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USAC: Silver Crown Delta Thunder Race Results

7 June 1998

MEMPHIS (Tenn.) - Results Sunday afternoon (June 7) from the running of the "Delta Thunder" USAC Silver Crown Championship Race at Memphis Motorsports Park, with starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, laps completed, reason out if any and money won:

Dave Steele of Tampa, Fla. dominated Sunday afternoon's 100-lap "Delta Thunder" USAC Silver Crown Championship race at the brand-new Memphis Motorsports Park 3/4-mile paved oval near Memphis, Tenn.

Steele led all 100 laps in his Aristocrat Products/Wynn's Chevy to claim the $16,100 winner's share of the $80,350 purse.

"Without a radio I really didn't know how big a lead I had until the red flag," admitted Steele, who won by over a half-lap. He enjoyed a similar lead when the red flag flew on lap 79 for an accident on the backstretch involving three cars. Doug Didero of Mooresville, N.C. escaped serious injury when his car flipped numerous times after contacting a car driven by Derek Davidson of Lafayette, Ind. Davidson was uninjured, as was Pat Abold of Pennellville, N.Y., who spun to miss the tangle.

"I'm thrilled to finally win a Silver Crown race," said Steele, who has numerous USAC Sprint car wins but had never won in the bigger cars before. "I always have a lot of confidence when I come to the track because my car owner (Johnny Vance) always gives me a good car."

Steele won the pole for the race at a speed of 129.789 mph. He was followed at the checkered flag by Jimmy Sills of Placerville, Calif. and Robby Flock of Murrieta, Calif.

Series point leader Jason Leffler ran second much of the race but a tire change after the red flag relegated him to fourth at the finish.

Indy Racing League vets Brian Tyler of Parma, Mich. and Davey Hamilton of Boise, Ida. took fifth and sixth respectively. Hamilton started last in a car qualified by George Snider. IRL regular J.J. Yeley joined Hamilton in a flight from Saturday night's Texas 500 and finished 10th in Sunday's race. 

        1.      (1)     DAVE STEELE, Tampa, Fla., 100, $16,100.
        2.      (5)     JIMMY SILLS, Placerville, Calif., 100, $8,000.
        3.      (8)     ROBBY FLOCK, Murrieta, Calif., 100, $5,500.
        4.      (3)     JASON LEFFLER, Long Beach, Calif., 100, $4,100.
        5.      (6)     BRIAN TYLER, Parma, Mich., 99, $3,300.
        6.      (21)    DAVEY HAMILTON, Boise, Idaho, 99, $2,775.
        7.      (7)     ERIC GORDON, Indianapolis, Ind., 99, $2,475.
        8.      (4)     RYAN NEWMAN, South Bend, Ind., 99, $2,300.
        9.      (12)    PAT ABOLD, Pennellville, N.Y., 99, $2,100.
        10.     (14)    J.J. YELEY, Phoenix, Ariz., 99, $1,900.
        11.     (17)    DEREK DAVIDSON, Lafayette, Ind., 98, $1,800.
        12.     (23)    TODD KANE, Powell, Ohio, 98, $1,950.
        13.     (26)    BRAD ARMSTRONG, New Palestine, Ind., 98, $1,600.
        14.     (11)    BENTLEY WARREN, Kennebunkport, Maine, 97, $1,550.
        15.     (28)    JACK HEWITT, Troy, Ohio, 97, $1,500.
        16.     (9)     BILLY PUTERBAUGH, JR., Brownsburg, Ind., 96,$1,450.
        17.     (10)    DAVE DARLAND, Walton, Ind., 91, $1,900.
        18.     (25)    MIKE BROOKS, Knoxville, Iowa, 91, $1,300.
        19.     (27)    GARY HIEBER, Langhorne, Pa., 88, $1,250.
        20.     (16)    DOUG DIDERO, Mooresville, N.C., 77, Accident,$1,200.
        21.     (30)    JOHN HEYDENREICH, Bloomsburg, Pa., 77, WheelBearing, $1,175.
        22.     (13)    TRACY HINES, New Castle, Ind., 69, Accident,$1,150.
        23.     (24)    ROD HOLSHOUSER, Jackson, Mo., 57, Engine, $1,125.
        24.     (19)    LOU CICCONI, JR., Aston, Pa., 55, Oil Pressure,$1,100.
        25.     (22)    CHIP THOMAS, Belleville, Ill., 39, Accident,$1,075.
        26.     (29)    RICKY SHELTON, Huntington Beach, Calif., 39, Rear End, $1,050.
        27.     (20)    JAY DRAKE, Canyon Country, Calif., 32, Rear End,$1,025.
        28.     (2)     RUSS GAMESTER, Peru, Ind., 26, Radiator Hose,$1,000.
        29.     (15)    DAN DRINAN, Indianapolis, Ind., 24, Steering,$1,000.
        30.     (18)    TIM COX, Park City, Ill., 19, Engine, $1,000.

Average Speed: None-Red Flag
Time of Race: None-Red Flag
Caution Flags: Laps 42-53, Shelton stalled in turn 2 and Thomas hit wall
on
front stretch; Laps 71-78, Hines hit wall in turn 3. RED FLAG on lap 79,
Didero, Pankratz and Abold accident on backstretch (Didero flipped).
Lead Changes: None (Steele led all 100 from the pole).
Lap Leaders: Steele 1-100.
Fastest Qualifier: Dave Steele, 20.803 seconds, 129.789 mph.
Turbines, Inc. "Rookie of the Race": Todd Kane
New Silver Crown Point Standings: 1-Jason Leffler-245; 2-Brian Tyler-207;
3-Jimmy Sills-193; 4-Ryan Newman-187; 5-Dave Steele-171; 6-J.J. Yeley-162;
7-Dave Darland-158; 8-Jack Hewitt-145; 9-Davey Hamilton-138; 10-Russ
Gamester-138.
Next Silver Crown Race: July 3 - Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track - "Sumar Classic 100"