USAC: The Week in USAC Sprints, Silver Crown, and Midgets
14 July 1998
SILVER CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP SERIESHEYDENREICH STARS IN "ROCKY MOUNTAIN CLASSIC" 100-MILER
John Heydenreich and Bentley Warren turned Sunday's USAC Silver Crown "shootout in the west" into a battle of Easterners as they finished 1-2 in the 100-mile "Rocky Mountain Classic' feature at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo..
Heydenreich of Bloomsburg, Pa., earned his initial Silver Crown victory despite fighting an ill-handling American Compressed Steel Special in the closing laps. On the last lap he slid up to the outside wall but kept going and on the final turn he smoked the tires in a broadslide but held on to beat Warren, of Kennebunkport, Maine by just over a car length.
"I thought it was over," said John in victory lane. "I didn't know how close he (Bentley) was. I was so busy watching the wall. I just had to ride it out to the checkered flag."
Heydenreich started ninth in the 30-car field and moved to the front on lap 67. Four laps later he lost the lead to Pat Abold of Pennellville, N.Y. on a restart but regained the lead the next lap and held it to the end.
Pole winner Russ Gamester of Peru, Ind. led the first 40 laps but retired after 69 laps due to overheating problems.
Jimmy Sills and Jason Leffler, the series point leader, rounded out the "top-five" at the end. Jerry Coons, Jr., who was 17th, earned the $250 Turbines, Inc. "Rookie of the Race" award.
The race was slowed by three cautions. One was for Dan Drinan's trip into the outside wall in turn three on lap 15. Another came out when race leader Dave Steele tapped a lapped car and spun out on lap 67.
Silver Crown Point Standings: 1-Jason Leffler-322; 2-Brian Tyler-306; 3-Ryan Newman-286; 4-Jimmy Sills-263; 5-J.J. Yeley-219; 6-Dave Steele-202; 7-Dave Darland-194; 8-Robby Flock-176; 9-Jack Hewitt-171; 10-Russ Gamester-166.
STOOPS FREIGHTLINER SPRINT CAR SERIES
PENNZOIL "INDIANA SPRINT WEEK" OPENS AT LAWRENCEBURG, KOKOMO
The 11th Pennzoil "Indiana Sprint Week" opens this weekend with races Saturday night at the Lawrenceburg Speedway and Sunday night at the Evans Kokomo Speedway.
J.J. Yeley is the defending "Sprint Week" champion but four-time titlist Kevin Thomas currently leads the 1998 Stoops Freightliner/USAC Sprint Car point standings going into the seven-race series.
Practice at Lawrenceburg's 1/4-mile dirt track begins at 6 p.m. Qualifying is set for 7 and racing starts at 8. Sunday's Kokomo events include practice at 5:45, qualifying at 6:15 and racing at 7. Both programs have 30-lap features. Pennzoil "Indiana Sprint Week" continues with races July 22 at Terre Haute, July 23 at North Vernon, July 24 at Bloomington, July 25 at Paragon and July 26 at Putnamville.
The USAC regulars are expected to face a contingent of drivers from across the country, including several west coast stars. Richard Griffin of Silver City, N.M., who was the fastest qualifier for all six of his 1997 "Indiana Sprint Week" appearances, is among those expected to return this year.
The seven-race series will certainly have a significant impact on the 1998 National Championship as Brian Tyler, seeking a third consecutive title, trails Thomas by 67 points, with Tony Elliott only two behind Tyler.
Stoops Freightliner Sprint Car Point Standings: 1-Kevin Thomas-946; 2-Brian Tyler-879; 3-Tony Elliott-877; 4-Tim Cox-808; 5-Derek Davidson-780; 6-Jason McCord-774; 7-Brad Armstrong-689; 8-J.J. Yeley-671; 9-Dave Steele-642; 10-Kevin Doty-573.
NATIONAL/16TH STREET/SPEEDROME MIDGET SERIES
LEFFLER EARNS $11,250 at PPIR; SMOKER, LANG INDY MIDGET STARS
16TH HOSTS "NATIONAL" RACE SATURDAY; SPEEDROME "50" THURSDAY
Defending USAC National Midget Champion Jason Leffler of Long Beach, Calif. captured Sunday's "Rocky Mountain Classic" 25-mile National/"Western States" Midget race at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo. The win solidified his third-place ranking in the standings as he led all but four laps in his Ford/Beast/ASE/Wynn's/Performance Racing Industry Pink Ford.
Leffler now eyes the "Mid-Summer Midget Classic' at Lincoln, Neb., scheduled July 28, and the rich Miller Genuine Draft "Belleville Midget Nationals" in Kansas July 30-August 1, both races he won last year.
Leffler, the fastest qualifier at PPIR, raked in over $11,000 for Sunday's victory, which included a $3,000 roll-over bonus from the Wynn's Challenge. He was trailed at the checkered flag by Dave Steele, Davey Hamilton, Jay Drake and John Heydenreich.
Ron Smoker of Hamburg, N.Y. and Michael Lang of Indianapolis, Ind. captured "regional" midget races in Indianapolis last week. Smoker led all 30 laps in his Parker Machinery Gaerte to beat Dean Franklin and Roger McCluskey, Jr. at 16th Street Speedway Saturday night.
Lang, who now leads both the 16th Street and Speedrome series point standings, finished ninth at 16th Street after winning Thursday night's 50-lapper at the Speedrome in his Keco/Ad-Tech Floor Care/IFI VW. He passed Norm Young on the ninth lap and led the rest of the way to beat John Sluss and Mike Hurst.
The Speedrome series continues this Thursday night with another 50-lapper on tap, while 16th Street hosts a National event on Saturday night, with practice at 5 p.m., qualifying at 5:30 and racing at 7. A 40-lap feature will cap the 16th Street action.
National Midget Standings: 1-Ricky Shelton-352; 2-Jay Drake-342; 3-Jason Leffler-335; 4-Jimmy McCune-291; 5-Tracy Hines-253; 6-Jerry Coons, Jr.-212; 7-Dave Steele-171; 8-Ronnie Johncox-168; 9-Travis Welpott-153; 10-Michael Lewis-130.
16th Street Midget Standings: 1-Michael Lang-162; 2-Critter Malone-159; 3-Jeff Hampton-138; 4-Andy Pierce-126; 5-Roy Caruthers-119; 6-Ricky Shelton-112; 7-Donnie Beechler-108'; 8-Ron Smoker-105; 9-Johnny Parsons III-101; 10-Jerry Coons, Jr.-97.
Speedrome Midget Standings: 1-Michael Lang-4,145; 2-John Sluss-3,925; 3-Dean Franklin-1,495; 4-Daryl Campbell-1,424; 5-Brad Kuhn-1,261; 6-Ron Hamm-1,222; 7-Gregg Cory-1,080; 8-John Mount-1,030; 9-Marc Longworth-844; 10-Mike Hurst-820.
WESTERN STATES SERIES
HARRIS SCORES 6TH 1998 TQ MIDGET WIN AT THE PAS
LEFFLER EYES LINCOLN AFTER PPIR WIN; REBELS AT HANFORD FRIDAY
Alex Harris of Simi Valley, Calif. is now 6-for-7 in the USAC TQ Midgets this year after winning Saturday night's 20-lap feature at Perris Auto Speedway in Lake Perris, Calif. He led the last 11 laps in his West Valley Grinding Special after passing West Evans to earn his second 1998 triumph at the PAS.
Trailing Harris at the checkered flag were Gene Godepski, Brian Harris, fast qualifier Steve Lambert and Evans.
The Regional Rebel Sprint Cars return to Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif. this Friday night for a program of events topped by a 30-lap feature. Hanford's Monte Faccinto leads 1997 USAC "Western States" Sprint Car "Rookie of the Year' Davey Pombo by just 21 points in that series standings.
Rick Hendrix of Simi Valley, Calif. continues to lead the "Western States" Midget Series after finishing 11th in Sunday's National/"Western States" Midget race at the Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo. He leads Wally Pankratz (10th at PPIR) by 35 points going into the "Mid-Summer Midget Classic" at Eagle Raceway in Lincoln, Neb. July 28.
Jason Leffler won Sunday's "Rocky Mountain Classic" at PPIR in his Ford/Beast/ASE/Wynn's/Performance Racing Industry Pink Ford, leading all but four laps of the 25-mile race to earn a paycheck for over $11,000, which included a $3,000 roll-over bonus from the Wynn's Challenge. Dave Steele, Davey Hamilton, Jay Drake and John Heydenreich rounded out the "top-five" at the checkered flag on the 1-mile paved oval.
Western States Midget Standings: 1-Rick Hendrix-291; 2-Wally Pankratz-255; 3-Bryan Stanfill-251; 4-Bobby Boone-209; 5-Shane Scully-200; 6-Steve Paden-166; 7-Dwayne Marcum-164; 8-Clay Klepper-161; 8-Sleepy Tripp-154; 10-Nick Mitchell-144.
Western States Sprint Standings: 1-Jeff Gardner-361; 2-Rick Williams-300; 3-Monte Faccinto-177; 4-Tyler Haylett-168; 5-Kirk Wartman-151; 6-Davey Pombo-148; 7-Tony Hunt-141; 8-Dave Fitzgerald-118; 9-Ray Evans-110; 10-Kevin Urton-105.
TQ Midget Standings: 1- Alex Harris-304; 2-Gene Godepski-182; 3-Paul Krueger-164; 4-Randi Pankratz-162; 5-West Evans-157; 6-Ron Ahrendt-148; 7-Josh Lakatos-146; 8-Brian Harris-142; 9-Ron Wade-125; 10-Joe Bishop-113.
Regional Rebel Sprint Standings: 1-Monte Faccinto-452; 2-Davey Pombo-431; 3-Mark Barroso-308; 4-Lawrence Edlund-298; 5-Craig Stidham-247; 6-Jeff Gardner-182; 7-Larry Brown-175; 8-Shane Travioli-149; 9-Rick Williams-144; 10-Tyler Haylett-139.
