“BRANSON/LARSON SPRINTS AT ELDORA APRIL 20;

THOMAS GRABS 30-LAP LAWRENCEBURG THRILLER

Chase Stockon of Sullivan, Ind. earned his initial AMSOIL USAC National Sprint victories last year and carries the series point lead into the April 20 “Don Branson/Jud Larson Classic” at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

Stockon finished second to Kevin Thomas Jr. in last Saturday’s 30-lap feature at Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway and stands eight points ahead of Hunter Schuerenberg in the new standings. Schuerenberg was fourth at “The Burg.”

Stockon posted a pair of fourths and an eighth in three 2012 Eldora starts on his way to last year’s USAC “Most Improved Driver” honors.

Tracy Hines of New Castle, Ind., who ranks fifth in the standings despite his disappointing 12th-place Lawrenceburg finish, hopes to resume his pursuit of Tom Bigelow in the battle for all-time supremacy in the series. Bigelow amassed 52 total wins during his career, while Hines’ two this year have him at 45, just one behind second-ranking Jack Hewitt, who won 46.

Thomas, following his spectacular last-lap Lawrenceburg victory, hopes to improve in his 2012 Eldora performance which produced two 20th-place finishes and a 21st. In 2012 Thomas recorded his first USAC victory in the “Indiana Sprint Week” feature at Bloomington, Ind.

Thomas emerged from a three-way battle for the lead exiting the final turn of Saturday’s race to win the 30-lapper in his Mike Dutcher-RW-Tri-Star Motorsports Rotondo Weirich/Black Jack Oil Maxim/Fisher. Stockon, who led nine laps of the race, held on for second ahead of Brady Bacon, Schuerenberg and Bryan Clauson. Coleman Gulick paced 20 laps of the race but slipped to sixth at the finish.