USAC: IRP's 250th USAC race to be held Saturday; Sun Pararie debut Sunday
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
June 5, 2001
A.J. Foyt began the tradition 40 years ago with his victory in the USAC Sprint car race at Indianapolis Raceway Park on May 28, 1961. Saturday night, USAC will present its 250th race at IRP, a Stoops Freightliner Sprint Car race scheduled for a June 17 broadcast on ESPN2.
Sunday night, the Stoops Freightliner USAC Sprint Cars make their inaugural appearance at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisc. in the inaugural Ray-O-Vac "Showdown at the Prairie." A special $50,000 bonus has been posted for any driver who can win both the Sprint car race and the accompanying Midget Car feature on the 1/3-mile dirt track!
In the past 40 years, IRP has hosted a wide variety of USAC events, from Indy Cars to Silver Bullet, Sprint Cars, Midgets, Road Racing, Stock Cars, Pro-Fords, Formula 2000, Mini-Indy, Formula Lightning Electric Cars and the Fast Masters. Saturday's race, part of IRP's "Subway Racing Series," will be the 221st on the oval, Foyt actually winning on a dirt surface in 1961! It will also be the 66th appearance of the USAC Sprint Cars at IRP.
Tracy Hines owns a half-dozen victories in the USAC Sprinters at the .686-mile oval and will be trying to improve his fifth-place point ranking in Saturday night's program, which includes qualifying, heats, a semi and a 30-lap feature.
Although Hines has won six of the last eight USAC Sprint outings at IRP, he'll need to keep an eye on Dave Steele Saturday. Since 1996, Hines and Steele have won all 11 USAC Sprint races on the oval!
Dave Darland, who leads the Stoops Freightliner Series standings, will also be among favorites at IRP, but figures to be one of the top contenders at Sun Prairie as well. Darland leads long-time rival Tony Elliott by only 10 points going into the weekend events,
Sunday night's race marks USAC's return to Angell Park after a 10-year hiatus. Stevie Reeves won the last USAC Midget Car race there in 1991.
Practice at IRP starts at 6 pm, with qualifying starting at 7 and racing at 8. Sunday's Sun Praqirie timetable has practice beginning at 5:30 pm, qualifying at 6 and racing at 7.
STOOPS FREIGHTLINER USAC SPRINT CAR SERIES STANDINGS
1. Dave Darland 341
2. Tony Elliott 331
3. J.J. Yeley 298
4. Jay Drake 265
5. Tracy Hines 255
6. Bill Rose 222
7. Derek Davidson 191
8. Robbie Rice 190
9. Dickie Gaines 182
10. Bud Kaeding 181
Text provided by Dick Jordan
Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot photos and racing art, please visit The Racing Image Galleries and The Visions of Speed Art Gallery .