Jake Swanson Wins Jesse Hockett Classic USAC Sprint Car Eastern Storm A-Main Opener At Grandview

Story By: BOB MILLER / THUNDER ON THE HILL RACING SERIES – BECHTELSVILLE, PA – The NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series kicked off the Amsoil National-touring USAC Non-Wing Sprint Car Series Eastern Storm on Tuesday night at Grandview Speedway in a spectacular double-header with the 358 Modifieds presented by Pioneer Pole Buildings.

The 40-lap USAC Jesse Hockett Classic was won by Jake Swanson collecting a $6,000 payday for his first Thunder on the Hill win.

A total purse in excess of $45,000 was distributed with thirty-one USAC Sprints and thirty-two 358 Modifieds taking part in the big evening of racing. A well prepared racing surface delivered a great night action for both divisions.

Anaheim, California’s Jake Swanson kicked off the Eastern Storm at the top of the podium, picking up his first-ever win in the east coast swing of the series that started in 2007.

“I don’t even know what to say, I’m so pumped,” an excited Swanson said during Victory Lane ceremonies. “This has been a long time coming and we’ve worked really hard for this.”

Swanson dominated the early portion of the event taking control on the opening circuit with Thomas Meseraull close on his rear bumper. The caution flag flew for the first time on lap 18 for Oklahoma’s Brady Bacon – who raced up to the 9th position after qualifying in the semi-feature event.

On the restart, a 3-wide battle for the fourth position moved Emerson Axsom passed local favorite, Briggs Danner. Axsom would battle past Stockon into third, and then onto second-place with ten laps remaining.

The action stopped on lap 30 when Briggs Danner spun in turn two, collecting Matt Westfall who flipped bringing out the red flag.

Axsom challenged Swanson when the green flag flew again, riding around the inside of the race track, while Swanson rode almost against the outside wall of the famed one-third mile Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania oval.

The two pulled side-by-side with five laps remaining, but Jake Swanson would hold on to win the $6,000 Jesse Hockett Classic main event, Axsom settled for second position, Robert Ballou came home in third, Timmy Buckwalter in fourth, and Kyle Cummins rounded out the top five finishers.

Cummins, from Princeton, IN, started the evening with the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series Quick Time presented by Clever Girl Winery racing a lap of 13.662. Heat races were won by Steven Drevicki, Mitchel Moles, Robert Ballou, and Emerson Axsom. The semi-feature was won by CJ Leary.

USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: June 13, 2023 – Grandview Speedway – Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania – 1/3-Mile Dirt Track – 16th Eastern Storm / Jesse Hockett Classic

HONEST ABE ROOFING/CLEVER GIRL WINERY QUALIFYING: 1. Kyle Cummins, 3R, Rock Steady-13.662; 2. Justin Grant, 4, TOPP-13.715; 3. Chase Stockon, 5s, KO-13.746; 4. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-13.776; 5. Briggs Danner, 39, Hogue-13.813; 6. Thomas Meseraull, 20, Dyson-13.895; 7. Jake Swanson, 21AZ, Team AZ-13.932; 8. Emerson Axsom, 47BC, Clauson Marshall-13.996; 9. Timmy Buckwalter, 20T, Lotier/Hummer-14.052; 10. C.J. Leary, 15x, BGE Dougherty-14.055; 11. Matt Westfall, 33m, Marshall-14.059; 12. Shane Cottle, 74x, Hodges-14.060; 13. Brady Bacon, 69, Dynamics-14.065; 14. Daison Pursley, 5p, KO-14.122; 15. Carson Garrett, 15, BGE Dougherty-14.125; 16. Logan Seavey, 2B, 2B Racing-14.131; 17. Steven Drevicki, 19, DeGre-14.147; 18. Mitchel Moles, 19AZ, Reinbold/Underwood-14.181; 19. Robert Ballou, 12, Ballou-14.182; 20. Anton Hernandez, 5, Baldwin/Fox-14.195; 21. Bobby Butler, 5B, Butler-14.217; 22. Charles Davis Jr., 47, Davis-14.311; 23. Alex Bright, 27, Heffner-14.329; 24. Joey Amantea, 88J, Amantea-14.405; 25. Ricky Lewis, 41, Brown-14.632; 26. Patrick Chilmonik, 1, Chilmonik-14.684; 27. Kyle Moody, 5x, Baldwin/Fox-14.706; 28. Jason Cherry, 67c, Cherry-15.817; 29. Max Adams, 17GP, Dutcher-NT; 30. Isaac Chapple, 6, Chapple/Hall-NT; 31. Tom Harris, 84, Harris-NT.

SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, top-4 transfer to the feature) 1. Steven Drevicki, 2. Kyle Cummins, 3. Timmy Buckwalter, 4. Briggs Danner, 5. Brady Bacon, 6. Bobby Butler, 7. Ricky Lewis. NT

ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, top-4 transfer to the feature) 1. Mitchel Moles, 2. Thomas Meseraull, 3. Justin Grant, 4. Daison Pursley, 5. C.J. Leary, 6. Charles Davis Jr., 7. Patrick Chilmonik. 2:27.27

T.J. FORGED THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, top-4 transfer to the feature) 1. Robert Ballou, 2. Jake Swanson, 3. Carson Garrett, 4. Chase Stockon, 5. Matt Westfall, 6. Alex Bright, 7. Kyle Moody. 2:27.84

CAR IQ FOURTH HEAT: (10 laps, top-4 transfer to the feature) 1. Emerson Axsom, 2. Shane Cottle, 3. Anton Hernandez, 4. Logan Seavey, 5. Matt Mitchell, 6. Jason Cherry, 7. Joey Amantea. NT

ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS SEMI: (12 laps, top-6 transfer to the feature) 1. C.J. Leary, 2. Brady Bacon, 3. Bobby Butler, 4. Matt Mitchell, 5. Alex Bright, 6. Matt Westfall, 7. Ricky Lewis, 8. Joey Amantea, 9. Charles Davis Jr., 10. Kyle Moody, 11. Jason Cherry, 12. Max Adams. NT

FEATURE: (40 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Jake Swanson (1), 2. Emerson Axsom (7), 3. Robert Ballou (10), 4. Timmy Buckwalter (12), 5. Kyle Cummins (6), 6. Daison Pursley (17), 7. Thomas Meseraull (2), 8. Shane Cottle (15), 9. Chase Stockon (4), 10. Alex Bright (22), 11. Steven Drevicki (8), 12. Carson Garrett (18), 13. Matt Mitchell (11), 14. Brady Bacon (16), 15. C.J. Leary (13), 16. Justin Grant (5), 17. Mitchel Moles (9), 18. Anton Hernandez (20), 19. Briggs Danner (3), 20. Max Adams (23-P), 21. Logan Seavey (19), 22. Matt Westfall (14), 23. Charles Davis Jr. (24-P), 24. Bobby Butler (21). NT

(P) represents a provisional starter

**Matt Westfall flipped on lap 31 of the feature.

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-40 Jake Swanson.

USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Jake Swanson-737, 2-Kyle Cummins-736, 3-Brady Bacon-714, 4-Emerson Axsom-709, 5-C.J. Leary-695, 6-Justin Grant-654, 7-Mitchel Moles-616, 8-Chase Stockon-589, 9-Robert Ballou-547, 10-Daison Pursley-532.

USAC EASTERN STORM POINTS: 1-Jake Swanson-77, 2-Emerson Axsom-75, 3-Robert Ballou-72, 4-Kyle Cummins-71, 5-Timmy Buckwalter-67, 6-Daison Pursley-60, 7-Thomas Meseraull-60, 8-Shane Cottle-56, 9-Chase Stockon-55, 10-Steven Drevicki-49.

OVERALL PROSOURCE PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Daison Pursley-74, 2-Logan Seavey-53, 3-Justin Grant-44, 4-Chase Stockon-43, 5-Carson Garrett-37, 6-Bryant Wiedeman-35, 7-Matt Westfall-35, 8-Thomas Meseraull-34, 9-Gavin Miller-33, 10-Brady Bacon-31.

NEXT USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: June 14, 2023 – Bridgeport Motorsports Park – Swedesboro, New Jersey – 4/10-Mile Dirt Track – 16th Eastern Storm

CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Dirt Draft Hot Laps Fastest Driver: Thomas Meseraull (13.524)
Honest Abe Roofing / Clever Girl Winery Fast Qualifier: Kyle Cummins (13.662)
Simpson Race Products First Heat Winner: Steven Drevicki
Rod End Supply Second Heat Winner: Mitchel Moles
T.J. Forged Third Heat Winner: Robert Ballou
Car IQ Fourth Heat Winner: Emerson Axsom
Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi Winner: C.J. Leary
Hard Charger: Alex Bright (22nd to 10th)
Top 360 c.i. Finishing Driver: Bobby Butler (24th)