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Indiana Sprint Week Wrap: Dave Darland Delivers

HAMMOND, IN: Combining two victories and amazing
consistency, former USAC Champ Dave Darland captured
the 20th annual Indiana Sprint Week title. The Hoosier
State’s own “Double D” managed to finish in the top 12
in seven out of eight events to secure the 2007
championship.

Three out of the first five rounds of the series were
taken by defending ISW Champ Jon Stanbrough, with
Darland and Daron Clayton also scoring wins. And, with
the consistent Levi Jones leading the series point
standings, the wingless warriors began week two. The
championship was truly up for grabs.

No one was sure what to expect as the series rolled
into Kemps Motor Speedway in Boswell on Thursday. The
track, a late addition to the ISW schedule, had last
hosted USAC in the mid ’70’s; talk about a clean sheet
of paper! By the end of the evening, however, it was
obvious that the tight, well banked 1/3 mile oval was
well suited to the USAC stars of today.

In the 30 lap feature, first Jesse Hockett, then Dave
Darland lead, before defending USAC midget champion
Jerry Coons Jr. snuck past with a low pass in turn one
to assume a lead he would never loose. It was the
second 2007 ISW win for the legendary Hoffman Family
sprinter, as Daron Clayton had won the second Gas City
race subbing for the absent Coons Jr. the previous
Saturday. Trailing Coons Jr. home at Kemp’s were
Darland, Jon Stanbrough, Jesse Hockett and Matt Neely.

The circus rolled into Bloomington the following night
for the penultimate round of Indiana Sprint Week. And,
on yet another beautiful Indiana summer evening, Dave
Darland took command of the series.

The feature saw young Brady Bacon, wheeling the Kasey
Kahne MOPAR, continue his impressive season by leading
the first 24 laps before slipping over the edge of the
banking in turn four, allowing Dave Darland to blast
past into the lead. Darland then held on until the
checkered flag, trailed by an impressive Robert
Ballou, Bacon and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in Tony
Stewart’s Chevy.

The following night, everything was on the line at
Southern Indiana’s Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt. It
turned out to be another big night for “The Modern Day
Cowboy”, as Daron Clayton, recovering from a flip in
his heat race, blew by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on lap 23
of the 30 lap feature to score his second victory of
the series. Behind Clayton at the finish were
Stenhouse Jr., local hotshoe Chad Boespflug, Jon
Stanbrough and Dustin Morgan.

Dave Darland could only manage an 11th place finish at
Haubstadt, but that was all the Hoosier Hero needed to
secure the 2007 Indiana Sprint Week title. 2006 ISW
titlist Jon Stanbrough trailed the new champion by 18
points, followed by Levi Jones, Brady Bacon and Ricky
Stenhouse Jr.

The 2007 edition of Indiana Sprint Week was blessed
with fine weather, featuring safe and exciting racing
throughout. To those of us who follow Indiana Sprint
Week, these ARE the “good old days”!

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