USAC: Hulman Hoosier Hundred goes to Tony Elliott

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

September 30, 2001

Indianapolis, Ind. - Tony Elliott of Kokomo, Ind., watched, waited and attacked Friday night to take the lead 17 laps from the finish and breezed to victory in the 100-mile Hulman/Hoosier 100 United States Auto Club Coors Light Silver Bullet race at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Elliott languished in midpack in the early stages but overhauled Jerry Coons Jr., of Tucson, Ariz., on the 83rd lap and breezed to his second straight victory in the event.

Paul White of Temple, Texas, clinched the USAC Silver Crown championship with a seventh-place finish in the season-closing race, nailing down the crown early in the race when his nearest challenger, Russ Gamester of Peru, Ind., went to the sidelines with a magneto problem.

Elliott's victory required patience.

"We were so tight that we just struggled in the early part of the race," Elliott said. "We had to wait. They (his crew) told me when the fuel load starts going down, we should be pretty good. I felt it get easier and easier to drive. I was able to haul it in there and when I hit the brakes, it didn't want to turn right."

J.J. Yeley of Phoenix was third, followed by Bud Kaeding of Campbell, Calif., and 57-year-old Indianapolis 500 veteran Johnny Parsons, who charged from 21st starting spot to lead 40 laps before slipping back to fifth at the end.

White, who was the series' top rookie in 2000, played it safe to lock up the championship.

"For the race, we had a safe car to run 100 laps," he said. "We had a top-10, maybe a top-five car. I saw them pushing (Gamester) to the pits and they weren't hurrying so I thought it was terminal. The crew told me I could go for it but that was all we were able to do."

The race marked the debut of A.J. Foyt IV, son of the famed four-time Indianapolis 500 winner. He retired after 19 laps due to scraping the wall avoiding Gamester's slowing machine.

Results Friday night (September 28) from the running of A.J. Foyt's True Value "Hulman/Hoosier Hundred" USAC Coors Light Silver Bullet Series Race at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, with starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, laps completed, reason out if any and money won:

1. (12) Tony Elliott, Kokomo, Ind., 100, $9,100, No Time, No Speed, Yellows.
2. (3) Jerry Coons, Jr., Tucson, Ariz., 100, $4,500.
3. (2) J.J. Yeley, Phoenix, Ariz., 100, $3,500.
4. (6) Bud Kaeding, Campbell, Calif., 100, $2,000.
5. (21) Johnny Parsons, Indianapoilis, Ind., 100, $1,800.
6. (5) Tracy Hines, New Castle, Ind., 100, $2,100.
7. (10) Paul White, Temple, Texas, 100, $1,400.
8. (7) Ed Carpenter, Indianapolis, Ind., 100, $1,200.
9. (17) Dave Steele, Tampa, Fla., 100, $1,100.
10. (4) Tom Capie, Browns Mills, N.J., 100, $1,000.
11. (27) Billy Puterbaugh, Jr., Brownsburg, Ind., 100, $900.
12. (26) Jason McCord, Anderson, Ind., 100, $800.
13. (8) Levi Jones, Olney, Ill., 100, $700.
14. (20) Aaron Fike, Galesburg, Ill.,100, $600.
15. (30) Kyle Steffens, St. Charles, Mo., 100, $550.
16. (24) Dean Franklin, Oklahoma City, Okla., 100, $550.
17. (28) Wayne Chinn, Tipp City, Ohio, 99, $550.
18. (22) Dane Carter, Brownsburg, Ind., 99, $550.
19. (1) Michael Lewis, Noblesville, Ind., 98, $1,050.
20. (23) Rich Tobias, Jr., Annville, Pa., 70, Power Steering, $500.
21. (14) Brad Noffsinger, Concord, N.C., 69, Handling, $450.
22. (16) John Heydenreich, Bloomsburg, Pa., 67, Power Steering, $450.
23. (13) Jack Hewitt, Troy, Ohio, 54, Accident, $450.
24. (29) Ricky Shelton, Huntington Beach, Calif., 44, Engine, $450.
25. (11) Brian Tyler, Parma, Mich., 34, Engine, $450.
26. (15) Brad Fox, Avon, Ind., 22, Engine, $400.
27. (18) Russ Gamester, Peru, Ind., 19, Magneto, $400.
28. (19) A.J. Foyt IV, Hockley, Texas, 19, Accident, $400.
29. (25) Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio, 7, Ignition, $400.
30. (9) Jay Drake, Val Verde, Calif., 6, Oil Leak, $400.

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.