USAC: Tyler takes Toledo to claim Hemelgarn IRL test

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

July 17, 2001

COMES BACK TO WIN IRP'S TURBINES, INC. "INDIANA SPRINT CLASSIC"

Brian Tyler of Parma, Mich. swept both Friday and Saturday night's 30-lap Stoops Freightliner Sprint Car Series feature events at Toledo, Ohio and Indianapolis, Ind. respectively to climb into the "top-10" in the new series standings going into the Pennzoil "Indiana Sprint Week" events, which start this weekend.

The first of seven scheduled Pennzoil "Indiana Sprint Week" races is Saturday night at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, while round two is Sunday night's race at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt. A 30-lap feature caps each program. Subsequent races in the series are July 24, 26-27-28-29 at North Vernon, Lawrenceburg, Bloomington, Terre Haute and Kokomo respectively. A $16,000 series point fund has been established as an incentive bonus, to be paid to the top-15 point-scoring drivers.

Practice at Putnamville Saturday starts at 5:30 pm, with qualifying at 6:30 and racing at 7:30. A special racers' picnic from noon-3 pm precedes the Putnamville racing schedule. Sunday's Haubstadt racing gets under way with practice at 5:30, qualifying at 6 and prelims at 7.

Tyler's victory in Friday's Hemelgarn Racing "Rollie Beale Night" at Toledo Speedway earned him an Indy Racing Northern Light Series test session with the Hemelgarn Racing team. He led all 30 laps in his Kroger/Pringles/Folgers/Sunny Delight Gaerte/Beast to beat Eric Gordon, Dave Steele, Tracy Hines and Ed Carpenter. Jay Rohrback of Adrian, Mich. suffered two fractured vertebrae when he hit the wall during the first heat race.

Tyler returned Saturday night to again lead all 30 laps of the Turbines, Inc. "Indiana Sprint Classic" at Indianapolis Raceway Park, beating Jason McCord, Derek Davidson, A.J. Fike and Hines. Tyler's victory ended a five-year stranglehold on the IRP Sprint car events by Hines and Steele, who had won the previous 11 USAC Stoops Freightliner events at the .686-mile paved oval.

Turbines, Inc. fast qualifiers were Hines at Toledo and McCord at IRP.

Dave Darland, with finishes of 12th and ninth in the two races, maintained his lead in the Stoops Freightliner series and enters this weekend with a 10-point lead over defending Pennzoil "Indiana Sprint Week" Champion Jay Drake.

STOOPS FREIGHTLINER USAC SPRINT CAR SERIES STANDINGS

1. Dave Darland 756
2. Jay Drake 746
3. J.J. Yeley 713
4. Tracy Hines 686
5. Tony Elliott 620
6. Robbie Rice 535
7. Derek Davidson 519
8. Bud Kaeding 513
9. Bill Rose 463
10. Brian Tyler 407

Text provided by Dick Jordan

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