USAC: Stoops Sprint Cars Visit Louisville Wednesday, 'Jan Opperman Memorial' Saturday at Terre Haute
4 May 1999
ROSE, DAVIDSON, STEELE WIN; HINES CAPTURES "BORDER WARS V"The Stoops Freightliner USAC Sprint Cars invade "Derby Town" this Wednesday night for a nationally-televised (ESPN2) program of racing at the Louisville (Ky.) Motor Speedway. Saturday night they travel to the Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track for the inaugural "Jan Opperman Memorial."
"Double Ds" share the point lead entering the Louisville event. Derek Davidson, winner of last Saturday night's 30-lapper at Rossburg, Ohio, and Dave Darland are tied with 246 points apiece. Former 2-time series champion Brian Tyler trails by only four points. Practice at Louisville begins at 5 p.m. and racing starts at 7:30. A 30-lap feature is scheduled on the 7/16-mile paved oval. Terre Haute's Saturday events get under way with practice at 6 p.m. and racing at 8. The "Jan Opperman Memorial" is a 30-lap feature.
Bill Rose of Plainfield, Ind., Davidson, of Lafayette, Ind. and Dave Steele of Tampa, Fla. scored Stoops Freightliner feature wins over the past weekend, but Tracy Hines of New Castle, Ind. emerged as the fifth champion of the "Border Wars" series with his finishes in Saturday and Sunday's events.
Rose recorded his second USAC Sprint Car victory ever in Friday night's 30-lap feature at Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park, beating Eric Gordon, Byron Reed, Kevin Thomas and Danny Smith to the checkered flag. Eight drivers flipped during the program but there were no serious injuries.
Davidson, who won the series opener March 28 at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, repeated with his wire-to-wire Saturday night 30-lap victory at the 1/2-mile dirt oval, driving the Hannig Construction/Bailey's One Stop Special. Hines was second ahead of Steve Surniak, Dave Darland and Tim Cox. Jack Hewitt, Kevin Thomas and Brian Tyler all escaped injury in flips at Eldora.
Steele scored his fourth consecutive Winchester (Ind.) Speedway victory in Sunday's 30-lap Stoops Freightliner Sprint Car feature, leading the final 26 laps in his Aristocrat Products Special after passing Ryan Newman on lap five. Newman finished second, followed by Brian Gerster, Billy Puterbaugh, Jr. and Davidson.
Brian Tyler established a new 1-lap Winchester Speedway track record of 125.971 mph Sunday, breaking Brian Gerster's 3-week-old record of 125.078.
STOOPS FREIGHTLINER SPRINT CAR STANDINGS
1. Derek Davidson 246 6. Eric Gordon 165
2. Dave Darland 246 7. Brian Gerster 140
3. Brian Tyler 224 8. Robbie Rice 140
4. Tracy Hines 202 9. Bill Rose 132
5. Tony Elliott 201 10. Dave Steele 130
Editors Note: For hundreds of hot racing photos and racing art, be sure to visit The Racing ImageGalleries and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.