[Careless Whisper]

Last Lap Pass Gives Collier Second Consecutive Win
Jack Collier rebounded from an early spin and passed Will Carson on the final lap to win the Grand Prix of Colorado

by Alex Ford, The Plain Dealer motorsports reporter

SWITCHBACK HILLS, Colo. -- Even when Jack Collier makes a mistake, the USAC Stock Car World Series field knows he can’t be counted out.

Collier spun on the second lap and fell back to 11th place, but spent the remainder of the day climbing back into contention and passed Will Carson on the backstretch of the final circuit to win the Grand Prix of Colorado, his second consecutive victory of the season. The Cleveland native has now won three out of the series’ inaugural four races, with a lone blemish coming in Round 2 at Vallejo.

“I caught the grass going into the first turn and it just whipped around,” said Collier of his early error. “Wasn’t forced down there or anything, I just made a mistake. Luckily, the car was good enough to rebound and move through the field, and we did a great job in the pits to put me back in contention. I knew I was going to be able to catch Will (Carson), it was just a matter of picking my moment and thankfully he gave me just enough of a hole on the backstretch there.”

The margin of victory was 0.337 seconds after Carson led most of the race from the pole. Geoff Bodine joined the two on the podium, with Joe Quinn and Chris Norton completing the top five.

There were no retirements for the first time in series history as all 16 drivers finished the race. Bodine now leads Collier in the standings by three points.

Round 5 marks the midway point of the season as the tour heads to Glacier Fields for the Nevada Challenge on Saturday, April 16.

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Grand Prix of Colorado
Bridgeport Speedway | Race 4 of 10
March 26, 1994 | $100,000 Winner’s Purse

F | S | Driver (Points)
1 | 2 | Jack Collier (20)
2 | 1 | Will Carson (17)
3 | 3 | Geoff Bodine (14)
4 | 4 | Joe Quinn (12)
5 | 7 | Chris Norton (10)
6 | 9 | John Sussman (8)
7 | 11 | Ross Davidson (6)
8 | 10 | Cody Martin (5)
9 | 8 | Tony Irwin (4)
10 | 5 | Eric Downing (3)
11 | 6 | Bill Taylor (2)
12 | 16 | John Morgan (1)
13 | 14 | Brad Lockerman (0)
14 | 12 | John Brewer (0)
15 | 15 | Kyle Schmitt (0)
16 | 13 | Dave Williams (0)

Margin of Victory: 0.337 seconds

1994 USAC Stock Car World Series Standings & Winners
P | Driver (Points, Difference)
1 | Geoff Bodine (64 / 1 win, 2 poles)
2 | Jack Collier (60, -4 / 3 wins, 1 pole)
3 | Joe Quinn (52, -12)
4 | Will Carson (46, -18 / 1 pole)
5 | Tony Irwin (30, -34)
6 | Cody Martin (29, -35)
7 | Ross Davidson (25, -39)
T8 | Eric Downing (22, -42)
T8 | Chris Norton (22, -42)
10 | John Sussman (20, -44)
11 | Bill Taylor (18, -46)
12 | Brad Lockerman (10, -54)
13 | John Morgan (4, -60)
T14 | Kyle Schmitt (1, -63)
T14 | Dave Williams (1, -63)
16 | John Brewer (-1, -65)

Thunderdome Challenge (Thunderdome) | Pole: Jack Collier (1), Win: Jack Collier (1)
California Grand Prix (Vallejo) | Pole: Geoff Bodine (1), Win: Geoff Bodine (1)
Grand Prix of New York (Binghamton) | Pole: Geoff Bodine (2), Win: Jack Collier (2)
Grand Prix of Colorado (Bridgeport) | Pole: Will Carson (1), Win: Jack Collier (3)