USAC: White takes 100 mile Copper World opener at Phoenix
Posted By Terry Callahan
Contributing Editor, The Auto Channel
March 20, 2001Paul 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 Phoenix (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 in his Builders Electric/Swofford Electric Chevy/Beast, then survived a brush with series champion Tracy Hines 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't 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's team 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. The Irwindale event also includes the USAC Western Sprint Cars in their 2001 series opener on the 1/2-mile paved oval. A 40-lap Sprint car race will precede the K & N Filters Classic 100-lap Silver Bullet race. Practice gets under way at 3 pm.
A total of seven yellow flags flew during Sunday's race and Brad Noffsinger suffered a compound fracture of his left wrist in a three-car crash on the 17th lap.
Tyler Walker won Saturday's 10-mile "qualifying race."
USAC COORS LIGHT SILVER BULLET SERIES STANDINGS
1. Paul White 63
2. Dave Steele 60
3. Dane Carter 54
4. Jerry Coons, Jr. 51
5. Jason McCord 48
6. Dave Darland 45
7. Tony Elliott 42
8. Russ Gamester 39
9. Ed Carpenter 36
10. Davey Hamilton 33
Text provided by Dick Jordan
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