USAC: Newman, Gamester Lead Silver Bullet Record Assault at Pikes Peak

22 June 1999

Ryan Newman of South Bend, Ind., one of America's hottest young talents, leads the USAC Coors Light Silver Bullet Series to round five of its 1999 campaign this weekend at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo.

The "Rocky Mountain Classic" 100-miler accompanies the Radisson 200 Indy Racing League event on one of the nation's fastest 1-mile paved ovals.

Newman, who established the all-time Midget Car qualifying record of 139.265 mph at PPIR in 1997, will lead an assault on Chuck Leary's Silver Bullet record of 141.750 mph established at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill., also in 1997. Russ Gamester, who trails Newman by only 18 points, holds the current PPIR speed mark of 140.972 mph, set last July.

The timetable for the "Rocky Mountain Classic" events includes Saturday practice from 9:15-10:15 am and 12:10-12:45 pm. Silver Bullet qualifying is slated Saturday from 2:45-4 pm. Sunday's 15-mile qualifying race gets the green flag at 10:15 am and the 100-mile feature starts at 2:45 pm, following the IRL's Radisson 200.

Newman is one of four different race winners in four 1999 Coors Light Silver Bullet events this year. He won at Indianapolis Raceway Park in May, while Mike Bliss won at Orlando, Fla. in January, Brian Tyler won at Phoenix, Ariz. in February and Jimmy Sills won on the dirt at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis in May.

Sills will have a new teammate this weekend as Dave Steele takes over the controls of the #111 Snider/Foyt entry and Sills jumps into the "sister" car, the #11. Sills is the series' only three-time champion and Steele must rate among pre-race favorites in the car Bliss drove at Orlando.

Sunday's 100-mile race will be telecast on ESPN2 July 7 from 9-11 pm (ET).

The defending race winner is John Heydenreich of Bloomsburg, Pa.

1999 USAC COORS LIGHT SILVER BULLET SERIES STANDINGS

1. Ryan Newman 222 6. Jimmy Sills 121
2. Russ Gamester 204 7. Billy Puterbaugh, Jr. 114
3. Brian Tyler 171 8. Dave Steele 114
4. Robby Flock 153 9. Tracy Hines 111
5. J.J. Yeley 127 10. Derek Davidson 108

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