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Written by:
Robin Miller
07/08/2008 - 08:23 AM
Indianapolis, Ind.
Chad Boat leads Brady Bacon in USAC Midgets; both are now aiming for the top in Sprints. (LAT photo) ยป More Photos
Indiana Sprint Week kicks off Wednesday night at Lawrenceburg. For the record, this is its 22nd year, which makes it six years older than two of the contenders, four older than another and the same age as a couple of others.
The series, sponsored by Chevy and Fatheadz, features eight dirt races over the next 10 days for short track supremacy in the United States Auto Club and mostly has been dominated by the veterans like 42-year-old Dave Darland (1998, 2001, 2007), 37-year-old Cory Kruseman (2002 & 2005) and 36-year-old Jon Stanbrough (2006).
Levi Jones, a mere pup of 26, broke through in 2004 but even last year's USAC sprint king is ancient compared to the latest wave of the Kiddie Corps.
Cole Whitt and Chad Boat, both 16, have already scored feature wins this season and Witt ranks third in both the USAC sprint and midget standings while Boat stands 11th in sprinters.
To think that a couple of 16-year-olds, who both look all of 12, can master a 900-horsepower beast at that age is hard to imagine. Especially when you remember Don Branson, Roger McCluskey, Jud Larson, Johnny Rutherford and Jim Hurtubise manhandling sprinters in the 1960s.
But Bubby Jones, one of the wisest and most successful sprint drivers ever, isn't prone to throw around praise yet he can only shake his head in amazement.
"There's some real good kids in USAC but Whitt and Boat are really talented," said Jones, who helped engineer Levi (no relation) to the 2007 USAC crown while working for Tony Stewart.
"They don't drive like they're 16. They're so mature for their age. It's unreal."
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