USAC: Cline, Hunt, Gardner record Westing Sprint Wins

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

July 10, 2001

SERIES PREPPING FOR FRIDAY-SATURDAY MERIDIAN FEATURES

Troy Cline, Tony Hunt and Damion Gardner scored USAC Western Sprint Car Series victories last week but Jeff Gardner of Fresno, Calif. finds himself atop the series standings going into this weekend's events at Meridian Speedway near Boise, Ida.

Gardner had a second, third and seventh in his three starts at Dodge City, Kans. and Albuquerque, N.M. and leads Hunt by 11 points with a 20-lap feature scheduled at the 1/4-mile paved Meridian Motor Speedway Friday night and a 50-lapper on tap Saturday night. Practice starts at 3 pm each day.

Damion Gardner of Concord, Calif. (no relation to Jeff) won Saturday's 40-lap race at Sandia Motorsports Park in Albuquerque, leading all but the first four laps in his Aldrich Air/Mike Coy Construction/B & D Trailer/Jim Rudolph Racing Bailey Brothers/Beast. Jeff finished second ahead of John Ryals, fast qualifier Troy Cline and Kevin Kierce. Lady driver Shauna Hogg led the first four laps of the race but finished 13th.

Cline scored a 20-lap and a 40-lap victory in his Haas Automation/Pick's Racing Engines Beast Wednesday night at Dodge City (Kans.) Raceway Park. He passed Scott Hansen on the 13th lap of the 20-lapper and led all 40 laps of the finale. Hansen finished second in the opener and was trailed by Jeff Gardner, Hogg and Bryan Bullard. In the nightcap Cline was followed by Bobby McMahan, Tony Hunt, Ray Evans and Ryan Flynn.

Hunt also won a 20-lapper at Dodge City in his Metal Works Shaver/Beast. The race was actually shortened to 13 laps due to approaching weather and Damion Gardner, Ryals, Brian Evans and Ray Evans rounded out the "top-five" at the checkered flag. Brian Evans led the first seven laps before yielding to Hunt.

USAC WESTERN SPRINT CAR SERIES STANDINGS

1. Jeff Gardner 387
2. Tony Hunt 376
3. Troy Cline 331
4. John Ryals 331
5. Damion Gardner 272
6. Ryan Flynn 268
7. Kevin Kierce 245
8. Randy Bauer 235
9. Bobby McMahan 227
10. Amy Barnes 225

Text provided by Dick Jordan

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