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Sprints: 14 events listed on 2000 Coors Light Silver Bullet Schedule

8 January 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

America's most competitive open-cockpit, open-wheel racing series will make no less than 14 stops in the year 2000, returning after a 20-year hiatus to one of the country's most historic venues as part of its prestigious list of calendar events.

The Coors Light Silver Bullet Series, which has produced 67 different race winners and 22 driving champions in its 223 events since debuting in 1971, opens with a 50-mile race at Walt Disney World Speedway near Orlando, Fla. the weekend of January 28-29 in conjunction with the Delphi 200 Indy Racing League opener, and closes with a 100-lap race at the Memphis Motorsports Park oval in Tennessee the weekend of October 28-29.

Drivers will be tested on tracks ranging from 1/2-mile to 1-1/4 miles in length and on both dirt and paved surfaces, creating a truly diverse driving championship.

Knoxville Raceway in Iowa, the home of the famed "Knoxville Nationals" Sprint Car classic, returns to the schedule for the first time since it hosted a 1980 Silver Bullet race won by the late Rich Vogler. The June 2-3 event on the historic 1/2-mile is being held in conjunction with the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame's annual induction ceremonies and will feature a 100-lap main event.

"Traditional" dates abound, including the "Copper World Classic" at Phoenix, Ariz. February 4-6, the "Coca-Cola 100" and "Dupont 100" May 20 and August 2 at Indianapolis Raceway Park, A.J. Foyt's True Value "Hulman-Hoosier Hundred" May 26 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, the "Tony Bettenhausen 100" at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield August 19, the "DuQuoin Century" at the DuQuoin, Ill. State Fair September 4, the "4-Crown Nationals" at Rossburg, Ohio's Eldora Speedway September 29-30 and the "Silver Crown 100" at Sacramento, Calif.'s CalExpo State Fairgrounds October 7.

Nazareth (Pa.) Speedway, which hosted its inaugural Silver Bullet race in 1999, switches to April 7-8 for this year's event, while Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway, which also hosted its inaugural Silver Bullet race in 1999, returns for an October 14 date.

Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill. Hosts a May 6-7 program and is the longest track on the schedule, at 1.25 miles. Chuck Leary set the existing series speed record of 141.750 mph there in 1997.

Ryan Newman of South Bend, Ind., winner of the 1999 race at Gateway after a record-setting duel with Kenny Irwin, is the defending series champion and will drive the #1 entry for car owner Johnny Vance of Dayton, OH in the Orlando opener. Ryan also won the "Coca-Cola 100" at IRP in 1999.

2000 USAC COORS LIGHT SILVER BULLET CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES SCHEDULE

Date Location

1/28-29 Orlando, FL
2/4-6 Phoenix, AZ
4/7-8 Nazareth, PA
5/6-7 Madison, IL
5/20 Indianapolis, IN (IRP)
5/26 Indianapolis, IN (Fairgrounds)
6/2-3 Knoxville, IA
8/2 Indianapolis, IN (IRP)
8/19 Springfield, IL
9/4 DuQuoin, IL
9/29-30 Rossburg, OH
10/7 Sacramento, CA
10/14 Irwindale, CA
10/28-29 Memphis, TN

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