USAC: Yeley takes Knoxville's NAPA 'Hawkeye Hundred'
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
June 5, 2001
J.J. Yeley of Phoenix, Ariz. captured Saturday night's NAPA "Hawkeye Hundred" at the Knoxville, Iowa Raceway, leading the final 30 laps around the 1/2-mile dirt track to beat Paul White and Tracy Hines and claim the $10,340 winner's check.
Yeley started eighth in the USAC Coors Light Silver Bullet race and climbed to second by the mid-point of the race, then caught Bud Kaeding on the 71st lap. He led the rest of the way in his ASE/Ford machine to post his fourth career win.
"Starting back in eighth place allowed me to watch the leaders and see the lanes develop in the first half of the race," he admitted after the win. "My car was perfect on restarts and once I got the lead it was smooth sailing."
Yeley also admitted he nearly spun out in the early laps. "I got hit from behind and nearly spun into the infield on the backstretch on lap 15," he said. "That was the closest call of the race for me."
White's second-place finish boosted him into the series point lead, two points ahead of Russ Gamester, who failed to finish Saturday night's race after spinning, then hitting the outside fence on lap 73. Gamester had won the pole with a new track record and had led 16 of the first 31 laps before slipping back.
The race was stopped on lap 63 when Aaron Fike flipped on the frontstretch but he escaped injury. Tyler Walker and Michael Lewis won 15-lap "qualifying races" which preceded the 100-lap feature.
The series now prepares for a June 16-17 event at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo.
USAC COORS LIGHT SILVER BULLET SERIES STANDINGS
1. Paul White 231
2. Russ Gamester 229
3. Dave Darland 185
4. Tracy Hines 183
5. Jason McCord 180
6. J.J. Yeley 178
7. Ed Carpenter 177
8. Kasey Kahne 175
9. Brian Tyler 168
10. Tony Elliott 148
Text provided by Dick Jordan
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