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USAC: 2000 'Thunder in the Dome XVI' midget het race starting positions

1 March 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Drivers from Indiana, Illinois and Ohio occupy pole starting positions for the "Thunder in the Dome XVI" USAC invitational Midget race at the RCA Dome in downtown Indianapolis, Ind. March 11. The six lucky drivers were selected in a random drawing held today at USAC headquarters in Speedway, Ind.

Defending race winner Kevin Besecker of Dayton, Ohio and 7-time USAC National Midget Car Champion Mel Kenyon of Lebanon, Ind. were among the select six, along with Indiana drivers Rick Treadway and Justin Marvel, plus Aaron Fike of Galesburg, Ill. and Wayne Chinn of Tipp City, Ohio.

Forty-eight drivers are scheduled to participate in the event, which includes team heats and 40-lap team features preceding the 100-lap finale on the Dome's 1/6-mile concrete oval surface.

Nearly $30,000 in prize money has been posted for the race, in which Team USA will try to capture its fourth consecutive team title. Since the 1985 inaugural, Team Indiana has won 11 times and Team USA four.

Indy Racing League point leader Robbie Buhl, who won the series opener at Orlando, Fla. In January, is scheduled to start sixth in the third Team USA heat race in his RCA Dome debut, while IRL driver Jimmy Kite will start right behind him!

This year's RCA Dome event is certainly a family outing. Brothers Tracy and Ted Hines are positioned in Team Indiana heat #1, while father-son combo Mel and Brice Kenyon are both in Team Indiana heat #2. Brothers A.J. and Aaron Fike are positioned in Team USA heats #1 and 2, while cousins Sarah and Jimmy McCune are both in Team USA heat #3.

Three of USAC's 1999 driving champions are in the field, with Coors Light Silver Bullet titlist Ryan Newman, Stoops Freightliner Sprint Car king Dave Darland and Indianapolis Speedrome Midget Car Champ Michael Lang all part of Team Indiana.

Eight former RCA Dome winners are in the field, including Team Indiana members Roy Caruthers, Russ Gamester, Michael Lang and Ted Hines, plus Team USA drivers Kevin Besecker, Mike Streicher, Jim Hettinger and Stevie Reeves.

One of nine RCA Dome "rookies" will be NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Terry Cook, who will start last in Team USA heat race #1.

Gates to the RCA Dome open at 5 pm and racing starts at 6. Tickets for the "Thunder in the Dome XVI" are available at the RCA Dome box office and $3 discount coupons are available at Kroger and Speedway Auto Parts stores.

TEAM INDIANA HEAT #1

RICK TREADWAY
JON HERB
TRACY HINES
BRIAN GERSTER
TED HINES
DAVE DARLAND
ERIC GORDON
RYAN NEWMAN

TEAM INDIANA HEAT #2

MEL KENYON
TONY AVE
TBA
ROBBIE RICE
RUSS GAMESTER
MICHAEL LANG
CRITTER MALONE
BRICE KENYON

TEAM INDIANA HEAT #3

JUSTIN MARVEL
MIKE MANN
DAN DRINAN
JOHNNY PARSONS
SONDI EDEN
ROY CARUTHERS
MICHAEL LEWIS
TONY ELLIOTT

TEAM USA HEAT #1

KEVIN BESECKER
JOHN HEYDENREICH
KEVIN OLSON
MATT WESTFALL
DANNY PENS
A.J. FIKE
JIM HETTINGER
TERRY COOK

TEAM USA HEAT #2

AARON FIKE
STEVIE REEVES
JACK HEWITT
JERRY NEMIRE
STEVE THINNES
J.D. TURNER
GENE LEE GIBSON
DONNIE LEHMANN

TEAM USA HEAT #3

WAYNE CHINN
SARAH McCUNE
MIKE STREICHER
DAN BOORSE
JIMMY McCUNE
ROBBIE BUHL
STEVE KNEPPER
JIMMY KITE

NOTES:

Team #1 Drew the pole for the Team Indiana Feature and Team #3 Drew the pole for the Team USA Feature.

You will notice that one Team Indiana invitee has yet to be named, which will be inserted in the third starting spot in the second heat race.

Text provided by USAC

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