USAC: Dane Carter gets first pole in Coors Light Competition

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

June 17, 2001

Third-generation driver Dane Carter of Brownsburg, Ind. (grandson and son of former Indianapolis 500 drivers Duane and Pancho Carter), earned his initial USAC Coors Light Silver Bullet pole position Saturday during qualifications for Sunday's 100-mile race at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo.

"I didn't think I could run that speed (142.062 mph)," exclaimed Carter after the run. "I ran a little slower during practice and would have been happy with a top-10 start!"

Carter broke Russ Gamester's three-year-old track record of 140.972 mph. and will share the front row for Sunday's race with Dave Steele of Tampa, Fla., who qualified at 141.570 mph.

It's Carter's third appearance at PPIR. In 1999 he missed the feature in the Silver Bullet series, then drove an uncompetitive car in last year's USAC Midget race at the 1-mile paved oval.

Sunday's 100-mile race starts at 11:30 am (MDT), while the accompanying Radisson Indy 200 for the Indy Racing Northern Light Series gets the green flag at 2:12 pm.

Saturday's 15-mile USAC "qualifying race" was won by P.J. Jones.

Fountain, Colo. - Results Saturday (June 16) from qualifications for the June 17 USAC Coors Light Silver Bullet Series Race at Pikes Peak International Raceway, with starting position, car number in parentheses, driver, hometown and speed:

1. (7) Dane Carter, Brownsburg, Ind., 25.341 seconds, 142.062 mph.
2. (19) Dave Steele, Tampa, Fla., 141.570 mph.
3. (67) J.J. Yeley, Phoenix, Ariz., 141.365 mph.
4. (62) Jay Drake, Val Verde, Calif., 140.812 mph.
5. (10) Paul White, Temple, Texas, 140.597 mph.
6. (93) Aaron Fike, Galesburg, Ill., 140.476 mph.
7. (85) Michael Lewis, Noblesville, Ind., 140.416 mph.
8. (69) Brian Tyler, Parma, Mich., 139.724 mph.
9. (44) Bud Kaeding, Campbell, Calif., 139.437 mph.
10. (9) Kasey Kahne, Enumclaw, Wash., 139.416 mph.
11. (37) Tracy Hines, New Castle, Ind., 139.389 mph.
12. (56) A.J. Fike, Galesburg, Ill., 139.238 mph.
13. (20) Tony Elliott, Kokomo, Ind., 139.222 mph.
14. (51) Russ Gamester, Peru, Ind., 139.205 mph.
15. (2) Tyler Walker, Charlotte, N.C., 139.092 mph.
16. (11) Ed Carpenter, Indianapolis, Ind., 138.872 mph.
17. (25) Derek Davidson, Lafayette, Ind., 138.862 mph.
18. (73) Billy Puterbaugh, Jr., Brownsburg, Ind., 138.723 mph.
19. (4) Jason McCord, Anderson, Ind., 138.712 mph.
20. (26) Bobby McMahan, Rio Linda, Calif., 138.696 mph.
21. (40) Brad Noffsinger, Concord, N.C., 138.408 mph.
22. (66) Gary Hieber, Langhorne, Pa., 138.211 mph.
23. (29) Bentley Warren, Kennebunkport, Maine, 137.925 mph.
24. (5) Robby Flock, Murrieta, Calif., 137.793 mph.
25. (21) P.J. Jones, Cornelius, N.C., Winner of Qualifying race.
26. (35) Jerry Coons, Jr., Tucson, Ariz., 2nd in Qualifying race.
27. (99) Eric Gordon, Indianapolis, Ind., 3rd in Qualifying race.
28. (110) John Heydenreich, Bloomsburg, Pa., 4th in Qualifying race.
29. (77) Chet Fillip, San Angelo, Texas, 5th in Qualifying race.
30. (50) Ricky Shelton, Huntington Beach, Calif., 6th in Qualifying race.

Text provided by Dick Jordan

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