USAC: Yeley is 11th Different Silver Crown Winner in '98
13 October 1998
SILVER CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP SERIESSACRAMENTO WINNER YELEY 11TH SILVER CROWN VICTOR OF 1998!
TYLER BY 14 OVER LEFFLER GOING INTO SATURDAY'S GATEWAY FINALE
J.J. Yeley of Phoenix, Ariz. became the 11th different winner in 12 USAC Silver Crown Championship races this season by winning Saturday night's Budweiser "Silver Crown 100" at CalExpo State Fairgrounds in Sacramento, Calif. Yeley led all but the first five laps after passing Tracy Hines on lap 6 and won $10,350 driving the Brian & Gary's Cars For Less Special. The win was the first in Silver Crown competition for the Indianapolis 500 veteran.
The 1998 Silver Crown Championship Series concludes with this weekend's "Shop 'N Save 100" at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill. A 100-mile feature is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, following the 200-lap NASCAR Busch Series race.
Pat Abold of Pennellville, N.Y. is the defending champion at Gateway, where Chuck Leary set the ultimate Silver Crown qualifying record of 141.750 mph last year. Silver Crown practice gets under way from 10-10:55 a.m. Friday and a second practice session follows from 12:30-1 p.m. Silver Crown qualifying is set for 2:15 p.m. Friday, followed by a 15-mile "qualifying race" at 4 p.m. to finalize the 30-car starting field for Saturday's race. A total purse of $84,500 is posted with a winner's share of $17,000.
"I thought it was going to be a short night," said Yeley in Sacramento's victory lane. "Tracy and I tangled in turn one at the start but we got through it." Ronnie Day didn't, though. He hit the outside wall and brought out the first yellow flag of the night. He was uninjured.
"The track was a lot better this year," said Yeley. "At the end we had enough tire left to run another 20 miles."
Indianapolis 500 veteran George Snider of Bakersfield, Calif. and defending race winner Dave Darland of Walton, Ind. finished second and third in the 100-mile race and were trailed by Ryan Newman and Russ Gamester.
Series point leaders Brian Tyler of Parma, Mich. and Jason Leffler of Long Beach, Calif. finished seventh and eighth respectively. Tyler leads Leffler by only 14 points going into next Saturday's "Shop 'N Save 100" at Madison, Ill.
Newman's finish maintained his hopes for this year's Silver Crown driving title as he trails point leader Brian Tyler by 44 points with 66 available in the series finale.
Silver Crown Point Standings: 1-Brian Tyler-516; 2-Jason Leffler-502; 3-Ryan Newman-472; 4-Jimmy Sills-438; 5-Dave Darland-420; 6-Jack Hewitt-395; 7-J.J. Yeley-376; 8-Russ Gamester-364; 9-Robby Flock-325; 10-Tracy Hines-278.
