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USAC: Drivers representing 81 santioning bodies included in 'Thunder in the Dome' field

9 March 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Saturday night's "Thunder in the Dome XVI" at the RCA Dome in downtown Indianapolis, Ind. is certainly a "Race for Champions." Included in the 48-driver field are 81 sanctioning body season driving titles!

Ageless Mel Kenyon of Lebanon, Ind., the elder statesman of the field at age 66, has the most championships - 12! Kevin Olson of Rockford, Ill. has 10, while Steve Knepper of Belleville, Ill. has 7. Drivers with 6 include Michael Lang, Dan Boorse, Donnie Lehmann and Danny Pens, while Jim Hettinger has 4. Jay Drake, Jack Hewitt and Ted Hines each have 3, while Dave Darland, Gene Lee Gibson, John Heydenreich and Stevie Reeves have 2. Drivers with 1 seasonal title t their credit include Ryan Newman, Tony Elliott, Russ Gamester, Jerry Nemire, Mike Streicher, Steve Thinnes and Matt Westfall.

Team USA, which boasts 53 of the titles, is seeking its fourth consecutive "team" championship at the Dome. Practice starts at 2 p.m., while racing gets under way at about 5:30 A 20-lap Kenyon-Car Feature will be followed by a 20-lap Mini-Cup Feature and a 20-lap Go-Kart Feature, then six 12-lap Midget Car heats, two 40-lap Midget Car "team" Features and the 100-lap main event.

Driver changes which occurred after the original starting position drawing conducted last week at the USAC headquarters included Aaron Pierce of Muncie and Kent Christian of Plainfield on Team Indiana, replacing Roy Caruthers and Eric Gordon, who relinquished their team assignments. Indy Racing League drivers Robbie Buhl and Jimmy Kite also relinquished their Team USA assignments due to other commitments and they were replaced by drivers Jay Drake of Val Verde, Calif. and Ronnie Johncox of Jackson, Mich. Rich Corson of Markham, Ill. also joined Team USA when Stevie Reeves was moved to Team Indiana to complete the 48-car driver lineup.

Tickets for Saturday night's racing program at the RCA Dome are available at the RCA Dome box office and $3 discount coupons are available at Central Indiana Kroger Stores and Speedway Auto Parts.

REVISED HEAT RACE LINEUPS:

TEAM INDIANA HEAT #1

#5 Rick Treadway
#56 Jon Herb
#41 Tracy Hines
#21 Brian Gerster
#12 Ted Hines
#10 Dave Darland
#29 Kent Christian
#66 Ryan Newman

TEAN INDIANA HEAT #2

#61 Mel Kenyon
#78 Tony Ave
#55 Stevie Reeves
#131 Robbie Rice
#45 Russ Gamester
#94 Michael Lang
#7 Critter Malone
#14 Brice Kenyon

TEAM INDIANA HEAT #3

#70 Justin Marvel
#46 Mike Mann
#22 Dan Drinan
#11 Johnny Parsons
#16 Sondi Eden
#26 Aaron Pierce
#85 Michael Lewis
#3 Tony Elliott

TEAM USA HEAT #1

#2 Kevin Besecker
#92 John Heydenreich
#51 Kevin Olson
#54 Matt Westfall
#34 Danny Pens
#32 A.J. Fike
#71 Jim Hettinger
#126 Terry Cook

TEAM USA HEAT #2
#40 Aaron Fike
#60 Ronnie Johncox
#23 Jack Hewitt
#76 Jerry Nemire
#6 Steve Thinnes
#53 J.D. Turner
#0 Gene Lee Gibson
#31 Donnie Lehmann

TEAM USA HEAT #3

#77 Wayne Chinn
#58 Sarah McCune
#8 Mike Streicher
#39 Dan Boorse
#95 Jimmy McCune
#18 Jay Drake
#17 Steve Knepper
#15 Rich Corson

Text provided by USAC

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