IRP Kroger Speedfest '97 Report: DuPont 100 Silver Crown Race
31 July 1997
IRWIN CHARGES FROM BACK OF THE PACK TO TAKE DuPONT 100 VICTORY AT IRP Kenny Irwin, Jr., pulled off one of the greatest performances in recent open wheel racing history as he won the USAC Silver Crown Series DuPont 100 presented by Automotive Color & Supply at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Irwin, driving the John Vance/Aristocrat Products car, started 28th in the 29-car field and consistently worked his way through the field from the very beginning. Adding to the herculean task Irwin undertook was that he failed to qualify, due to a pinched fuel line which ended his qualification attempt before a lap was turned. "It's easier to concentrate on the race when you're coming from the back, so I knew I had a good car as I made progress; I love this place," said Irwin with a grin. Irwin's good fortune came at the expense of Tony Stewart, however. Stewart, driving the Snider-Foyt Racing entry, was very dominant, leading from lap one, and had nearly the entire field lapped when Jay Drake spun down in front of Stewart, forcing a collision. "This race looked a lot like some of my Indy Racing League experiences," joked Stewart. Stewart finished 23rd. Russ Gamester set fast time for the evening with a time and speed of 20.818 seconds, 118.628 mph. Jason Leffler won the first semi-feature, with USAC Silver Crown points leader Donnie Beechler finishing second. Beechler crashed in Turn One on Lap 80 of the feature, but was OK. He still leads Jimmy Kite, who crashed on the last lap of the race, by 36 points. Irwin will race tonight in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Cummins 200 presented by the Indiana Dodge Dealers, race number two in IRP's Kroger Speedfest. He will also compete in Friday night's Kroger NASCAR 200 Busch Grand National Series race, thus completing a possible run of 500 laps of racing on the tough IRP oval in three nights. (End Story) _____________________________________________________________________________________ Results from Indianapolis Raceway Park "DuPont 100," July 30, 1997, featuring the USAC Silver Crown Championship Series: Qualifying: 1. Russ Gamester, 20.818 secs., 118.628 mph; 2. Tony Stewart; 3. Jimmy Sills; 4. Jack Hewitt; 5. Jay Drake; 6. Jimmy Kite; 7. Brian Gerster; 8. Paul Durant; 9. Chet Fillip; 10. Pat Abold; 11. Davey Hamilton; 12. Ryan Newman; 13. Mike Bliss; 14. Dan Drinan; 15. Dave Darland; 16. Jim Keeker; 17. John Heydenreich; 18. Chuck Leary; 19. Robby Flock; 20. Tracy Hines; 21. J.J. Yeley; 22. Jason Leffler; 23. Doug Kalitta; 24. Ronnie Burke; 25. Donnie Beechler; 26. Casey Diemert; 27. Jeff Miritsin; 28. Dave Steele; 29. Bentley Warren; 30. Andy Michner; 31. Brian Tyler; 32. Jason McCord; 33. Gary Hieber; 34. Jimmy McCune; 35. Randy Bauer; 36. Joe Gosek; 37. Kenneth Nichols; 38. Mike Mosley Jr.; 39. Bill Baue; 40. Daryl Daugherty; 41. Don Carter Jr.; 42. Norm Young; 43. Bruce Field; 44. Dodie Miller; 45. Kenny Irwin Jr. (DNF) Qualifying Race #1: (15 Laps; Top 5 transfer to feature) 1. Leffler; 2. McCord; 3. Burke; 4. Michner; 5. Gosek; 6. Steele; 7. Diemert; 8. McCune; 9. Daugherty; 10. Miller; 11. Young; 12. Mosley Qualifying Race #2: (15 Laps) 1. Beechler; 2. Kalitta; 3. Warren; 4. Irwin; 5. Mitrisin; 6. Bauer; 7. Baue; 8. Tyler; 9. Field; 10. Jieber; 11. Carter; 12. Nichols DuPont 100: (100 Laps) 1. Irwin; 2. Bliss; 3. Drinan; 4. Abold; 5. Warren; 6. Fillip; 7. Tracy Hines; 8. Kite; 9. Keeker; 10. Mitrisin; 11. McCord; 12. Gosek; 13. Leffler; 14. Darland; 15. Michner; 16. Gamester; 17. Flock; 18. Newman; 19. Hamilton; 20. Hewitt; 21. Beechler; 22. Yeley; 23. Stewart; 24. Drake; 25. Gerster; 26. Kalitta; 27. Burke; 28. Heydenreich; 29. Durant; 30. Leary Next event at IRP: The Cummins 200 presented by the Indiana Dodge Dealers Thursday, July 31, 8:30 p.m., featuring the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
