MC WEEKLY Week of Dec. 31, 2014 11 Clauson hopes to compete in 2015 Indianapolis 500 ■ Amsoil National Sprint Car Se- Sprint star left ries championships (2012, Tony Stewart’s team 2013). In the just-completed campaign Clauson was second last week to Brady Bacon despite win- ning the final race of the sea- irt track son at the Perris Auto Speed- fans’ way in California. attention The news of his departure Dis surprised some, but many already speculated throughout 2014 squarely set that this would be his final on the 2015 season with the team. Clauson, season. the 2014 Kokomo Speedway BRETT A few track champion and former weeks back it Rookie of the Year at the track, BOWMAN was an- has already announced his in- nounced that tentions of competing in the RACING Shane Cottle 2015 Indianapolis 500. COLUMNIST would be This past summer, Clauson leaving the made the starting grid in the Chuck Baldwin, www.pictureworld.org | Submitted photo Epperson prestigious Knoxville Nationals HOT SHOE: Bryan Clauson hustles the Tony Stewart No. 20 around the Kokomo Speedway during a race this past Racing No. 2E that he has pi- and it is no secret that he loves season. Clauson will run a very different schedule in 2015 after leaving the Stewart team. loted since the start of the 2012 the challenge of piloting season to join forces with Paul winged sprint cars. During a been no official word from ei- ran a mixed-bag slate of years with Chris Gurley in the O’Connor family which has Hazen in the famed No. 57 conversation prior to a weekly ther Clauson or Stewart’s camp events, it looks like he will be 12G. transformed Kokomo into one ride. show at Kokomo, the No- whether or not that is the case. competing in Ocala, Florida, in The Gurley/Cripe combina- of the top venues in the coun- That particular turn of blesville standout smiled Talking with drivers and February when the USAC tion did manage to capture the try. Although I will cover the events began when Hanford, broadly when discussing step- crew members of various Sprint Car season kicks off at abbreviated track champion- move in more detail later, California, standout Chad ping out of his comfort zone teams, the word is that TSR is the Bubba Raceway Park. It ship last summer at Gas City right now it looks like it will Boespflug opted to depart the and into a winged car against selling out all of the USAC was announced that he would but following the season, with be primarily special events Hazen camp and join forces the best winged racers in the sprint car and Silver Crown be piloting Dave Stensland’s Gurley wanting to scale back only for the upcoming season. with Kenny Baldwin and the country. equipment and concentrating Physical Medical Consultants his schedule, the pair went sep- A quick glance at the USAC Baldwin Brothers Racing/Fox With Steve Kinser announc- solely on the World of Outlaws No. 41S that Dave Darland ran arate ways. National Midget and Sprint Paving No. 5 that Dalten Gab- ing prior to last season that series. As sad as it is to see the locally in 2014 although, due Car schedules for 2015 have bard wheeled for a big chunk 2014 would be his final year of most successful team in the to Clauson’s schedule, it looks GAS CITY the sprint cars on hand for of 2014. chasing the STP World of Out- sprint car series for nearly a to be a one off deal as the In a move that surprised two events and more than Bryan Clauson recently an- laws Series up and down the decade depart, the move team is still looking for a full- few, if any, the Gas City I-69 likely the midgets will be nounced that he would be highway on a full-time basis, makes perfect sense money time driver for 2015. Speedway and KLS Promo- there at least once as part of leaving the Tony Stewart Rac- speculation has run rampant wise. Speaking of the Stensland tions have partnered for a Indiana Midget Week. ing/Chevy Performance No. 20 that Clauson would assume Although Clauson’s schedule camp, veteran crew chief Brian partial schedule in 2015. team. During his three-year the seat as a teammate to six- in 2015 will probably be com- Cripe will be the new man For those who might not • Brett Bowman may be tenure with TSR, Clauson time series champion Donny parable to 2013 when he com- turning wrenches for the team have known, KLS is more reached by email at claimed back-to-back USAC Schatz. However there has peted in his first Indy 500 and after spending the last two commonly known as the [email protected].