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USAC Silver Crown: Bliss, Stewart Team up for Wednesday's DuPont 100 at IRP

28 July 1998

Mike Bliss and Tony Stewart, two USAC Silver Crown graduates who have found success in other prominent racing series since winning the 1993 and 1995 Silver Crown championships respectively, are among drivers who will battle in Wednesday night's "DuPont 100" at Indianapolis Raceway Park, round eight of the 1998 series.

Both drivers have tasted victory on the .686-mile IRP pavement, Bliss in 1993, 1994 and 1996 and Stewart in this year's "Coca-Cola 100" and they will compete as teammates Wednesday, driving True Value/Terre Haute First National Bank Specials for George Snider, whose 125 career Silver Crown starts are tops all-time.

Practice starts at 3 p.m., with qualifying getting under way at 5 and the 15-lap "qualifying race" starts at 8. The 100-lap "DuPont 100" feature follows.

Jason Leffler of Long Beach, Calif. leads the Silver Crown standings going into Wednesday night's race, 16 points ahead of Brian Tyler. Leffler is still seeking his first Silver Crown triumph while Tyler won the series opener at Walt Disney World Speedway in January. Stewart is the only repeat winner in the 1998 series, winning at Phoenix, Ariz. and IRP. Other 1998 series victors include Donnie Beechler (Indiana State Fairgrounds), Dave Steele (Memphis), Tony Elliott (Terre Haute) and John Heydenreich (Fountain, Colo.).

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.