USAC: Tony Elliott opens title defense at Eldora/Anderson

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

March 27, 2001

Tony Elliott of Kokomo, Ind. opens defense of his Stoops Freightliner/USAC Sprint Car Championship this weekend as two "traditional" races open the 35-race campaign.

The "Don Branson/Jud Larson Classic" is slated Saturday night at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio and the second annual "Glen Niebel Classic" presented by the Stoops Automotive Group is on tap Sunday afternoon at the Anderson (Ind.) Speedway. A 30-lap feature is scheduled at Eldora, while Sunday's Anderson Sprint feature is 50 laps. The Sprint cars share Sunday's Anderson billing with the WorldCom National Midget Cars, who also have a 50-lap feature on tap.

Elliott finished fourth and 12th respectively in these two races last year and hopes for a better result this time around. His 2000 championship was his second, having also won the 1998 title.

Jay Drake (Eldora) and Eric Gordon (Anderson) won last year's classics and will return to defend their victories.

Practice at Eldora Saturday gets under way at 6:30 pm, with qualifying at 7 and racing at 8. Anderson's Sunday timetable has initial practice at 10:30 and qualifying at 12:30. The first race is slated for 2 pm.

Race fans will long remember the last USAC race at Anderson, the June 30 Midget Car race in which Michael Lewis nosed out Kasey Kahne in the closest finish in USAC racing history!

Drake and Elliott each earned Eldora Sprint car wins in 2000, along with Dave Darland and Tracy Hines. Darland and Hines featured prominently in last weekend's USAC action in Irwindale, Calif, with Darland taking the pole for the Coors Light Silver Bullet race and Hines winning the 40-lap Western Sprint Car feature.

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.