USAC's 2,000th Midget Car Race Scheduled Saturday Night
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
June 19, 2001
MIDGETS SHARE ELDORA SPOTLIGHT FRIDAY-SATURDAY WITH SPRINTS
A.J. Fike of Galesburg, Ill. leads the USAC WorldCom National Midget Car Series to the Eldora Speedway this weekend for back-to-back USAC "doubleheaders" on the 1/2-mile dirt oval. Saturday night's Midget Car race is scheduled to be the 2,000th in USAC National Midget Car history.
A 25-lap Midget Car and 30-lap Stoops Freightliner Sprint Car feature are scheduled both Friday and Saturday nights, following practice at 6:30, qualifying at 7 and prelims at 8. The back-to-back "doubleheaders" are the first for USAC Sprint and Midget participants on dirt, although pavement back-to-back "doubleheaders" were conducted at Winchester, Ind. in 1977 and that same year Salem, Ind. hosted Sprint/Midget "doubleheaders" on the same day!
Fike has finished all four WorldCom National Midget Car races to date in the top-10," with a great second-place finish to Michael Lewis in the opener at Phoenix, Ariz. in March, and posted the fastest qualifying time for the famed "Night Before the 500" Classic at Indianapolis Raceway Park May 27. He leads Jay Drake by 16 points and defending series champion Kasey Kahne by 22 going into this weekend's Eldora events.
Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford is scheduled to be the track's special guest on Friday night, while a special autograph session for former USAC participants is scheduled at the track at about 4:30 pm on Saturday as part of the "Oldtimers Weekend."
USAC WORLDCOM NATIONAL MIDGET CAR SERIES STANDINGS
1. A.J. Fike 193
2. Jay Drake 177
3. Kasey Kahne 171
4. Dave Darland 168
5. Aaron Fike 161
6. Michael Lewis 157
7. Jerry Coons, Jr. 152
8. Aaron Pollock 142
9. J.J. Yeley 137
10. Jimmy McCune 132
Text provided by Dick Jordan
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