TRI-CITY & MILWAUKEE'S "PARNELLI JONES CLASSIC" NEXT UP FOR "THUNDER & LIGHTNING" SPRINTS

AUGUST 22, 2005


             A trio of drivers seeking USAC's 2005 Valvoline National 
Sprint Car Championship will vie for the series point lead in a pair of 
races this week.
             Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Ill. hosts Wednesday 
night's USAC "doubleheader" also featuring the Midgets, while the Milwaukee 
Mile plays host to Saturday afternoon's inaugural "Parnelli Jones Classic."
             A 30-lap race is on tap at Granite City's 1/2-mile, while the 
Midgets are slated for action on the track's 1/4-mile oval. Saturday's 
30-miler at Milwaukee marks a return of USAC Sprint car racing to the 
historic 1-mile paved oval for the first time in 45 years!
             Levi Jones of Olney, Ill. leads Dave Darland of Lincoln, Ind. 
by 11 point and defending series champion Jay Drake of Val Verde, Calif. by 
16, with 140 points up for grabs this week. Jones is seeking his first USAC 
title, while Darland is a USAC "Triple Crown" Champ, having won the Sprint 
car crown in 1999.
             One of the track records drivers will aim at Saturday should 
fall. Parnelli Jones, for whom the race is named, still holds the 1-lap 
track qualifying record of 105.257 mph. In comparison, Dave Steele set the 
1-mile World's record of 144.980 mph last year at Pikes Peak International 
Raceway.
             Drake set the existing 1-lap track qualifying record at 
Tri-City Speedway in 2004 at 21.080 seconds.

USAC VALVOLINE NATIONAL SPRINT CAR SERIES STANDINGS

1.-Levi Jones-987
2.-Dave Darland-976
3.-Jay Drake-971
4.-Josh Wise-879
5.-Bud Kaeding-809
6.-Mat Neely-728
7.-Jon Stanbrough-594
8.-Darren Hagen-492
9.-Justin Marvel-448
10.-Tracy Hines-439