USAC: The Week in Sprints, Midgets, Silver Crown and F2000
29 September 1998
SILVER CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP SERIESINCREDIBLE JACK HEWITT SWEEPS ALL 4 "4-CROWN NATIONALS" FEATURES
BRIAN TYLER SNATCHES SILVER CROWN POINT LEAD FROM JASON LEFFLER
Jack Hewitt of Troy, Ohio became the first driver in the 18-year history of the "4-Crown Nationals" to sweep all four feature events Saturday night at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.
Hewitt's feat is totally unprecedented in major motorsports. Winning more than one feature event in a single day is a remarkable achievement, but to win four back-to-back in four different race cars is absolutely incredible!
Jack capped one of the sport's most amazing accomplishments by winning the 50-lap USAC Silver Crown Championship Series feature. He earlier had won the 25-lap USAC National Midget race, the 30-lap Stoops Freightliner/USAC Sprint Car feature and the 20-lap UMP Modified main event. He led all 50 laps of the Silver Crown race in his Utility Peterbilt/Parker Machinery/Hannig Construction Special.
"This has been a fairy tale night," said Hewitt after his four wins. "Snow White and Cinderella have nothing on me! I never thought anybody could win all four of these in one night. Maybe three, but not all four."
Jack felt the bumps in turn three helped him in the 50-lap finale. "It helped save the tires," he said. "Usually the tires go away late in that long a race, but not tonight.
Following Jack to the checkered flag in the Silver Crown race were Dave Darland, Turbines, Inc. "Rookie of the Race" Todd Kane, Kevin Huntley and Jimmy Sills.
Indy Racing League veteran Brian Tyler of Parma, Mich. snatched the Silver Crown point lead from Jason Leffler by finishing seventh. Leffler was 16th. Tyler will take an 11-point lead over Leffler into the "Silver Crown 100" at CalExpo State Fairgrounds in Sacramento October 10.
Silver Crown Point Standings: 1-Brian Tyler-474; 2-Jason Leffler-463; 3-Ryan Newman-421; 4-Jimmy Sills-411; 5-Dave Darland-366; 6-Jack Hewitt-350; 7-Russ Gamester-316; 8-J.J. Yeley-313; 9-Robby Flock-289; 10-Dave Steele-259.
STOOPS FREIGHTLINER SPRINT CAR SERIES
HEWITT 3RD ALL-TIME AFTER "4-CROWN" SPRINT CAR VICTORY
ELLIOTT DRIVES BY THOMAS IN POINTS - RED HILL THIS SATURDAY
Tony Elliott of Kokomo, Ind., by virtue of his third-place finish in Saturday night's "4-Crown Nationals" Sprint car feature, snatched the USAC National Sprint Car point lead away from Kevin Thomas with just two races remaining in the series.
Elliott takes a 20-point lead over Thomas into this Saturday night's events at Red Hill Raceway in Sumner, Ill. A 30-lap feature is slated on the 1/2-mile dirt track where practice starts at 5:30 p.m. Qualifying is scheduled for 6 and racing gets under way at 7.
Jack Hewitt's incredible "sweep" of Saturday night's 18th Annual "4-Crown Nationals" at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio included a 30-lap Stoops Freightliner Sprint Car triumph, the 43rd of his USAC Sprint car career, surpassing Pancho Carter's 42 for third on the all-time list. Only Tom Bigelow (52) and Larry Dickson (45) have more.
Jack led all but six laps of the Sprint car race in his Hannig Construction/Bailey's One Stop Special to beat Dave Darland, Elliott, J.J. Yeley and Tracy Hines. Thomas was 10th.
John Heydenreich of Bloomsburg, Pa. was released from Coldwater (Ohio) Hospital after treatment of broken ribs, a separated shoulder, a bruised heart and bruised lungs after flipping into the catch fencing on the front straightaway during the 30-lap feature.
Stoops Freightliner Sprint Car Point Standings: 1-Tony Elliott-1,787; 2-Kevin Thomas-1,767; 3-Derek Davidson-1,505; 4-Dave Darland-1,307; 5-Tim Cox-1,297; 6-J.J. Yeley-1,259; 7-Jason McCord-1,206; 8-Brian Hayden-1,106; 9-Brian Tyler-1,091; 10-Kevin Doty-1,084.
NATIONAL MIDGET SERIES
MIDGET VICTORY OPENS INCREDIBLE "4-CROWN" SWEEP FOR JACK HEWITT
LEFFLER, DRAKE REMAIN 19 POINTS APART IN NATIONAL TITLE CHASE
Jason Leffler of Long Beach, Calif. continues to lead Jay Drake of Canyon Country, Calif. by 19 points after they scored identical points during the weekend's 18th Annual "4-Crown Nationals" events at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Leffler finished eighth after posting the fastest qualifying time, while Drake was fifth in the 25-lap main event on the 1/2-mile dirt oval. Four races remain in the 1998 title chase.
Jack Hewitt of Troy, Ohio began his remarkable "sweep" of Saturday night's "4-Crown" races by passing Tracy Hines with eight laps remaining in his Parker Machinery Gaerte. Hines came in second ahead of Dave Darland, Tony Elliott and Drake. Ricky Shelton, third in the 1998 point race, was the first driver to drop out of the race.
National Midget Standings: 1-Jason Leffler-843; 2-Jay Drake-824; 3-Ricky Shelton-748; 4-Jerry Coons, Jr.-597; 5-Tracy Hines-552; 6-Jimmy McCune-517; 7-Ronnie Johncox-321; 8-Travis Welpott-315; 9-Michael Lewis-264; 10-Sarah McCune-246.
WESTERN STATES SERIES
TONY HUNT WINS PPIR SPRINT FEATURE; GARDNER EYES HANFORD SATURDAY
ESPN2 "THUNDER" AT BAKERSFIELD WED.; MIDGETS JOIN SPRINTS AT
KINGS
Jeff Gardner of Fresno, Calif. maintained a 21-point lead over Rick Williams of San Leandro, Calif. after finishing second to Tony Hunt in Sunday afternoon's 25-mile "Children's Hospital Grand Prix" "Western States" Sprint Car race at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo.
Gardner and Williams resume their duel for the 1998 title this Saturday night when the Sprint Cars and "Western States" Midgets combine in a "doubleheader" at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif. Both series have 30-lap features scheduled.
ESPN2's "Thunder" cameras will be on this Wednesday night at Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway as the "Western States" Midgets, led by Simi Valley, Calif.'s Rick Hendrix, join the USAC TQ Midgets, led by Alex Harris, also of Simi Valley, for a "doubleheader" on the 1/3-mile dirt oval. A 20-lap TQ and 30-lap Midget feature are on tap.
Tony Hunt of Concord, N.C. captured Sunday's 25-mile Sprint race on the PPIR paved mile in the Ken Pierson Special, sprinting away from a spirited duel with Rick Brown when Brown's engine expired on lap 19. Gardner, who led 10 laps of the race before yielding to Brown, finished second ahead of Williams, Tony Elliott and Tyler Haylett. The victory was Hunt's third of the 1998 "Western States" Sprint Car campaign and bolstered his third-place point ranking.
Western States Midget Standings: 1-Rick Hendrix-436; 2-Wally Pankratz-371; 3-Bryan Stanfill-367; 4-Shane Scully-335; 5-Steve Paden-287; 6-Bobby Boone-281; 7-Jason Leffler-266; 8-Marc DeBeaumont-224; 9-Dwayne Marcum-211; 10-Sleepy Tripp-200.
Western States Sprint Standings: 1-Jeff Gardner-668; 2-Rick Williams-647; 3-Tony Hunt-441; 4-Tyler Haylett-423; 5-Dave Fitzgerald-299; 6-Rick Sipes-241; 7-Monte Faccinto-212; 8-Davey Pombo-212; 9-Ken Hamilton-179; 10-Ivan Worden-166.
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.
FORMULA 2000 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Colorado Results
Australia's David Besnard, originally thought to be passing last weekend's United States Formula 2000 National Championship Series finales at Pikes Peak International Raceway, ended up sweeping the two 36-lap races on the 1.27-mile road circuit near Fountain, Colo. The wins were his seventh and eighth of the 1998 campaign and left him with a decisive championship over runner-up Ryan Hampton.
Besnard won the pole for both "Children's Hospital Grand Prix" features in his Primus Racing Karts Van Diemen. He passed Andy Lally on lap 16 of Saturday's race and led to the checkered flag to beat Sam Hornish, Jr., Aaron Justus, Rolando Quintanilla and Ian Lacy. On Sunday, he led all but one lap, yielding to Marc Antoine Camirand on lap 33, then led the final three laps to beat Lally, Robby McGehee, Camirand and international cycling star Greg LeMond.
Final Formula 2000 National Point Standings: 1-David Besnard-363; 2-Ryan Hampton-275; 3-Robby McGehee-270; 4-Andy Lally-232; 5-Marc Antoine Camirand-228; 6-Mike Johnson-195; 7-Sam Hornish, Jr.-187; 8-Bobby Oergel-187; 9-Jonathan Bottoms-179; 10-Steve Rikert-167.