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USAC: Noffsinger gets 1st Silver Bullet Win in Memphis 100; Newman is 1999 Coors Light Silver Bullet Champ

2 November 1999

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Brad Noffsinger of Concord, N.C. scored his first USAC Coors Light Silver Bullet victory in Sunday afternoon's nationally-televised (TNN) "Memphis 100" at Memphis Motorsports Park in Memphis, Tenn.

"It's hard to put into words what this win means for me," said a nearly-speechless Noffsinger in victory lane. "This was a building year and we want to go for the championship next year. I screwed up during qualifying but I knew I had the car to win the race. I had to be patient and the big break came when Dave Steele spun on lap 45. That helped cool my tires."

Noffsinger started seventh and was running fifth when race leader and defending winner Steele blew an engine and spun in turn one on lap 45. That put Jason Leffler in the lead but Noffsinger tracked him down on lap 83 and held on to the finish.

Pole starter Kenny Irwin came on to take second in the closing laps and Leffler was third, ahead of Russ Gamester and Bentley Warren.

Ryan Newman of South Bend, Ind. earned the Coors Light Silver Bullet championship with his eighth-place finish and Rebel Jackson, Jr. was named Turbines, Inc. "Rookie of the Race" after finishing 14th.

Five caution flags for 52 laps slowed the pace, although Irwin's pole speed was over 126 mph. Bill Rose of Plainfield, Ind. won Saturday's 15-lap "qualifying race." Sunday's race was witnessed by a sell-out crowd of nearly 30,000.

1999 USAC COORS LIGHT SILVER BULLET SERIES FINAL STANDINGS

1. Ryan Newman 666
2. Russ Gamester 619
3. Jack Hewitt 539
4. Brian Tyler 512
5. Jimmy Sills 519

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.