USAC: The Week in Sprints, Midgets, Silver Crown and F2000
1 September 1998
SILVER CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP SERIESTRIO SQUARE OFF FOR SILVER CROWN LEAD IN MONDAY'S "DuQUOIN CENTURY"
Round 10 of the 1998 USAC Silver Crown National Championship unfolds this Monday (Labor Day) at the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds with three drivers separated by 41 points set to battle it out in a race program offering 66 total points.
Jason Leffler of Long Beach, Calif. leads Brian Tyler of Parma, Mich. by 24 points, with Ryan Newman of South Bend, Ind. third in the standings going into the "DuQuoin Century," a 100-mile contest on the 1-mile dirt oval. Leffler and Tyler have each tasted victory this year, while Newman's best finish has been a third.
Practice starts at 9 a.m., with qualifying set for 10:30 and a 15-mile "qualifying race" beginning at 12:30. The 100-mile feature gets the green flag at 1:30 p.m.
Russ Gamester of Peru, Ind., the most recent of eight winners so far in the 1998 series, is the defending DuQuoin champion. He won the "Tony Bettenhausen 100" at Springfield, Ill. August 22 and will be trying to sweep the Illinois dirt-track events in his Terre Haute First National Bank Chevy.
Other former DuQuoin race winners expected to compete are Chuck Gurney of Livermore, Calif. (1989, 1994 & 1996), Johnny Parsons of Indianapolis, Ind. (1992 & 1995) and Jack Hewitt of Troy, Ohio (1986, 1987 & 1993).
Dave Darland of Walton, Ind. the defending Silver Crown champion, holds the 1-lap track record of 118.781 mph drivers will aim for during qualifications. Parsons holds the 100-mile race record of 107.047 mph.
Silver Crown Point Standings: 1-Jason Leffler-417; 2-Brian Tyler-393; 3-Ryan Newman-376; 4-Jimmy Sills-297; 5-Russ Gamester-286; 6-Dave Darland-282; 7-Robby Flock-269; 8-Jack Hewitt-264; 9-Dave Steele-259; 10-J.J. Yeley-232.
STOOPS FREIGHTLINER SPRINT CAR SERIES
DARLAND WINS "DANNY MILBURN CLASSIC" AT LAWRENCEBURG
Dave Darland of Walton, Ind. captured Saturday night's "Danny Milburn Classic" at the Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway but many eyes were on Tony Elliott and Kevin Thomas in their continuing battle for the 1998 Stoops Freightliner/USAC Sprint Car Championship.
Thomas emerged from the night's racing with a 28-point lead going into the September 19 Arby's Season Finale USAC "doubleheader" at Indianapolis Raceway Park, one of four remaining events on the 1998 calendar. Thomas was fourth and Elliott sixth in the Lawrenceburg feature, Elliott winning the Turbines, Inc. fast qualifying award and winning his heat race. Thomas also won a heat.
Darland caught early leaders Rusty McClure and Terry Pletch after a spirited duel and proceeded to lead the final 25 laps of Saturday night's 30-lapper in his Hoffman Auto Racing Special. McClure finished second ahead of Tracy Hines, Thomas and Pletch.
Jason McCord escaped injury in a flip during the True Value semi, won by Derek Davidson.
Stoops Freightliner Sprint Car Point Standings: 1-Kevin Thomas-1,668; 2-Tony Elliott-1,640; 3-Derek Davidson-1,390; 4-Dave Darland-1,223; 5-Tim Cox-1,217; 6-J.J. Yeley-1,189; 7-Jason McCord-1,118; 8-Kevin Doty-1,069; 9-Brian Tyler-1,037; 10-Brian Hayden-1,036.
NATIONAL/16TH STREET/SPEEDROME MIDGET SERIES
GERSTER STORMS THE "CASTLE," HEADS FOR "HUT" & "PUT" WED./SAT.
SLUSS, LANG BATTLE FOR 1998 SPEEDROME TITLE THURSDAY NIGHT
Brian Gerster of Indianapolis, Ind. scored his first USAC triumph since recovering from injuries suffered in a late-1997 racing accident, leading the final six laps of Sunday night's 40-lap feature at the Mount Lawn Speedway in New Castle, Ind. He passed series point leader Jason Leffler on lap 35 and led the rest of the way in his Rite-Way Industries Brayton to beat Leffler, Dane Carter, Gene Lee Gibson and Tracy Hines.
Leffler takes a 20-point lead into this Wednesday night's 46th Hoosier Lottery "Hut Hundred" at the Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track. The Midgets then compete Saturday night at the Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, Ind. A 100-lap feature caps Wednesday night's nationally-televised (ESPN2) race at Terre Haute and a 40-lapper is on tap at Putnamville. Willoughby Racing teammates Drake and Ricky Shelton, second and third respectively in the series standings, both spun during the New Castle feature and came from the back on restarts to take seventh and eighth respectively. Practice at both venues this week starts at 5 p.m., with qualifying at 6. Racing at the Action Track starts at 8 p.m., while the Lincoln Park races begin at 7. A pair of "qualifying races" will precede the Terre Haute 100-lapper, which starts 33 cars, three-abreast!
Leffler captured the "Hut Hundred" enroute to last year's National Midget title and a victory Wednesday could serve a similar purpose this year. A total of 10 races, counting the two this week, remain on the 1998 National Midget calendar, which concludes in California in November.
Previous "Hut Hundred" champions expected to compete Wednesday, including Leffler, are Kevin Olson (1996), Tony Stewart (1993 & 1995), Kevin Doty (1994), Steve Knepper (1992) and John Heydenreich (1987). Doty still holds the 1-lap track qualifying record of 21.500 seconds set in 1994.
John Sluss and Michael Lang will duke it out for the 1998 Indianapolis Speedrome Midget Series championship in this Thursday night's 50-lap series finale at the 1/5-mile paved oval. Sluss vaulted into title contention with his fifth victory of the season last Thursday night, while, Lang, who has six wins this year, finished last (15th) following a frightening flip over the wall in turn three on the opening lap of the 50-lap feature. Lang was not injured. A victory Thursday by either driver would earn the title, which would mean a fifth in a row for Lang and a first for Sluss. Gregg Cory, John Mount, Brad Kuhn and Dean Franklin rounded out the "top-five" at the checkered flag.
Lang also leads the standings in the 16th Street Speedway Midget Series, which resumes action this Friday night in Indianapolis with a 30-lap feature on tap on the 1/4-mile dirt track.
National Midget Standings: 1-Jason Leffler-696; 2-Jay Drake-676; 3-Ricky Shelton-619; 4-Jerry Coons, Jr.-491; 5-Jimmy McCune-439; 6-Tracy Hines-394; 7-Ronnie Johncox-289; 8-Travis Welpott-249; 9-Dave Steele-243; 10-Michael Lewis-219.
16th Street Midget Standings: 1-Michael Lang-240; 2-Andy Pierce-203; 3-Ron Smoker-188; 4-Critter Malone-180; 5-Rick Treadway-171; 6-Roy Caruthers-163; 7-Steve Knepper-149; 8-Johnny Parsons III-148; 9-David Bridges-144; 10-Jeff Hampton-143.
Speedrome Midget Standings: 1-Michael Lang-6,700; 2-John Sluss-6,300; 3-Dean Franklin-2,140; 4-Gregg Cory-2,110; 5-Norm Young-2,050; 6-Brad Kuhn-1,975; 7-John Mount-1,800; 8-Daryl Campbell-1,790; 9-Ron Hamm-1,660; 10-Robbie Parish-1,320.
FORMULA 2000 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
McGEHEE TAKES ATLANTA, BESNARD WINS "OVAL CROWN" TITLE
Robby McGehee of St. Louis, Mo. captured Saturday night's yellow and red-flag punctuated USAC/SCCA United States Formula 2000 Championship race on the 1.6-mile "modified" oval at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway. David Besnard of Sydney, Australia, by finishing second, earned the initial USAC racing championship of 1998, the Formula 2000 "Oval Crown."
McGehee led 13 of the 30 laps in his VisionAire/Energizer Tatuus Ford, including the last eight as the race ended under yellow-flag conditions with Besnard, Andy Lally, Bobby Oergel and Sam Hornish, Jr. rounding out the "top-five." A red flag on lap 19 was necessitated when international cycling star Greg Lemond flipped his car exiting the chicane at the end of the front stretch. LeMond was uninjured in the accident.
Besnard's second-place finish left him with a 58-point cushion over Ryan Hampton in the new National F2000 standings going into the 1998 series finales at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo. September 26-27. Hampton, who led 11 laps, was seventh at Atlanta, slipping to third behind McGehee in the final "oval crown" points.
Formula 2000 National Point Standings: 1-David Besnard-333; 2-Ryan Hampton-275; 3-Robby McGehee-247; 4-Andy Lally-206; 5-Marc-Antoine Camirand-186; 6-Mike Johnson-172; 7-Bobby Oergel-169; 8-Jonathan Bottoms-164; 9-Sam Hornish, Jr.-151; 10-Steve Rikert-147.
Formula 2000 Oval Crown Final Point Standings: 1-David Besnard-137; 2-Robby McGehee-123; 3-Ryan Hampton-121; 4-Andy Lally-102; 5-Sam Hornish, Jr.-89; 6-Bobby Oergel-78; 7-Jonathan Bottoms-76; 8-Mike Johnson-73; 9-Tom Wood-57; 10-Marc-Antoine Camirand-54.
WESTERN STATES SERIES
HUNT, COONS & BRIAN HARRIS SHARE TUCSON "TRIPLEHEADER" PODIUM
SPRINTS & TQ MIDGETS AT BAKERSFIELD SPEEDWAY SATURDAY
Tony Hunt of Fair Oaks, Calif., Jerry Coons, Jr. of Tucson, Ariz. and Brian Harris of Hawthorne, Calif. captured USAC feature victories during Saturday night's "tripleheader" at Tucson (Ariz.) Raceway Park.
The "Western States" Sprint Cars and TQ Midgets continue their 1998 racing calendar in a "doubleheader" this Saturday night at Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway, while the "Western States" Midgets resume action September 19 at Madera (Calif.) Speedway.
Hunt put the Ken Pierson Sprinter in victory lane at the 3/8-mile paved Tucson oval, leading the final 11 laps after passing Jerry Coons, Jr. on lap 20. Coons took second ahead of Rick Williams, Tyler Haylett and Dave Fitzgerald. Jeff Gardner was sixth and continues to lead the Sprint standings by 59 over Williams going into the Bakersfield event which also awards "Regional Rebel" points. Monte Faccinto of Hanford, Calif. leads the "Regional Rebel" points.
Coons led all but the first two laps of the 30-lap Tucson Midget race in his Sunrooms of Colorado Fontana. Series point leader Rick Hendrix finished second ahead of Steve Paden, who led the first two laps, Shane Scully and Dwayne Marcum.
Two Harrises battled for the victory in the 20-lap Tucson TQ Midget feature, Brian beating Alex on the final lap! Alex led the first 19 laps and finished second, ahead of Randi Pankratz, West Evans and Todd Hunsaker. Alex, Saturday night's fastest TQ qualifier, continues to lead the series points going into this Saturday's Bakersfield events.
Western States Midget Standings: 1-Rick Hendrix-406; 2-Bryan Stanfill-351; 3-Wally Pankratz-340; 4-Shane Scully-306; 5-Bobby Boone-271; 6-Steve Paden-269; 7-Jason Leffler-266; 8-Marc DeBeaumont-205; 9-Ricky Shelton-197; 10-Dwayne Marcum-195.
Western States Sprint Standings: 1-Jeff Gardner-547; 2-Rick Williams-488; 3-Tony Hunt-327; 4-Tyler Haylett-290; 5-Dave Fitzgerald-221; 6-Rick Sipes-182; 7-Monte Faccinto-177; 8-Kirk Wartman-151; 9-Davey Pombo-148; 10-Ray Evans-110.
TQ Midget Standings: 1- Alex Harris-383; 2-Gene Godepski-272; 3-Brian Harris-271; 4-Randi Pankratz-261; 5-West Evans-255; 6-Josh Lakatos-245; 7-Ron Ahrendt-219; 8-Paul Krueger-192; 9-Greg Edenholm-160; 10-Todd Hunsaker-155.
Regional Rebel Sprint Standings: 1-Monte Faccinto-617; 2-Davey Pombo-598; 3-Mark Barroso-445; 4-Lawrence Edlund-439; 5-Craig Stidham-334; 6-Jeff Gardner-278; 7-Larry Brown-270; 8-H.P. Myatt-254; 9-Ricci Faria-204; 10-Shane Travioli-199.
