Stockton
Chase Stockon (Fort Branch, Ind.) led the way during Wednesday night’s open practice for the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship at Ocala, Florida’s Bubba Raceway Park. (Rich Forman Photo)

Stockon Tops Winter Dirt Games Practice

OCALA, Fla. — Chase Stockon led the way during Wednesday night’s open practice for the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship at Bubba Raceway Park.

The Fort Branch, Ind. native, who won the 2018 opening night Winter Dirt Games feature in Ocala, topped the field of 28 with a time of 13.914 seconds around the three-eighths-mile D-shaped dirt track aboard his KO Motorsports/Banded Ag – Dewig Meats – AMSOIL/Flea RC/Fisher Chevy.

The annual practice was the final test and tune prior to the start of Winter Dirt Games XIV in Ocala on Feb. 16-18, a venue which the series has visited on a yearly basis since 2011.

Tom Harris, hailing from Banbury, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, made a late run in the session with a clock stopper of 13.956 seconds to move into second fastest overall in his Tom Harris Motorsport/J. Davidson Scrap Metal – Ballou Motorsports – Project 12/Maxim/Parker Chevy.

Reigning USAC National Sprint Car champ and winningest USAC driver in the history of Florida, Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.), slotted into the third spot overall in the practice at a time of 13.967 seconds in his TOPP Motorsports/NOS Energy Drink – Bow Foundation – TOPP Industries/Maxim/Kistler Chevy.

Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.) and four-time USAC National Sprint Car titlist Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, Okla.) rounded out the top-five in practice. 

Practice 1 Results:

1. Chase Stockon, 5s, KO-13.914; 2. Tom Harris, 84, Harris-13.956; 3. Justin Grant, 4, TOPP-13.967; 4. Logan Seavey, 2B, 2B Racing-13.992; 5. Brady Bacon, 69, Dynamics-14.017; 6. Daison Pursley, 5p, KO-14.031; 7. Kevin Thomas Jr., 17GP, Dutcher-14.066; 8. C.J. Leary, 15x, BGE Dougherty-14.098; 9. Emerson Axsom, 47BC, Clauson Marshall-14.156; 10. Mitchel Moles, 19AZ, Reinbold/Underwood-14.187; 11. Jake Swanson, 21AZ, Team AZ-14.187; 12. Robert Ballou, 12, Ballou-14.194; 13. Carson Garrett, 15, BGE Dougherty-14.197; 14. Matt Westfall, 33m, Marshall-14.297; 15. Jason McDougal, 5m, KO-14.300; 16. Brady Short, 61m, Edwards-14.322; 17. Joey Amantea, 88J, JPA-14.404; 18. Jadon Rogers, 5, Baldwin/Fox-14.489; 19. Cameron Smith, 96, Kauffman-14.582; 20. Brandon Mattox, 28, Mattox-14.837; 21. Steve Irwin, 0, Flying Zero-14.855; 22. Kevin Newton, 16TH, Benic-15.071; 23. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 51T, Tafoya-15.100; 24. Hunter Maddox, 24m, Maddox-15.188; 25. Kyle Cummins, 3R, Rock Steady-15.910; 26. Eddie Vancil, 7v, Vancil-16.196; 27. Brian Ruhlman, 49, Ruhlman-NT; 28. Thomas Meseraull, 20, Dyson-NT.