USAC: Russ Gamester scores a victory at IRP

7 August 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Russ Gamester of Peru, Ind. scored his third career USAC Coors Light Silver Bullet victory in Sunday evening's resumption of the "Dupont 100," which was rained out Wednesday night at Indianapolis Raceway Park. The win was his first on pavement and earned his Terre Haute First National Bank team a first-place paycheck of $9,400 from the total purse of $58,268.

"I've never been fortunate here before tonight," he said in victory lane. "But my car kept getting better as the race wore on and we were able to run down the leaders." Russ started fifth and trailed early leaders J.J. Yeley and Ryan Newman until making his winning pass for the lead on lap 74. He led the final 27 laps of the 100-lap race despite late-race pressure from Yeley, who won the pole Wednesday night at 120.070 mph.

"I tried not to run too hard," Gamester added. I knew J.J. was pressing me but I knew if I let him by I might not get him back. Lapped traffic at the end nearly cost me but we were able to hang on." Gamester's winning speed of 105.216 mph broke Dave Steele's year-old race record of 100.383.

Trailing Gamester and Yeley at the checkered flag were Chet Fillip, defending race winner Dave Steele and John Heydenreich, while NASCAR veterans Jason Leffler and Tony Stewart finished sixth and ninth respectively. Stewart, who started alongside Yeley on the front row, ran with the leaders in the early laps but slipped a lap down on the 93rd lap.

Kasey Kahne of Enumclaw, Wash. earned the Oliver Trucking "Rookie of the Race" award and Jimmy McCune earned the "Hard Charger" award for his driver from 24th starting spot to 10th.

The race was interrupted only once by the yellow flag, when Tracy Hines and Gary Hieber spun in turn two on lap seven.

Indianapolis, Ind. - Results Sunday night (August 6) from the running of the "Dupont 100" USAC Coors Light Silver Bullet Series Race at Indianapolis Raceway Park, with starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, laps completed, reason out if any and money won:

1. (51) Russ Gamester, Peru, Ind., 100, $9,400, 39:07.17, 105.216 mph.
2. (92) J.J. Yeley, Phoenix, Ariz., 100, $4,700.
3. (77) Chet Fillip, Speedway, Ind., 100, $3,250.
4. (19) Dave Steele, Tampa, Fla., 100, $2,200.
5. (99) John Heydenreich, Bloomsburg, Pa., 100, $2,050.
6. (4) Jason McCord, Anderson, Ind., 100, $1,900.
7. (9) Jason Leffler, Long Beach, Calif., 99, $1,849.
8. (40) Brad Noffsinger, Concord, N.C., 99, $1,749.
9. (11) Tony Stewart, Rushville, Ind., 99, $1,649.
10. (2) Jimmy McCune, Toledo, Ohio, 99, $1,549.
11. (69) Brian Tyler, Parma, Mich., 99 ,$1,449.
12. (56) Dave Darland, Kokomo, Ind., 98, $1,398.
13. (67) Kasey Kahne, Indianapolis, Ind., 98, $1,848.
14. (7) Ed Carpenter, Indianapolis, Ind., 98, $1,298.
15. (41) Eric Gordon, Indianapolis, Ind., 97, $1,247.
16. (37) Tracy Hines, New Castle, Ind., 97, $1,197.
17. (93) A.J. Fike, Galesburg, Ill., 96, $1,146.
18. (01) Pat Abold, Pennellville, N.Y., 96, $1,096.
19. (25) Derek Davidson, Lafayette, Ind., 95, $1,070.
20. (23) Jack Hewitt, Troy, Ohio, 92, Mechanical, $1,042.
21. (1) Ryan Newman, South Bend, Ind., 90, Magneto, $1,515.
22. (44) Bud Kaeding, Campbell, Calif., 89, Engine, $989.
23. (74) Rich Tobias, Jr., Annville, Pa., 62, Handling, $937.
24. (27) Dane Carter, Brownsburg, Ind., 59, Suspension, $909.
25. (66) Gary Hieber, Langhorne, Pa., 54, Brakes, $879.
26. (22) Brian Paulus, Mechanicsburg, Pa., 41, Handling, $841.
27. (62) Bill Rose, Plainfield, Ind., 40, Ignition, $840.
28. (20) Tony Elliott, Kokomo, Ind., 32, Fuel Pump, $832.
29. (30) Chuck Leary, Greenfield, Ind., 20, Brakes, $820.
30. (100) Paul White, Temple, Texas, 19, Fuel pump, $819.

Average Speed: 105.216 mph
Time of Race: 39:07.17
Caution Flags: 2 for 7 laps
Lead Changes: 2 among 3 drivers
Lap Leaders: Yeley 1-21, Newman 22-73, Gamester 74-100.
Fastest Qualifier: J.J. Yeley - 20.568 seconds, 120.070 mph.
Qualifying Race Winner: (15 laps) Brian Tyler

Coors Light Silver Bullet Point Standings: 1-Tyler-302; 2-Noffsinger-261; 3-Hines-258; 4-Darland-254; 5-Yeley-242; 6-Newman-242; 7-Leffler-237; 8-Heydenreich-221; 9-Gamester-197; 10-White-187.

Next Coors Light Silver Bullet Race: August 19 - Springfield, Ill. - Illinois State Fairgrounds - "Tony Bettenhausen 100"

Text provided by Dick Jordan

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