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USAC: The Weekend in USAC Sprints, Midgets, and F2000

15 June 1998

STOOPS FREIGHTLINER SPRINT CAR SERIES KOKOMO RAINED OUT; ATTICA FRIDAY, ELDORA SATURDAY, SALEM SUNDAY

Rain during warmups forced postponement of Sunday night's "Vince Osman Classic" at the Evans Kokomo Speedway in Kokomo, Ind. The Stoops Freightliner/USAC Sprint Car race has been rescheduled for Sunday night, August 9.

Race organizer Kent Evans has arranged for bonus prizes, including lap money, which could swell the August 9 winner's purse to over $10,000. Guaranteed first-place prizes already eclipse the $8,000 mark, making the Kokomo race the biggest of the season in terms of winner's share.

The Stoops Freightliner/USAC Sprint Cars face a busy slate this weekend, with three consecutive events. Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park hosts Friday night's "Ramsey Trucking" race, with a $500 bonus and a right-rear Weld Wheel to the fast qualifier in addition to the $300 Turbines, Inc. posting. Practice on the 1/3-mile dirt track starts at 6, qualifying at 7 and racing at 8. Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio is Saturday night's venue, where practice on the 1/2-mile dirt track begins at 6:30. Qualifying is set for 7 and racing at 8. Sunday afternoon's "doubleheader" at the Salem, Ind. Speedway showcases the Sprint cars and the USAC National Midgets. Practice gets under way at 11:30 a.m., followed by qualifying at 1 p.m. and racing at 2. All feature events are 30 laps.

Stoops Freightliner Sprint Car Point Standings: 1-Kevin Thomas-744; 2-Brian Tyler-691; 3-Tony Elliott-644; 4-Tim Cox-632; 5-Jason McCord-582; 6-Derek Davidson-564; 7-Brad Armstrong-533; 8-J.J. Yeley-530; 9-Dave Steele-486; 10-Chet Fillip-420.

FORMULA 2000 SERIES BESNARD DOMINATES AT MID-OHIO; LeMOND MAKES PODIUM

David Besnard of Sydney, Australia continues to dominate the 1998 USAC/SCCA United States Formula 2000 National Championship. He led wire-to-wire Sunday morning in his Haase Racing Karts Van Diemen Ford to win the 20-lap feature during the U.S. Road Racing Classic weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. The victory gives him a 52-point lead over Ryan Hampton going into a street race in downtown Minneapolis, Minn. June 28. Hampton was fourth in Sunday's race.

Stealing some of Besnard's spotlight Sunday at Mid-Ohio was three-time Tour de France cycling champion Greg LeMond of Medina, Minn., who came from ninth starting spot to take third behind Besnard and Marc Antoine Camirand, LeMond is looking forward to the June 28 race, a sort of homecoming for him.

Camirand won the pole for Sunday's Mid-Ohio race with a lap of 118.09 mph. during Saturday's qualifying in his Key Tours/Key Motorsports Van Diemen Ford.

Formula 2000 Point Standings: 1-David Besnard-213; 2-Ryan Hampton-161; 3-Robby McGehee-141; 4-Andy Lally-135; 5-Marc Antoine Camirand-102; 6-Jon Herb-98; 7-Mike Johnson-96; 8-Bobby Oergel-85; 9-Jonathan Bottoms-78; 10-Steve Rikert-75.

NATIONAL/16TH STREET/SPEEDROME MIDGET SERIES SHELTON WINS WILD 16TH STREET 40-LAPPER; RAIN HALTS SPEEDROME ANDERSON, SPEEDROME, 16TH STREET & SALEM ALL HOST MIDGETS

USAC National Midget point leader Ricky Shelton of Huntington Beach, Calif. captured Saturday night's intense racing program at the 16th Street Speedway in Indianapolis, Ind., leading the final four laps in his Willoughby Stealth Gaerte. The victory extended his lead over teammate Jay Drake to 31 points going into Wednesday night's event at the Anderson (Ind.) Speedway which will be televised on a tape-delay basis by ESPN2. A 30-lap feature is planned on the 1/4-mile paved Anderson oval, following practice at 5 p.m., qualifying at 6 and preliminary races starting at 7.

The Indianapolis Speedrome, following last Thursday night's rainout, resumes its weekly "regional" slate this Thursday night with a 50-lap feature on tap at the 1/5-mile paved oval. A 30-lapper is also on the card for the 16th Street Speedway which hosts a weekly Midget program this Saturday night. The National Midget Series then returns to Salem (Ind.) Speedway Sunday afternoon, joining the Stoops Freightliner/USAC Sprint Cars for a "doubleheader" with 30-lap races on tap for both series. Practice starts at 11:30 a.m., with qualifying at 1 p.m. and racing at 2.

Trailing Shelton to the checkered flag at 16th Street Saturday were Kevin Doty, Drake, Donnie Beechler and Tray House. Jason Leffler was Saturday night's fastest qualifier but ended up as one of 10 drivers who flipped during the program. There were no serious injuries. Feature lap leaders included Beechler, Johnny Parsons III, Doty and Shelton.

National Midget Standings: 1-Ricky Shelton-242; 2-Jay Drake-211; 3-Jason Leffler-194; 4-Tracy Hines-187; 5-Jimmy McCune-159; 6-Jerry Coons, Jr.-144; 7-Ronnie Johncox-117; 8-Dave Steele-104; 9-Ted Hines-92; 10-Kevin Thomas-92. 16th Street Midget Standings: 1-Critter Malone-97; 2-Andy Pierce-95; 3-Ricky Shelton-92; 4-Michael Lang-83; 5-Roy Caruthers-81; 6-Donnie Beechler-77; 7-Jeff Hampton-76; 8-Ron Smoker-70; 9-Johnny Parsons III-66; 10-Rick Treadway-64.

Speedrome Midget Standings: 1-Michael Lang-2,000; 2-John Sluss-1,245; 3-Dean Franklin-765; 4-Daryl Campbell-684; 5-John Mount-660; 6-Mike Hurst-450; 7-Mark Dismore, Jr.-440; 8-Gregg Cory-430; 9-Mark Longworth-364; 10-Jerry McPherson-340.

WESTERN STATES SERIES HARRIS, STANFILL SHARE VENTURA VICTORY LANE; KINGS REBELS WET TQ/MIDGET "TWIN BILL" AT BAKERSFIELD SAT.; HANFORD TRIES AGAIN

Alex Harris of Simi Valley, Calif. remained undefeated in 1998 USAC TQ Midget racing with his fifth consecutive feature victory Saturday night at the Ventura (Calif.) Raceway. Bryan Stanfill earned his initial USAC "Western States" Midget feature victory in the "Sleepy Tripp Night" twin bill, beating series point leader Rick Hendrix and Robert Dolacki to the checkered flag.

Stanfill led all but the first lap to score the "hometown" win and bolster his third-place series ranking. Tripp, trying for his 102nd career series triumph, led the opening lap but wound up 10th.

Harris caught Jim Styer on the 10th lap and led the rest of the way to beat Styer and Ron Ahrendt in the 20-lap TQ feature. Stanfill (Midgets) and Ron Wade (TQs) were the respective fast qualifiers. The Midgets and TQs combine again Saturday night at Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway, with a 20-lap TQ and 30-lap Midget feature on tap.

The Regional Rebel Sprint Cars return to action this Saturday night at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif. following a rainout of last Friday night's scheduled program at the 3/8-mile dirt track. A 30-lap feature is planned.

Western States Midget Standings: 1-Rick Hendrix-270; 2-Wally Pankratz-221; 3-Bryan Stanfill-220; 4-Shane Scully-190; 5-Bobby Boone-179; 6-Clay Klepper-161; 7-Sleepy Tripp-140; 8-Nick Mitchell-130; 9-Steve Paden-125; 10-Marc DeBeaumont-124.

Western States Sprint Standings: 1-Jeff Gardner-316; 2-Rick Williams-239; 3-Kirk Wartman-151; 4-Tony Hunt-141; 5-Dave Fitzgerald-118; 6-Monte Faccinto-110; 7-Ray Evans-110; 8-Kevin Urton-105; 9-Davey Pombo-93; 10-Ken Hamilton-91.

TQ Midget Standings: 1-Alex Harris-216; 2-Randi Pankratz-137; 3-Josh Lakatos-122; 4-Paul Krueger-115; 5-Ron Ahrendt-91; 6-Gene Godepski-91; 7-West Evans-90; 8-Greg Edenholm-89; 9-Jim Styer-76; 10-Brian Harris-73. Regional Rebel Sprint Standings: 1-Monte Faccinto-338; 2-Davey Pombo-329; 3-Mark Barroso-220; 4-Craig Stidham-210; 5-Lawrence Edlund-202; 6-Larry Brown-175; 7-Shane Travioli-149; 8-Tim Worth-102; 9-Tyler Haylett-99; 10-Jonathan Allard-98.