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USAC: Scully, Hart take Bakersfield features, Sprints head to Mesa Marin Saturday

12 April 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

The USAC Western Sprint Car Series visits the Mesa Marin Raceway this Saturday night as the city of Bakersfield, Calif. hosts its second consecutive weekend of USAC competition. A 40-lap feature event is slated on the 1/2-mile paved oval. Two-time Indy Racing League runner-up and Indianapolis 500 veteran Davey Hamilton currently leads the series point standings.

The USAC MCI WorldCom Western Midget Car and TQ Midget Car Series competed on the 1/3-mile dirt Bakersfield Speedway oval last Saturday night, with Shane Scully and Dennis Hart recording feature wins.

Scully, of Encino, Calif., who scored wins at Ventura, Calif. and Tucson, Ariz. last year, led the final six laps of Saturday's 30-lap Midget Car race to beat Rick Hendrix, Bryan Stanfill, Dwayne Marcum and Thomas Meseraull to the checkered flag. Scully passed Meseraull on lap 25 and led the rest of the way in his Embassy Suites/Fontana/TCR. Shane had led the first 10 laps, then Hendrix led for seven before yielding to Meserall.

Hart, of Ventura, Calif., caught early leader Jim Styer on the sixth lap, then led the rest of the way to win the 20-lap TQ Midget Car feature over Walt Johnson, fast qualifier Ron Wade, J.J. Ercse and Greg Edenholm. Hart's victory was his 12th in TQ competition but his first in 12 years! Hart won USAC's first two TQ Midget Car driving championships in 1987 and 1988 but has competed on a selective basis for the past several years. The MCI WorldCom TQ Midget Cars resume action April 22 at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway and the MCI WorldCom Western Midget Cars resume action May 6 at Madera (Calif.) Speedway.

USAC WESTERN SPRINT CAR SERIES STANDINGS 1. Davey Hamilton 192
2. Todd Ellison 175
3. Burney Lamar 148
4. Tony Hunt 145
5. Jeff Gardner 141
6. Kenny Hamilton 132
7. Amy Barnes 130
8. Mike Boat 129
9. Kevin Kierce 124
10. Jason McCord 99

USAC MCI WORLDCOM WESTERN MIDGET CAR SERIES STANDINGS

1. Bobby Boone 268
2. Shane Scully 245
3. Steve Paden 235
4. Thomas Meseraull 234
5. Kasey Kahne 233
6. Danny Ebberts 222
7. Ryan Newman 217
8. Rick Hendrix 199
9. Wally Pankratz 190
10. Bryan Stanfill 152

USAC MCI WORLDCOM TQ MIDGET CAR SERIES STANDINGS

1. Ron Wade 134
2. Greg Edenholm 117
3. Walt Johnson 97
4. Josh Lakatos 92
5. Todd Hunsaker 92
6. West Evans 91
7. J.J. Ercse 83
8. Joe Finger 74
9. Steve Parke 71
10. Dennis Hart 67

Text provided by Dick Jordan

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