USAC: Midgets share IRP bill with sprints Saturday
Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
September 11, 2001Dave Darland of Lincoln, Ind. continues his quest to become USAC's third "triple crown" champion this Saturday night as the WorldCom National Midget Car Series joins the Stoops Freightliner Sprint Car Series for a "doubleheader" as part of the track's United Way Volunteer Appreciation Night.
Darland holds a 160-point edge over A.J. Fike in the series standings with seven races remaining on the 2001 calendar. The 1997 Silver Crown and 1999 Sprint Car titlist hopes to join Tony Stewart and Pancho Carter as the only drivers to win all three USAC National Series championships in a career. Stewart won the 1994 National Midget crown before sweeping all three in 1995, while Carter won the Midget title in 1972, Sprint Car titles in 1974 and 1976 and the Silver Crown championship in 1978.
Practice at IRP Saturday commences at 5 pm, with qualifying starting at 6:30 and racing beginning at 8. The WorldCom National Midget Cars and Stoops Freightliner Sprint Cars each face 30-lap feature events on the .686-mile paved oval.
Rain forced cancellation of Friday night's "Racin' With D.O. Racin' Fest 2001" events at Twin Cities Raceway Park in North Vernon, Ind. and subsequent cancellation of the Saturday night events, which included a USAC Sprint Car Special Event and the USAC Dirt-Track Regional Midget Car Series at the 3/8-mile dirt track. The Dirt-Track Regional Midget Car Series is scheduled to conclude with an October 6 event at the Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track.
USAC WORLDCOM NATIONAL MIDGET CAR SERIES STANDINGS
1. Dave Darland 893
2. A.J. Fike 733
3. Jay Drake 724
4. Tracy Hines 689
5. J.J. Yeley 613
6. Aaron Fike 602
7. Jerry Coons, Jr. 474
8. Steve Paden 451
9. Ryan Scott 422
10. Kasey Kahne 420
USAC DIRT-TRACK REGIONAL MIDGET CAR SERIES STANDINGS
1. Shane Hollingsworth 251
2. John Wolfe 248
3. Matt Sandy 193
4. Tony Elliott 172
5. Joe Roush 150
6. Jon Foster 148
7. Clay Klepper 139
8. Chris Coers 129
9. Ron Gregory 119
10. Michael Bridges 114
Text provided by Dick Jordan
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