake Swanson (20th in 2021).

Clarklake, Michigan, brothers Brian Ruhlman and Chad Ruhlman are no strangers to victory at the 4-Crown Nationals. Brian scored the UMP Modified victory during the event on three occasions in 2002, 2004, 2005, while Chad captured the most recent 4-Crown mod feature in 2007.

Looking to make their first 4-Crown feature start this Saturday night are Midwest Sprint Car Series Rookie of the Year Carson Garrett (Littleton, Colorado), Korbyn Hayslett (Troy, Ohio), Anton Hernandez (Arlington, Texas), Tayte Williamson (Rushylvania, Ohio), Lee Underwood (Troy, Ohio), Hunter Maddox (Bedford, Indiana), Nathan Moore (Kaufman, Texas), Ryan Barr (Piqua, Ohio), Braxton Cummings (Bedford, Indiana), Jack James (Harlan, Indiana) and more.

On Saturday, it's full programs for the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship, USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship, USAC Silver Crown and the Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions. 

Spectator gates will open at noon Eastern, with a driver autograph session scheduled from 3-4 p.m. in the Fan Zone, drivers' meeting at 5 p.m. and hot laps at 6 p.m.

For Friday at Eldora, general admission tickets are $34 for adults and free for ages 12 and under. Reserved tickets are $39 for adults and $9 for ages 12 and under.

For Saturday at Eldora, general admission tickets are $39 for adults and free for ages 12 and under. Reserved tickets are $44 for adults and $9 for ages 12 and under.

The USAC portions on Friday night, and all of Saturday's action, can be watched LIVE on FloRacing. Click here to watch.