USAC: The Week in Sprints, Midgets, and Silver Crown
9 September 1998
SILVER CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP SERIESJIMMY SILLS & MOPAR FINALLY WIN "DuQUOIN CENTURY"
Jimmy Sills of Placerville, Calif. captured Monday's 100-mile "DuQuoin Century" USAC Silver Crown Championship race at the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds. He became the ninth different winner in 10 Silver Crown races this season as he led 69 laps in the Mopar Special to beat Tracy Hines, Donnie Beechler, George Snider and J.J. Yeley.
The win was Sills' ninth in Silver Crown racing but his first at DuQuoin. "It feels good to finally win here," he said in victory lane. "I've always had trouble here in the past. We actually ran last year's pavement car today!"
Sills' car was pushing bad at the end and Hines nearly caught him in the closing laps. "We had a blistered tire too," he admitted. "My crew was signaling me where Hines was but I figured if I protected the bottom groove, I'd be OK. It's one thing catching someone here but passing is another thing."
The race was red-flagged twice. Kaylene Verville of Phoenix, Ariz. suffered minor burns when she hit Billy Puterbaugh, Jr. on the front stretch on lap four, flipped and caught fire. Puterbaugh suffered a minor shoulder injury. The second red flag came when John Heydenreich flipped on lap 38. He escaped injury.
Sills started fifth behind pole starter George Snider, who led the first four laps. Robby Flock led the next 27 laps before his car developed an oil leak, allowing Sills to take over.
Morning rains washed out qualifications and a draw was utilized to determine starting positions.
Jason Leffler of Long Beach, Calif. finished 14th but emerged with a 10-point lead over Brian Tyler, who finished eighth. Jerry Coons, Jr. of Tucson, Ariz. earned the Turbines, Inc. "Rookie of the Race" award for his 11th-place finish.
Silver Crown Point Standings: 1-Jason Leffler-442; 2-Brian Tyler-432; 3-Ryan Newman-385; 4-Jimmy Sills-360; 5-Dave Darland-309; 6-Russ Gamester-305; 7-Jack Hewitt-287; 8-J.J. Yeley-280; 9-Robby Flock-279; 10-Dave Steele-259.
NATIONAL/16TH STREET/SPEEDROME MIDGET SERIES
BEECHLER, ELLIOTT TAKE "HUT" AND "PUT" NATIONAL MIDGETS
SLUSS WINS SPEEDROME TITLE; KNEPPER, NOT SMOKER AT 16TH STREET!
"TONY STEWART NIGHT" SATURDAY AT 16TH STREET SPEEDWAY
Donnie Beechler of Springfield, Ill., Tony Elliott of Kokomo, Ind., John Sluss of Indianapolis, Ind. and Steve Knepper of Belleville, Ill. scored USAC victories in last week's memorable Indiana Midget racing swing.
The USAC National Midget Series convenes this Saturday night at the 16th Street Speedway in Indianapolis for a 40-lap feature event on "Tony Stewart Night" presented by Coca-Cola. The defending Indy Racing League Champion, who holds the 1-lap track qualifying record of 11.859 seconds, is expected to compete in the night's racing program on the 1/4-mile dirt track. Practice starts at 5 p.m., with qualifying at 5:30 and racing at 7.
Beechler won Wednesday night's 46th Hoosier Lottery "Hut Hundred" at the Terre Haute Action Track, leading the final 18 laps in the WavePhore/Mi-Jack/Miller Lite Gaerte. He passed series point leader and fast qualifier Jason Leffler on lap 83 and led the rest of the way to beat Tony Elliott, Tracy Hines, Kevin Doty and Dan Boorse to the checkered flag. Dave Darland led the first 68 laps before mechanical problems sidelined him.
Elliott came back on Saturday night to lead the final 21 laps of the 40-lap feature at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, Ind. in the Bud Racing Fontana. Tracy Hines, Jay Drake, Brian Tyler and Ricky Shelton rounded out the "top-five." Hines led the first 10 laps, then fast qualifier Dave Darland led the next nine. Leffler, who was 10th at Putnamville, emerged with only a 10-point lead over Drake going into this Saturday's race at 16th Street Speedway.
Sluss scored a major upset at the Indianapolis Speedrome Thursday night, winning the 50-lap series finale and beating defending four-time series champion Michael Lang for the 1998 championship. Lang finished second in the race ahead of Todd Thomas, Brad Kuhn and 1998 Speedrome "Rookie of the Year" Gregg Cory. John Mount of Lebanon, Ind. suffered a broken kneecap in a crash during the Speedrome feature. Sluss' victory was his third in a row as he passed Thomas on lap nine and never looked back in his UltraSun VW.
Elliott's victory at Putnamville marked back-to-back wins for car owner Kenny Brown, who put Steve Knepper into victory lane the previous night at the 16th Street Speedway. Knepper became the race winner when Ron Smoker's car was disqualified for failing to pass post-race technical inspection after it had led the closing laps. Trailing Knepper in the official finish of the 30-lapper were Tony Reed, Andy Pierce, Ed Carpenter and Critter Malone. Michael Lang, who was seventh, takes a 28-point lead over Pierce in the 16th Street point standings into Saturday's series finale.
National Midget Standings: 1-Jason Leffler-740; 2-Jay Drake-730; 3-Ricky Shelton-667; 4-Jerry Coons, jr.-538; 5-Jimmy McCune-475; 6-Tracy Hines-467; 7-Ronnie Johncox-289; 8-Travis Welpott-273; 9-Dave Steele-243; 10-Michael Lewis-239.
16th Street Midget Standings: 1-Michael Lang-258; 2-Andy Pierce-230; 3-Critter Malone-201; 4-Ron Smoker-192; 5-Steve Knepper-182; 6-Roy Caruthers-182; 7-Rick Treadway-179; 8-David Bridges-154; 9-Johnny Parsons III-150; 10-Tony Reed-144.
Final Speedrome Midget Standings: 1-John Sluss-7,300; 2-Michael Lang-7,200; 3-Gregg Cory-2,290; 4-Dean Franklin-2,270; 5-Norm Young-2,210; 6-Brad Kuhn-2,175; 7-John Mount-1,900; 8-Daryl Campbell-1,790; 9-Ron Hamm-1,750; 10-Robbie Parish-1,320.
WESTERN STATES SERIES
RANDI PANKRATZ ONLY 3RD FEMALE USAC FEATURE WINNER!
McMAHAN TAKES BAKERSFIELD SPRINT, CARSON CITY THIS SATURDAY
Randi Pankratz of Bradley, Calif. and Bobby McMahan of Rio Linda, Calif. scored USAC "Western States" feature victories in Saturday night's "doubleheader' racing program at the Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway.
Pankratz became only the third female driver ever to win a USAC feature event when she won the 20-lap TQ Midget main. She passed West Evans on the 13th lap and led the rest of the way to beat Evans, Gene Godepski, Ken Bonnema and Tony Villelli. The daughter of USAC racing veteran Wally Pankratz, Randi is the first lady to win a USAC feature since Amy Wilson won in the TQ Midgets at Bakersfield on June 24, 1995. Bev Griffis , who won a 50-lap USAC Midget race at the Indianapolis Speedrome on July 24, 1986, was USAC's first female winner!
USAC TQ Midget point leader Alex Harris continues to lead the series standings going into a September 30 race at Bakersfield despite flipping in Saturday night's feature.
McMahan passed Rick Williams on lap 19 and led the final 12 laps to win the 30-lap "Western States"/Regional Rebel Sprint feature at Bakersfield. Mike Faria, fast qualifier Davey Pombo, Harry Boudakian and Tyler Haylett completed the "top-five" at the checkered flag. "Western States" Sprint point leader Jeff Gardner finished 13th and holds a 50-point lead over Williams, who was 10th Saturday, going into this Saturday night's racing program at the Silver State Raceway in Carson City, Nev. A 30-lap feature is on tap on the 1/4-mile paved oval.
"Regional Rebel" Sprint car point leader Monte Faccinto finished 12th at Bakersfield and now holds a slim five-point lead over Pombo going into an October 3 race at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif.
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-577; 2-Rick Williams-527; 3-Tyler Haylett-344; 4-Tony Hunt-327; 5-Rick Sipes-227; 6-Dave Fitzgerald-221; 7-Monte Faccinto-212; 8-Davey Pombo-208; 9-Kirk Wartman-151; 10-Ray Evans-110.
TQ Midget Standings: 1-Alex Harris-405; 2-Randi Pankratz-298; 3-Gene Godepski-298; 4-Brian Harris-288; 5-West Evans-286; 6-Josh Lakatos-245; 7-Ron Ahrendt-240; 8-Paul Krueger-192; 9-Todd Hunsaker-174; 10-Joe Bishop-169.
Regional Rebel Sprint Standings: 1-Monte Faccinto-661; 2-Davey Pombo-656; 3-Mark Barroso-486; 4-Lawrence Edlund-439; 5-Craig Stidham-334; 6-Larry Brown-323; 7-Jeff Gardner-323; 8-H.P. Myatt-254; 9-Mike Faria-212; 10-Ricci Faria-204.
