TERRE HAUTE —
The 2012 Wabash Valley racing season avoided the potential pitfalls of a sluggish economy and inclement weather to provide fans one of their best and most promising campaigns in recent years.
Rainouts that had plagued activities at the Terre Haute Action Track in recent years were for the most part a non factor, making for a successful year for veteran promoter Bob Sargent and the O’Connor family of Kokomo, who teamed up in their first full season of organizing events at the Wabash Valley Fairgrounds.
The group drew high praise from fans and racers alike for their excellent track preparation, which made for one the most competitive seasons in a number of years — one that generated five first-time feature winners over the course of six shows.
Among the victors were NASCAR standouts Kenny Schrader, Kenny Wallace and Justin Allgaier. Sprint-car action provided possibly the most popular victory when Sullivan County native Chase Stockon won the Jim Hurtubise Classic for USAC sprints.
The year, while providing its share of thrills and excitement on the local half-mile clay oval, also proved to be one of the safest in recent memory.
Attendance, while spotty at times, appeared strong enough to make the year profitable for the promoters, securing the future for continued racing at the nationally recognized racing facility.
Racing at Crossroads Dragway USA remained a viable operation, providing Valley drag racers a favorite location to display their talents and meet their needs to go racing at one of the Midwest’s finest drag-racing facilities.
Over the course of the summer, racing at the oval and drag-racing tracks generated its share of stellar individual and team efforts.
None was bigger than Stockon’s back in October. That victory was one of two for Stockon in USAC competition in 2012 when he tied for seventh in national sprint-car points. It was a season that earned him the sanctioning body’s Most Improved Driver of the Year award.
A second USAC-sanctioned event, the Tony Hulman Classic, also proved a fan favorite as former Valley driver and now car owner Ray Morgan won the prestigious event, with driver Daron Clayton taking the checkered flag in Indiana Sprints Weeks event.
Action wasn’t limited to Fairgrounds as Valley oval tracks and drag strips were a beehive of activity and popular on any given weekend.
Young Braylon Fitzpatrick of West Terre Haute put his name in the Action Track record book when he established a one-lap track record run in qualifications for the Hurtubise Classic
Whether it was taking checkered flags or winning track championships, local racers played a prominent role in the sport on the Wabash Valley and national scene.
At Lincoln Park Speedway, Terre Haute drivers walked off with two of the track’s four point championships. Kenny Carmichael won the Super Stock title in a season that saw the North Terre Haute driver take five feature wins and a second-place finish in the track’s modified division.
No one was a match for C.J. Bryan in the Bomber Class as the Vigo County racer posted an impressive 11-win campaign, notching him the LPS Bomber championship.
At Bakersfield Raceway Park near Linton, Creed Fritz of West Terre Haute won the Restrictor Class and Colten Dooley of Rockville took the Wingless Division, while Drake Turner of Sullivan won in Jr. Sprints and Larry Drake of Terre Haute won the 600 Sidewinder Class.
On the drag-racing scene at Crossroads Dragway USA, Mike Tewell won in Pro Class, Dustin Brenton in Super Pro, Chad Eaton in Sportsman, Tony Virgilio in the Fast 33 Series, Amara Tewell in the High School Division, Chris Miller in Junior Dragster, Adam Price in the Schield Diesel and Stephanie Brenton in Pink Lady.
At Lyons Raceway Park, Super Pro honors went to McColley Young, Greg Dillman in Pro, Bill McCarty in Sportsman, Nathan Jones in Jr. Dragster, Bill McCary in motorcycles, Ron Hayman in Fast 8, Jabin McCarty in High School and Kelly Jo Lanhan in Powder Puff.
Coles County Dragway enjoyed a successful year with Bob Paul taking the Super Pro and Box Track titles and Tom Harlin winning in Pro, Jesse Brant in Sportsman, Eric Cooper in Bike, John Tilford in Quick Series and Eric Willenberg in Jr. Dragster.
Overall, the 2012 season will go down as one of the finest and most competitive in recent years, setting the stage for a promising 2013 at the race track.
Joe Buckles can be reached by e-mail at
jbuckles4@frontier.com.
Sports
TRACKSIDE: 2012 a good year in auto racing in Wabash Valley
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Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Defense: West Vigo second baseman Lucas Fagg fields a ground ball for an out in the Vikings semi-final sectional baseball game with Edgewood.
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West Vigo advances to sectional championship with walk-off win in ninth
High school baseball sectional games between West Vigo and Edgewood have had a tendency to be unpredictable over the years, but the Vikings and Mustangs outdid themselves in that area Thursday evening — and Thursday night.
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Wichita State shuts out ISU to force elimination-game rematch
Indiana State starting pitcher Greg Kuhlman did his best.
Actually, he did far better than he ever has previously in an ISU uniform, but while Kuhlman’s gutty pitching effort spoke volumes, ISU’s bats remained ominously silent. -
BOYS TRACK REGIONAL: North gets three winners, South two at Evansville
Terre Haute North had three winners, Terre Haute South two, and the Patriots and Braves finished second and third respectively at the Evansville Regional for boys track on Thursday at Evansville Central.
Hurdlers Cam Stewart and Cole Seward and discus thrower Lee Davis were the winners for North, enabling the Patriots to finish with 60 points to 59 for the Braves. -
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South Vermillion pitches team to sectional title, wins for her dad
South Vermillion snapped one streak and extended another Thursday night to win Class 3A Sectional 28 8-5 over Brown County at Edgewood High School.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Sunday promises to be big day in Indy
Sunday promises to be a super day in Indianapolis.
It’s the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500 followed by Indiana vs. Miami in the third game of the National Basketball Association playoffs. -
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Luck, though, went on to have a stellar year for the Colts despite the lack of summer work with the team. Still, in a sense, he is a rookie during this year’s OTA workouts.
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North baseball pulls away from South in sectional opener
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Terre Haute North burst through that crack in the bottom of the second inning Wednesday evening at Terre Haute South, scoring seven two-out runs and going on to a surprisingly easy 12-2 victory over the host Braves. -
Blank, Mundy named McMillan Award winners
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Indiana State baseball now one win from MVC Championship
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West Vigo advances to sectional championship with walk-off win in ninth
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METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman's Evans honored as Great Lakes' top athlete
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Terry enjoys strong year with Wildcats, and still enjoying suiting up to play
South Vermillion’s Tim Terry is the longest tenured coach in Wabash Valley high school baseball as his Wildcats are set to begin sectional play Thursday against Owen Valley.
But on the Yankees, a 35-and-over team in the Terre Haute Men’s Senior Baseball League, Terry is “just a youngster” if you ask Larry Roesch, his 68-year-old teammate on the Volkers Group Yankees. -
Softball sectionals up for grabs
All three Vigo County high schools and Northview appear to have a realistic chance of winning sectional championships in softball this week.
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Indiana State baseball series canceled
Heavy rain from Thursday through Saturday has forced Indiana State and Tennessee Martin to cancel their three-game weekend baseball series in northwest Tennessee.
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METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman baseball to play DePauw on Thursday after Tuesday's rain
The Rose-Hulman baseball team has rescheduled its non-conference game with DePauw to Thursday night.
The start time remains 7 p.m. for the single nine-inning game that was originally scheduled for today. Tuesday’s scheduled Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference game at Anderson was moved to Sunday because of rain.
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METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman's Evans honored as Great Lakes' top athlete
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West Vigo advances to sectional championship with walk-off win in ninth
High school baseball sectional games between West Vigo and Edgewood have had a tendency to be unpredictable over the years, but the Vikings and Mustangs outdid themselves in that area Thursday evening — and Thursday night.
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- Green's grand slam helps Shakamak to sectional win
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- College
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Wichita State shuts out ISU to force elimination-game rematch
Indiana State starting pitcher Greg Kuhlman did his best.
Actually, he did far better than he ever has previously in an ISU uniform, but while Kuhlman’s gutty pitching effort spoke volumes, ISU’s bats remained ominously silent. -
Indiana State baseball now one win from MVC Championship
Indiana State’s Wednesday morning wish list probably read something like this: a dominant complete game effort from starting pitcher Devin Moore, near-immaculate defense to support him, and a steady diet of clutch situational hitting from lineup spots one to nine.
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Terre Haute's Mascari running 10,000 meters for chance to get to Hayward Field
Indiana State freshman and Terre Haute North graduate John Mascari is among the enormous group of Sycamores competing this weekend at the NCAA East Preliminary. The top 48 NCAA track and field competitors in each event on this half of the United States are narrowed down to 12 who will compete at the NCAA meet at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
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Manaea's shoulder causing him latest pain
Indiana State pitcher Sean Manaea has battled through so many aches and pains during the 2013 season that it can be hard to discern the serious pain from the pain he pitches through.
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ISU's Negele answers call in big way in wake of Manaea injury
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Wichita State shuts out ISU to force elimination-game rematch
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Sunday promises to be big day in Indy
Sunday promises to be a super day in Indianapolis.
It’s the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500 followed by Indiana vs. Miami in the third game of the National Basketball Association playoffs. - TRACKSIDE: Local drivers, owners looking to have strong night at Tony Hulman Classic
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Sunday promises to be big day in Indy
- Pro Sports
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Luck having fun with his first OTAs
A year ago, quarterback Andrew Luck was unable to attend the Indianapolis Colts’ organized team activity practices due to school commitments at Stanford.
Luck, though, went on to have a stellar year for the Colts despite the lack of summer work with the team. Still, in a sense, he is a rookie during this year’s OTA workouts.
“These are my first OTAs. I missed these last year, so I think it’s great. It’s great to get on the field with the defense and trouble-shoot some stuff. Obviously, some of us ran some of this stuff [offense] at Stanford [under new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton]. But to get out there with the defense and trouble-shoot some stuff is good,” Luck said Wednesday as the team wrapped up its first week of on-field voluntary practice sessions. - Colts hoping for more high marks on draft picks
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Luck having fun with his first OTAs
- Terre Haute Rex
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Consultation: Rex manager Brian Dorsett talks with his pitcher and players during a time-out Sunday, July 15, at Sycamore Field. (Tribune-Star file/Bob Poynter)
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2012 an up, down season for Rex
The Terre Haute Rex went through plenty of trials and tribulations during the summer of 2012.
The team got off to a sluggish start to settle for third place during the first half of the Prospect League race, but manager Brian Dorsett rallied the troops to a second-half title. - Metro Roundup: Dorsett, Rex players honored in Prospect League postseason awards
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- Rex mix, match their way to win
- Rex turn eye to Prospect playoffs
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2012 an up, down season for Rex
- Colts
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Luck having fun with his first OTAs
A year ago, quarterback Andrew Luck was unable to attend the Indianapolis Colts’ organized team activity practices due to school commitments at Stanford.
Luck, though, went on to have a stellar year for the Colts despite the lack of summer work with the team. Still, in a sense, he is a rookie during this year’s OTA workouts.
“These are my first OTAs. I missed these last year, so I think it’s great. It’s great to get on the field with the defense and trouble-shoot some stuff. Obviously, some of us ran some of this stuff [offense] at Stanford [under new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton]. But to get out there with the defense and trouble-shoot some stuff is good,” Luck said Wednesday as the team wrapped up its first week of on-field voluntary practice sessions. - Colts' coordinators enjoying getting rookies acclimated
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Luck having fun with his first OTAs
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Looking for Indy breakthrough, Kanaan enjoying role as team mentor
Ask any IZOD IndyCar series champion and he’d say he would gladly give up that championship to win one Indianapolis 500.
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- TRACKSIDE: Rain still a pain for Wabash Valley racing organizers
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