Windom, Bacon & Thorson Share USAC Spotlight
Story By: TYLER ALTMEYER / USAC SERIES MEDIA
Photos By: USAC SERIES / DAN DEMARCO/ RACERSGUIDE.COM
INDIANAPOLIS IND.- December 11, 2016- USAC National driving champions Chris Windom, Brady Bacon and Tanner Thorson shared the spotlight along with other 2016 USAC champions and special award recipients at Friday night’s 61st USAC Night of Champions celebration at the Indiana Roof Ballroom.
Windom, of Canton, Ill., Bacon, of Broken Arrow, Okla. and Thorson, of Minden, Nev., earned National championships. Windom was a first-time Silver Crown titlist, Bacon a second-time AMSOIL Sprint Car king and Thorson the National Midget champ.
Bacon also secured the $5,000 Mike Curb Super License and the $2,500 Resource Fast Time Award. The former was for scoring the most National points combined in the three series, while the latter was for posting the most National fast qualifying efforts during the campaign.
Car owner National champions for 2016 included DE Palma Motorsports of Lima, Ohio (Silver Crown), Dynamics Inc. (Hoffman Auto Racing) of Milford, Ohio (Sprint) and Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports of Columbus, Ind. (Midget).
Among items presented to the 2016 champions were trophies, plaques, Hoosier jackets, medallions, distinctive art canvases and remote-control TRAXXAS trucks.
Sprint Car driving champions in addition to the aforementioned include Damion Gardner of Concord, Calif. (AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprints); Brody Roa of Garden Grove, Calif. (West Coast Sprints) and R.J. Johnson of Phoenix, Ariz. (Southwest Sprints).
Other 2016 champions included Ronnie Gardner of Norco, Calif. (Western States Midget); Adam Pierson of Bradford, Vt. (DMA Midget); Gage Etgen of Celina, Ohio (Midwest Thunder Midget); Carson Macedo of Lemoore, Calif. (Indiana Midget), Jeff Mallonee of Davenport, Iowa (IMRA Midget), Toni Breidinger of Hillsborough, Calif.. (HPD Western Pavement Midget); Jesse Love IV of Menlo Park, Calif. (HPD Western Overall and Dirt Midget), Blake Brannon of San Jose, Calif. (Western HPD Restricted Midget) and Chris Lamb of Colfax, N.C. (Eastern Midget). Maxwell Industries Micro Sprint Champions honored were Jake Hagopian of Fresno, Calif., Josh Ames of Rochester, N.Y., Joey Ancona of Concord, Calif., Shawn Freeland of Scottsville, N.Y., Jordan Jermyn of Irondequoit, N.Y. and Caeden Steele of Fresno, Calif.
Also honored for their 2016 championships at Kutztown, Pa.’s ActionTrack USA were Billy Pauch Sr. of Frenchtown, N.J. (SpeedSTRs); Eddie Strada of Lake Ariel, Pa. (Hyper Racing Wingless Sprints); Dylan Hoch of Mertztown, Pa. (NAPA All Star Slingshots) and Jared Silfee of Saylorsburg, Pa. (NAPA Junior Slingshots).
