Reigning USAC Sprint Champ Windom Bids for Another Title Shot at Oval Nats
Perris, California………Chris Windom is one of three contenders for the 2018 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car crown coming into this week’s “Oval Nationals” at Perris Auto Speedway, which marks the conclusion of a heated battle between he and first-time title hopefuls Kevin Thomas, Jr. and Tyler Courtney who are separated by just two.
Though Windom, of Canton, Ill., stands third in the standings at the moment, 50 points behind the leader, he’s in a unique position. Not only has he won the Oval Nationals before, but the 2010 race winner arrives for the Nov. 8-9-10 races as the series’ reigning champ. Although Windom is reliably cool under pressure, he’s already experienced this moment and conquered it as recently as last year, erasing a deficit late in the season to win his first USAC National Sprint Car championship.
With that scenario in mind, one can’t help but think how he will fare this year in the role as the champ. It begged the question. How have past USAC National Sprint Car champions fared in the standings the year following their title?
Forty-seven years have gone into the books since the first “National” schedule was put into place in 1961. There have been 11 occasions in which the driver winning the title the previous year repeated the feat the following year: Parnelli Jones (1961-62), Sheldon Kinser (1981-82), Rick Hood (1984-85), Steve Butler (1986-87-88), Robbie Stanley (1991-92-93), Brian Tyler (1996-97), Levi Jones (2009-10-11) and Bryan Clauson (2012-13).
A handful of others endured injuries in competition that severely hindered their championship prospects: Johnny Rutherford in 1966, Butler in 1989 and Robert Ballou in 2016. There’ve also been a pair we’ve lost to tragic accidents in the midst of the season as they were seeking their respective titles: Rich Vogler in 1990 and Robbie Stanley in 1994. Others, meanwhile, made the decision to venture down south to try their hand in the NASCAR ranks following their title season: Ken Schrader, Tony Stewart, J.J. Yeley and Josh Wise.
The majority of the time, however, the defending champion ranked right in the bulk of the top-three of the standings the following season, 28 times, in fact, out of 47 seasons. Windom is guaranteed to become the 29th of those drivers to finish in the top-three as he can’t slip below that threshold with three races remaining, but he still can climb to the top.
How will everything shake it out? It’s going to be difficult for Windom to erase a 50-point hole in three races, but history doesn’t always rule what happens in the moment. After all, that’s why you and I watch and why we’ll be watching again tonight.
On Thursday and Friday, the pits open at noon, front gates open at 4pm, drivers meeting at 4:30pm and cars on track at 5:30pm. On Saturday, the pits open at noon, front gates open at 3pm, autograph session from 3-4pm, drivers meeting at 4:30pm and cars on track at 5:15pm.
All three nights will be live on http://www.SpeedShiftTV.com/ with live audio also available on the USAC app.
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HOW THE USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR CHAMPS FARED THE FOLLOWING SEASON (1956-2017)
Tommy Hinnershitz: (1st in 1956 & 4th in 1957 USAC Eastern Sprint Car Driver Points)
Pat O’Connor: (1st in 1956 & 6th in 1957 USAC Midwest Sprint Car Driver Points)
Bill Randall: (1st in 1957 & 11th in 1957 USAC Eastern Sprint Car Driver Points)
Elmer George: (1st in 1957 & 3rd in 1958 USAC Midwest Sprint Car Driver Points)
Johnny Thomson: (1st in 1958 & 14th in 1959 USAC Eastern Sprint Car Driver Points)
Eddie Sachs: (1st in 1958 & 4th in 1959 USAC Midwest Sprint Car Driver Points)
Tommy Hinnershitz: (1st in 1959 & 15th in 1960 USAC Eastern Sprint Car Points)
Don Branson: (1st in 1959 & 2nd in 1960 USAC Midwest Sprint Car Driver Points)
A.J. Foyt: (1st in 1960 USAC Eastern Points & 3rd in 1961 USAC National Points)
Parnelli Jones: (1st in 1960 USAC Midwest Points & 1st in 1961 National Points)
Parnelli Jones: (1st in 1961 & 1st in 1962 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Parnelli Jones: (1st in 1962 & 12th in 1963 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Roger McCluskey: (1st in 1963 & 17th in USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Don Branson: (1st in 1964 & 6th in 1965 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Johnny Rutherford: (1st in 1965 & Unlisted in 1966 USAC National Sprint Car Points)
Roger McCluskey: (1st in 1966 & 40th in 1967 USAC National Sprint Car Points)
Greg Weld: (1st in 1967 & 3rd in 1968 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points
Larry Dickson: (1st in 1968 & 2nd in 1969 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Gary Bettenhausen: (1st in 1969 & 2nd in 1970 USAC National Sprint Car Points)
Larry Dickson: (1st in 1970 & 2nd in 1971 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Gary Bettenhausen: (1st in 1971 & 19th in 1972 USAC National Sprint Car Points)
Sam Sessions: (1st in 1972 & 5th in 1973 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Rollie Beale: (1st in 1973 & 7th in 1974 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Pancho Carter: (1st in 1974 & 4th in 1975 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Larry Dickson: (1st in 1975 & 4th in 1976 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Pancho Carter: (1st in 1976 & 3rd in 1977 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Sheldon Kinser: (1st in 1977 & 9th in 1978 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Tom Bigelow: (1st in 1978 & 5th in 1979 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Greg Leffler: (1st in 1979 & 10th in 1980 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Rich Vogler: (1st in 1980 & 2nd in 1981 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Sheldon Kinser: (1st in 1981 & 1st in 1982 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Sheldon Kinser: (1st in 1982 & 3rd in 1983 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Ken Schrader: (1st in 1983 & Unlisted in 1984 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Rick Hood: (1st in 1984 & 1st in 1985 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Rick Hood: (1st in 1985 & 2nd in 1986 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Steve Butler: (1st in 1986 & 1st in 1987 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Steve Butler: (1st in 1987 & 1st in 1988 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Steve Butler: (1st in 1988 & 9th in 1989 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Rich Vogler: (1st in 1989 & 8th in 1990 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Steve Butler: (1st in 1990 & 3rd in 1991 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Robbie Stanley: (1st in 1991 & 1st in 1992 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Robbie Stanley: (1st in 1992 & 1st in 1993 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Robbie Stanley: (1st in 1993 & 23rd in 1994 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Doug Kalitta: (1st in 1994 & 2nd in 1995 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Tony Stewart: (1st in 1995 & 50th in 1996 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Brian Tyler: (1st in 1996 & 1st in 1997 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Brian Tyler: (1st in 1997 & 8th in 1998 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Tony Elliott: (1st in 1998 & 3rd in 1999 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Dave Darland: (1st in 1999 & 6th in 2000 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Tony Elliott: (1st in 2000 & 3rd in 2001 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
J.J. Yeley: (1st in 2001 & 2nd in 2002 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Tracy Hines: (1st in 2002 & 3rd in 2003 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
J.J. Yeley: (1st in 2003 & 15th in 2004 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Jay Drake: (1st in 2004 & 4th in 2005 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Levi Jones: (1st in 2005 & 2nd in 2006 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Josh Wise: (1st in 2006 & 41st in 2007 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Levi Jones: (1st in 2007 & 2nd in 2008 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Jerry Coons, Jr.: (1st in 2008 & 5th in 2009 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Levi Jones: (1st in 2009 & 1st in 2010 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Levi Jones: (1st in 2010 & 1st in 2011 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Levi Jones: (1st in 2011 & 9th in 2012 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Bryan Clauson: (1st in 2012 & 1st in 2013 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Bryan Clauson: (1st in 2013 & 2nd in 2014 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Brady Bacon: (1st in 2014 & 4th in 2015 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Robert Ballou: (1st in 2015 & 8th in 2016 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Brady Bacon: (1st in 2016 & 9th in 2017 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
Chris Windom: (1st in 2017 & ? in 2018 USAC National Sprint Car Driver Points)
USAC LINKS
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Sources: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Adam Mollenkopf Photo