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USAC: The Week in Sprints, Midgets and Silver Crown

6 October 1998

SILVER CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
HEWITT AIMS FOR #22 AT SACRAMENTO; TYLER-LEFFLER DUEL FOR POINTS

Jack Hewitt of Troy, Ohio will seek a record 22nd USAC Silver Crown Championship race victory Saturday night at the CalExpo State Fairgrounds in Sacramento, Calif., in the penultimate round of the 1998 USAC Silver Crown Championship - the Budweiser "Silver Crown 100."

Hewitt, though must keep an eye on USAC Silver Crown Championship contenders Brian Tyler and Jason Leffler, who are separated by only 11 points going into Saturday night's 100-miler. Tyler, of Parma, Mich., leads Leffler, with Ryan Newman of South Bend, Ind. and 3-time Sacramento winner Jimmy Sills of Placerville, Calif. not far behind.

Hewitt scored his 21st career triumph September 26 in the "4-Crown Nationals" USAC program at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, a victory which vaulted him past two of auto racing's all-time champions on the all-time USAC winners list. In sweeping the three USAC "4-Crown" features (Silver Crown, Sprint and Midget), Jack elevated his total of USAC feature wins to 71, surpassing the 69 recorded by Parnelli Jones and the 70 logged by Pancho Carter in their respective illustrious careers. He now ranks seventh on the all-time USAC winners list behind A.J. Foyt (159), Rich Vogler (134), Mel Kenyon (111), Gary Bettenhausen (82), Tom Bigelow (81) and Bob Wente (79).

Hewitt's Eldora victories had additional historic significance. He became the second driver in USAC history to win three feature events in a single day, matching Carter's 1997 feat at Salem, Ind. when he won two Midget races and a Sprint race. He became the third driver in 1998 to win features in USAC's three front-engined National series - Silver Crown, Sprint and Midget (Tony Elliott and Dave Steele are the others). His 43rd USAC Sprint car victory also vaulted him past Pancho Carter into third on USAC's all-time list behind Tom Bigelow (52) and Larry Dickson (45).

Hewitt's victory at Rossburg also sets up a record-breaking possibility at Sacramento, since Jack became the 10th different Silver Crown winner this year - an all-time series record!

Hewitt comes to Sacramento with a score to settle. In 1995 he had an opportunity to become USAC's first three-time Silver Crown champion but a 33rd-lap accident relegated him to a 20th place finish and third in the final standings behind Tony Stewart and Dave Darland. Jimmy Sills went on to become USAC's only three-time Silver Crown titlist in 1996, having previously won the 1990 and 1994 crowns.

Last year, Jack was the first driver to the sidelines (24th place) at Sacamento with a broken drive line only five laps into the 100-mile race. His other Sacramento starts have resulted in a 19th place (1989), a sixth (1994) and a 20th (1996). He currently sits sixth in the 1998 point standings. Hewitt's 128 Silver Crown starts are also an all-time record and he ranks third behind Chuck Gurney and Jimmy Sills in terms of laps led.

Practice at the CalExpo mile starts at 4:15 p.m. Qualifying and a 15-mile "qualifying race" will determine the 24-car starting field for the Budweiser "Silver Crown 100."

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
DAVIDSON WINS AT RED HILL; ELLIOTT BY 28 OVER THOMAS, 1 TO GO

Tony Elliott of Kokomo, Ind. emerged from Saturday night's Stoops Freightliner/USAC Sprint race at Sumner, Ill. with a 28-point lead over Kevin Thomas of Danville, Ind. with one race remaining on the 1998 calendar. A total of 87 points are available at the 25th "Sammy Sessions" Memorial at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway October 25.

Derek Davidson of Lafayette, Ind. scored a sensational victory in Saturday night's 30-lap race at the Red Hill Raceway, leading the final 10 laps in his Hannig Construction/Bailey's One Stop Special after a daring pass of Dave Darland. Darland ended up second on the 1/3-mile dirt oval, followed by Brian Tyler Brian Hayden and Turbines, Inc. fast qualifier Elliott. The win was Davidson's second in USAC Sprint racing, having scored his first at Paragon, Ind. during this year's Pennzoil "Indiana Sprint Week" action.

Thomas, whose original mount encountered engine problems during practice, turned in a spirited performance in a car pulled from "display" status in front of the main grandstand just prior to qualifying. He finished sixth after starting near the rear of the 22-car field.

A 33-lap feature event for the Stoops Freightliner Sprint Cars at Winchester on October 25 accompanies a similar 33-lapper for the USAC National Midgets as the "doubleheader" at the 1/2-mile paved oval concludes the midwestern USAC racing calendar.

Stoops Freightliner Sprint Car Point Standings: 1-Tony Elliott-1,861; 2-Kevin Thomas-1,833; 3-Derek Davidson-1,584; 4-Dave Darland-1,389; 5-Tim Cox-1,340; 6-J.J. Yeley-1,259; 7-Jason McCord-1,222; 8-Brian Hayden-1,180; 9-Brian Tyler-1,165; 10-Kevin Doty-1.084.

WESTERN STATES SERIES
DAY "SWEEPS" WS MIDGETS; FACCINTO #1 KINGS SPRINTER; HARRIS TOPS TQs
BUSY "WESTERN" SLATE FINDS TQs, MIDGETS, SPRINTS IN ACTION THIS WEEK

Ronnie Day of Salinas, Calif., Alex Harris of Simi Valley, Calif. and Monte Faccinto of Hanford, Calif. graced USAC "Western States" victory circles last week. Four USAC racing series will compete this week on the west coast, in addition to the USAC Silver Crown Championship Cars, which are in Sacramento, Calif. Saturday night.

Day won both Wednesday night's 30-lap "Western States" Midget race at Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway and Saturday night's 30-lapper at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif. driving the John Lawson Gaerte. He caught Jimmy Sills on the ninth lap of Wednesday night's nationally-televised (ESPN2) feature at Bakersfield and led the rest of the way to beat Tony Elliott, Sills, J.J. Yeley and Robby Flock. On Saturday night he again passed Sills, on the 15th lap, and led to the checkered to beat Jason Leffler, Sills, "Western States" point leader Rick Hendrix and Bryan Stanfill.

Hendrix takes a 57-point lead over Stanfill into this Wednesday night's ESPN2 event at Bakersfield, but Wally Pankratz trails Stanfill by a single point in their battle for the runner-up spot in the standings.

Alex Harris scored his eighth USAC TQ Midget feature win of the campaign in Wednesday night's 20-lapper at Bakersfield driving his West Valley Grinding Honda. He posted fast qualifying time, the passed Randi Pankratz on lap six and held on to beat Greg Edenholm, Josh Lakatos, Gene Godepski and Brian Harris. Harris will try for win number nine this Wednesday night, when the TQs join the Midgets in the Bakersfield "doubleheader." The series will continue Saturday night with another program of racing on the 1/5-mile dirt Ventura (Calif.) Raceway.

Monte Faccinto captured Saturday night's 30-lap USAC "Western States"/Regional Rebel Sprint Car race at his "home" track - the Kings Speedway - extending his lead in the Rebel points to nine over Davey Pombo. He led all but the first four laps after passing Tim Worth. Jimmy Sills took second ahead of Pombo, Worth and Graydon Cross. Six drivers escaped injury in flips during the feature event!

The "Western States" Sprint Cars will compete this Friday night at the 1/2-mile dirt Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway and ESPN2 cameras will catch all the exciting action for their popular "Thunder" series. A 30-lap feature is on tap.

The Las Vegas event will impact not only the "Western States" points, where Jeff Gardner of Fresno, Calif. leads Rick Williams of San Leandro, Calif. by just 23, but the "Regional Rebel" points as well. Gardner was 11th and Williams 12th at Hanford.

Western States Midget Standings: 1-Rick Hendrix-481; 2-Bryan Stanfill-424; 3-Wally Pankratz-423; 4-Shane Scully-374; 5-Jason Leffler-337; 6-Steve Paden-324; 7-Bobby Boone-304; 8-Marc DeBeaumont-256; 9-Dwayne Marcum-249; 10-Clay Klepper-235.

Western States Sprint Standings: 1-Jeff Gardner-703; 2-Rick Williams-680; 3-Tony Hunt-446; 4-Tyler Haylett-443; 5-Dave Fitzgerald-299; 6-Monte Faccinto-279; 7-Davey Pombo-271; 8-Rick Sipes-248; 9-Ivan Worden-187; 10-Ken Hamilton-179.

TQ Midget Standings: 1-Alex Harris-446; 2-Gene Godepski-325; 3-Randi Pankratz-316; 4-Brian Harris-310; 5-West Evans-302; 6-Josh Lakatos-272; 7-Ron Ahrendt-250; 8-Greg Edenholm-195; 9-Todd Hunsaker-194; 10-Paul Krueger-192.

Regional Rebel Sprint Standings: 1-Monte Faccinto-719; 2-Davey Pombo-710; 3-Mark Barroso-486; 4-Lawrence Edlund-482; 5-Craig Stidham-376; 6-Larry Brown-369; 7-Jeff Gardner-363; 8-H.P. Myatt-291; 9-Mike Faria-263; 10-Rick Williams-230.

RUSSELL PRO TRIPLE CROWN SERIES
LOVEN-HILL BATTLE SPICES "TRIPLE CROWN" FINALE AT SEARS POINT

Sweden's Niklas Loven will battle Stephen of Los Gatos, Calif. for the 1998 Yokohama Russell Racing USAC Triple Crown Championship Sunday afternoon at Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.

Loven won the August 1 round at Willows, Calif. and Hill won the opener June 26 at Sears Point. Loven leads Hill by four points entering the final race, a 30-minute timed event on the 2.52-mile circuit. Hill completed 23 laps in the June 26 race.

Waiting in the wings if both encounter problems will be Tyler McQuarrie of Walnut Creek, Calif., who trails Loven by 11 points. He was fifth at Sears Point in June and second at Willows in August.

The series champion will be among those honored at USAC's Coca-Cola "Night of Champions" National Awards Dinner January 8 at the Westin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis, Ind.

Russell Pro Triple Crown Point Standings: 1-Niklas Loven-35; 2-Stephen Hill-31; 3-Tyler McQuarrie-24; 4-Brent Sherman & Sara Senske-12; 6-Todd Oppenheimer-10; 7-David Farley-9; 8-Chase Mart-8; 9-Peter Ponder-Pistor-6; 10-Patrick McDowell & Max Toy-4.