USAC: Paul White wins first Coors Light Silver Bullet Race

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

March 18, 2001

PHOENIX, AZ: Paul White of Temple, Texas scored his first USAC Coors Light Silver Bullet Series victory in Sunday's 100-mile Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200 feature event at the Phoeniz (Ariz.) International Raceway. It came in his 28th series start.

White took the lead from pole starter Dave Steele on the 16th lap and led the rest of the way, then survived a brush with series champion Tracy Hines on lap which sent Hines into the inside wall on the frontstretch on lap 94.

"I hate that I turned him around like that but I don's feel like I did anything wrong," said White after the race. "In fact, I didn't even know he was there." Hines was battling for the lead when the incident occurred.

Sunday's race produced a series record purse of $108,940, of which White claimed $22,701.

Steele, who won the pole with a qualifying speed of 140.225 mph on Saturday, finished second and was followed by Dane Carter, Jerry Coons, Jr. and Jason McCord.

White's victory left him as the new series point leader going into next Saturday night's K & N Filters Classic at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway.

A total of seven yellow flags flew during Sunday's race and Brad Noffsinger suffered a wrist injury in a three-car crash on the 17th lap.

Tyler Walker won Saturday's 10-mile "qualifying race." Phoenix, Ariz. - Results Sunday afternoon (March 18) from the running of the 24th Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200 Coors Light Silver Bullet Series Race at Phoenix International Raceway, with starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, laps completed, reason out if any and money won:

1. (4) Paul White, Temple, Texas, 100, $22,701, 90.818 mph.
2. (1) Dave Steele, Tampa, Fla., 100, $12,308.
3. (16) Dane Carter, Brownsburg, Ind., 100, $6,560.
4. (7) Jerry Coons, Jr., Tucson, Ariz., 100, $5,587.
5. (8) Jason McCord, Anderson, Ind., 100, $4,437.
6. (11) Dave Darland, Lincoln, Ind., 100, $4,230.
7. (18) Tony Elliott, Kokomo, Ind., 100, $3,151.
8. (10) Russ Gamester, Peru, Ind., 100, $2,803.
9. (13) Ed Carpenter, Indianapolis, Ind., 100, $3,239.
10. (2) Davey Hamilton, Las Vegas, Nev., 100, $3,250.
11. (3) Kasey Kahne, Enumclaw, Wash., 100, $2,781.
12. (6) Michael Lewis, Noblesville, Ind., 99, $2,015.
13. (20) Gary Hieber, Langhorne, Pa., 98, $1,764.
14. (5) Tracy Hines, New Castle, Ind., 93, Accident, $3,780.
15. (24) Brian Paulus, Mechanicsburg, Pa., 91, $1,641.
16. (23) A.J. Fike, Galesburg, Ill., 90, $1,590.
17. (25) Tyler Walker, Charlotte, N.C., 77, Engine, $1,582.
18. (12) J.J. Yeley, Phoenix, Ariz., 75, Engine, $2,574.
19. (29) Carl Edwards, Columbia, Mo., 71, Overheating, $1,496.
20. (28) Bentley Warren, South Daytona, Fla., 53, Clutch, $1,428.
21. (9) Brian Tyler, Parma, Mich., 49, Engine, $1,509.
22. (30) Chet Fillip, San Angelo, Texas, 45, Overheating, $1,395.
23. (19) John Heydenreich, Bloomsburg, Pa., 19, Clutch, $1,269.
24. (14) Brad Noffsinger, Concord, N.C., 16, Accident, $1,266.
25. (22) Billy Puterbaugh, Jr., Brownsburg, Ind., 16, Accident, $1,216.
26. (27) Jay Drake, Val Verde, Calif., 16, Engine, $1,291.
27. (26) Derek Davidson, Lafayette, Ind., 9, Accident, $1,284.
28. (21) Jim Childers, Gibsonton, Fla., 9, Accident, $1,209.
29. (15) Bud Kaeding, Campbell, Calif., 7, Engine, $1,207.
30. (17) Aaron Fike, Galesburg, Ill., 2, Engine, $1,202.

Text provided by Dick Jordan

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