DRAKE LEADS WORLD'S FASTEST SPRINT DRIVERS TO RICHMOND JONES, HUNTLEY OHIO VICTORY; GAINES "BUCKEYE" CHAMPION

JUNE 20, 2005


             Jay Drake of Val Verde, Calif., who claimed to be the world's 
fastest sprint car driver until last year, leads the Valvoline USAC 
National Sprint Car Series to Friday's race at Richmond (Va.) International 
Raceway. A 60-lap feature caps the program of racing at the 3/4-mile paved 
oval, part of the track's weekend of events which includes the Indy Racing 
League and the Weld Racing USAC Silver Crown Series.

             Drake established a world's sprint car qualifying record of 
144.951 mph at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado in 2003 but 
Dave Steele of Tampa, Fla. bested that speed during 2004 USAC action at the 
same track. Steele's world mark of 144.980 mph is not that much faster than 
the 135.007 mph mark posted by Drake at RIR last year, when the USAC Sprint 
Cars made their RIR debut.

             Drake, who teams with Josh Wise as drivers of Sprint cars 
entered by NASCAR star Tony Stewart, leads USAC "Triple Crown" Champ Dave 
Darland by 22 points going into Friday's event, which offers 66 total points.

             Entered drivers for Friday's Sprint race also include 2004 RIR 
USAC Weld Racing Silver Crown winner Bobby East, 2005 Weld Racing Series 
point leader Wise and seven-time "Little 500" Sprint Car Champion Eric 
Gordon, who recorded a record fifth consecutive victory in the 500-lap 
Anderson, Ind. Sprint classic this year.

             Jason McCord of Anderson, Ind. is the defending USAC Sprint 
Car winner at RIR, averaging 124.231 mph in winning the 2004 race.

             Levi Jones of Olney, Ill. and Kevin Huntley of Bloomington, 
Ind. recorded victories in Valvoline Sprint Car races last weekend. Jones 
won Friday night's "Buckeye Nationals" opener at Limaland Motorsports Park 
in Lima, Ohio, while Huntley won Saturday night's race at the Eldora 
Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

             Jones passed Bud Kaeding on lap 11 and led the rest of 
Friday's 30-lapper in his Lucas Oil/Big R Stores Maxim/Gaerte, while 
Huntley paced all 30 circuits of Saturday's race in the Service 
Drywall/Thermo Spray of Indiana F-5/Chevy. Trailing Jones at Lima were 
Drake, Bryan Clauson, Shane Cottle and Kaeding. Huntley was followed at 
Eldora by Wise, Dickie Gaines, John Scott and Jonathan Vennard. Gaines 
emerged with the overall "Buckeye Nationals" Sprint championship.

             Clauson, of Noblesville, Ind., was treated at Miami Valley 
Hospital in Dayton, Ohio for injuries suffered in a flip at Eldora, but was 
expected to be released on Monday.

USAC VALVOLINE NATIONAL SPRINT CAR SERIES STANDINGS

1.-Jay Drake-456
2.-Dave Darland-434
3.-Levi Jones-395
4.-Bud Kaeding-387
5.-Josh Wise-342
6.-Mat Neely-320
7.-Jerry Coons, Jr.-249
8.-Jon Stanbrough-226
9.-Tom Hessert III-201
10.-Justin Marvel-197