USAC: Gamester takes Nazareth; 'Coca-Cola 100' at IRP Saturday
Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
May 8, 2001Russ Gamester of Peru, Ind. scored his second consecutive USAC Coors Light Silver Bullet Series victory Saturday afternoon in the 100-mile race at the Nazareth (Pa.) Speedway. He passed Kasey Kahne on the white-flag lap and held on for the victory in his Terre Haute First National Bank Chevy/Beast.
"It was an awesome race," Gamester said. "At the beginning we were good but you can't win them at the beginning and I just kept the tires on it. Kasey bobbled going into the last corner and I did too at the same time but I got off the brakes and closed on him. The car stuck really good and just drove out to the lead. It doesn't matter how many laps you lead. There's only one lap that counts!"
Gamester extended his series point lead to 23 points over Kahne going into next Saturday night's "Coca-Cola 100" at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Practice at IRP starts at 4:30 pm and qualifying commences at 5:45. A 15-lap "qualifying race" precedes the 100-lap main event. Gamester will not only be trying for the Silver Bullet "trifecta" at IRP but also to repeat at IRP, having won last year's "Dupont 100" at the .686-mile paved oval.
Kahne had caught pole starter Tyler on the ninth lap at Nazareth and led for 90 laps before Gamester was able to get by. "I'm pretty disappointed," he admitted after the race. "I knew those guys were right there. I had a tire out of balance and the car was vibrating down the straight and I missed my turning point in the final corner twice in the last 10 laps. Once Russ got by me, I couldn't get him back."
Former series champion Mike Bliss finished third ahead of Tyler and John Heydenreich. Tyler earned the Oliver Trucking Pole Award on Friday with a speed of 136.425 mph and led the first eight laps of the race.
Five cautions slowed the race but there were no injuries in any of the incidents. Paul White, who won the series opener in Phoenix, Ariz. in March, won Saturday's 15-mile "qualifying race."
USAC COORS LIGHT SILVER BULLET SERIES STANDINGS
1. Russ Gamester 159
2. Kasey Kahne 136
3. Paul White 126
4. Jason McCord 123
5. Dave Steele 120
6. John Heydenreich 112
7. Brian Tyler 108
8. Ed Carpenter 107
9. Dave Darland 98
10. A.J. Fike 96
Text provided by Dick Jordan
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