Irwin Takes Pole for USAC Silver Crown Race;
Sprague Quickest in Chevy Trucks Challenge Practice
18 January 1998
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Irwin, who will race full time in NASCAR Winston Cup Series this season, will be joined by Robby Flock on the front row for the 50-lap feature. The inaugural Silver Crown feature at the track starts at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
"USAC is a great series," Irwin said. "I can't do much more once the (Winston Cup) season starts." Flock was No. 2 at 27.626, 130.312 on the 1-mile tri-oval. He is racing for the first time since suffering multiple injuries in an accident during the Silver Crown season finale last October at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
In practice for the Chevy Trucks Challenge NASCAR Craftsman Truck race, defending series champion Jack Sprague was quickest at 28.834, 124.853 in the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Sprague hit the retaining wall in Turn 2 on the final lap of practice, but he was unhurt and drove the truck to the pits for repairs.
Qualifying for the Chevy Trucks Challenge starts at 12:45 p.m. Saturday.
CHEVY TRUCKS CHALLENGE TOP FIVE PRACTICE TIMES, SPEEDS Pos. No. Driver Truck Time Speed 1 24 Jack Sprague Hendrick Motorsports Chevy 28.834 124.853 2 99 Chuck Bown Exide Batteries Ford 28.877 124.667 3 10 Lonnie Rush A&G Coal Corp. Chevy 28.877 124.667 4 19 Tony Raines Pennzoil Ford 28.883 124.641 5 50 Joe Ruttman LCI International Ford 28.930 124.438
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Chevy Trucks Challenge tickets: Tickets for the Chevy Trucks Challenge are available by calling Ticketmaster, (407) 839-3900 (Orlando) or (813) 287-8844 (Tampa).
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On the airwaves: ESPN2 will televise live the Chevy Trucks Challenge qualifying race and final "happy hour" practice session, and the USAC Silver Crown Series Championship qualifying race and 50-lap feature race from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Saturday. It's the first time that a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series qualifying race and "happy hour" will be televised live.
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Video News Release schedule: TelX Sports will provide Video News Releases from the Chevy Trucks Challenge on Saturday and Sunday. Dates, times and coordinates: Saturday: 6-6:15 p.m. (EST), SBS 6, Transponder 15 Sunday: 5-5:15 p.m. (EST), TelStar 4, Transponder 13