INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana-- Tony Hunt of Fair Oaks, Calif. outlasted teammate Michael Lewis for the 2004 USAC Valvoline Western Sprint Car Series championship, his second series title in four years and fourth USAC career championship.
Hunt, whose battle with Lewis came down to the final two races, finished second and sixth at Tucson, Ariz. and Irwindale, Calif. to finish the season 28 points ahead of the defending titlist Lewis. Hunt also gave his Western Speed team its second car owners crown.
Lewis picked up where he left off his 2003 championship season. In search of his second consecutive title, Lewis won twice at Madera (Calif.) Speedway for the early advantage. Hunt finished runner-up in both events, trailing Lewis by only seven following the “Vukovich Classic.”
Third-place finisher Brad Bumgarner claimed the top spot in the standings for the first time May 8 at Anderson Speedway in Shasta, Calif., as Lewis did not show for the event and Hunt finished 15th with mecahanical failure. Hunt, who stayed in second despite the poor finish, missed the race at Tucson, Ariz., falling to seventh in the standings while Lewis jumped into second.
The 2002 series champ Hunt then made a statement as he rallied back. He never finished outside the “top ten” the remainder of the season, collecting his sole win of the season Aug. 7 at Madera. Lewis reclaimed control of the point standings with a fifth-place finish, leading Hunt by four points and Bumgarner by six.
That margin would get smaller later in the season, as Lewis and Hunt staged one of USAC’s closest point battles of all time. Lewis led by eight after his fifth win of the season Aug. 21, but Hunt followed suit with second. Hunt gained the point lead for the first time Aug. 27 in Boise, Idaho, leading Lewis by three points, but Lewis answered the next night with a second-place showing and a nine-point advantage.
Hunt went back in front Sept. 4 at Stockton 99 Speedway in Stockton, Calif. thanks to scoring fast time for the night and a runner-up finish. Back at Rocky Mountain Raceways for the second time in 2004, Lewis edged teammates Brian McClish and Hunt for the win, snatching the lead back, giving him a two-point benefit. The lead had seesawed five times over that five-race span!
But Lewis found trouble in the next two races, finishing 17th at Las Vegas and 10th. Hunt carried a 21-point lead out of Las Vegas and increased his margin to 44 markers in the “Old Pueblo Classic” at Tucson.
Lewis tried all he could in the “Turkey Night Grand Prix” in Irwindale, Calif., leading the final 27 laps of the contest. But Hunt took sixth in the season finale to wear the crown for the second time.
Hunt also claimed the 2004 Earl's Fast Time Qualifier Award scoring six fast times. With four USAC titles, Hunt stands among only 20 drivers in USAC history to have four or more titles, which include the names AJ Foyt and Mario Andretti.
For more information go to: www.tonyhunt.com
