Rock Steady & Fast: KTJ is Fastest in Ocala USAC Sprint Car Practice
Ocala, Florida (February 8, 2024)………Kevin Thomas Jr. and Rock Steady Racing’s first night out in 2024 went just about as smooth as you can ask for.
The Cullman, Ala. driver who won at Ocala in 2021 timed in with a best lap of 13.796 seconds during Thursday night’s open practice with the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship at Florida’s Ocala Speedway.
The three-hour session was the final preparation prior to the opening two races of the series season on Friday-Saturday, February 9-10, at Ocala’s 3/8-mile dirt oval.
Thomas and Rock Steady Racing/Inferno Armor – Eddie Gilstrap Motors – Creative Finishing/Mach-1/Stanton Chevy recorded the best lap of the evening in the second of three groups that timed in on Thursday.
Mitchel Moles (Raisin City, Calif.) was the quickest in group one and second fastest overall with a lap of 13.928. Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.), in the debut of the Abacus Racing sprint car, was the best in the third and final group and third overall at 13.962 seconds. Carson Garrett (Littleton, Colo.) was fourth overall at 14.009 while two-time and defending series champion Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) rounded out the top-five at 14.016.
Rock Steady Racing, with Kyle Cummins (Princeton, Ind.) as its driver, won the most recent USAC Sprint Car event at Ocala in February of 2023. Cummins was 14th overall in Thursday’s practice at 14.216. Four-time USAC National Sprint Car titlist Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, Okla.), winner of the 2023 season opener at Ocala, timed in ninth fastest overall.
For the first night of racing on Feb. 9 at Ocala, grandstand admission for ages 13 & up is $30 while kids age 12 & under are free. Pit passes are $40 apiece for ages 6 & up. Pit passes for ages 5 & under are free.
On both nights Feb. 9-10 at Ocala, pits open at 2pm Eastern, front gates open at 5pm and cars hit the track at 6pm. Outlaw 4’s will serve as the support class.
The USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship events from Florida will be streamed live and on-demand at https://flosports.link/usac.
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USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRACTICE RESULTS: February 8, 2024 – Ocala Speedway – Ocala, Florida – Winter Dirt Games XV – 3/8-Mile Dirt Track
PRACTICE: 1. Kevin Thomas Jr., 3R, Rock Steady-13.796; 2. Mitchel Moles, 19AZ, Reinbold/Underwood-13.928; 3. Logan Seavey, 57, Abacus-13.962; 4. Carson Garrett, 15, BGE Dougherty-14.009; 5. Justin Grant, 4, TOPP-14.016; 6. Chase Stockon, 5s, KO-14.024; 7. Robert Ballou, 12, Ballou-14.063; 8. C.J. Leary, 15x, BGE Dougherty-14.083; 9. Brady Bacon, 69, Dynamics-14.094; 10. Daison Pursley, 21AZ, Team AZ-14.118; 11. Timmy Buckwalter, 20, Hummer-14.136; 12. Briggs Danner, 39, Hogue-14.140; 13. Alex Bright, 27, Heffner-14.210; 14. Kyle Cummins, 3p, Petty-14.216; 15. Sterling Cling, 34, SCR-14.225; 16. Matt Westfall, 33m, Marshall-14.261; 17. Jadon Rogers, 17GP, Dutcher-14.325; 18. Joey Amantea, 88J, JPA-14.359; 19. Jake Swanson, 2B, 2B Racing-14.392; 20. Zach Daum, 5d, Daum-14.394; 21. Tom Harris, 84, Harris-14.470; 22. Trey Osborne, 5, Baldwin/Fox-14.582; 23. Mark Smith, 43m, Witherspoon-14.612; 24. Tye Mihocko, 5T, Wilson-14.613; 25. Shane Butler, 18, Butler-14.972; 26. Will Hull, 7s, Hull-15.148; 27. John Mollick, 4J, Clever-15.170; 28. Chase Howard, 13, Howard-15.795.
NEXT USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACES: February 9-10, 2024 – Ocala Speedway – Ocala, Florida – Winter Dirt Games XV – 3/8-Mile Dirt Track
Sources: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Kevin Thomas Jr. and Rock Steady Racing’s first night out in 2024 went just about as smooth as you can ask for. (Rich Forman Photos)