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USAC: Pankratz, Brown Split Tucson Victories

27 April 1999

Wally Pankratz of Orange, Calif. and Curtis Brown of Tucson, Ariz. captured USAC feature events at Tucson (Ariz.) Raceway Park Saturday night. The victory was Pankratz' first in two years and Brown's first ever in USAC competition.

Pankratz passed Shane Scully on the 23rd lap of the 30-lap MCI WorldCom Western Midget Car main event on the 3/8-mile paved oval, then led the final eight laps in his Sta-Rite Pools/Trench Shoring/Hasa/Pool Aid VanDyne. Scully finished second after leading the first 22 laps and he was followed at the checkered flag by Bud Kaeding, Billy Felts, Jr. and Stave Paden.

The victory, Pankratz' first since a 1997 win at Bakersfield, Calif., boosted him to fourth in the new series standings going into this Saturday night's USAC/BCRA co-sanctioned event at the Madera (Calif.) Speedway. A 30-lap feature is scheduled on the 1/3-mile paved oval. Pankratz was Saturday's fastest Tucson qualifier but finished second to Scully in the heat race.

Curtis Brown wheeled his Securaplane Special to victory in the 40-lap Western Sprint Car feature at Tucson, leading the final 10 laps after passing Bobby McMahan. Series point leader Bud Kaeding took second ahead of McMahan, with Rick Williams and Mike Boat rounding out the "top-three."

Dave Fitzgerald, winner of the previous weekend's Western Sprint race at Irwindale, Calif., escaped injury when he flipped on the 35th lap of Saturday night's Tucson feature.

The Western Sprint Cars resume action May 8 in a "doubleheader" program with the MCI WorldCom TQ Midget Cars.

WESTERN SPRINT CAR STANDINGS

1. Bud Kaeding 194
2. Jeff Gardner 178
3. Bobby McMahan 177
4. Rick Williams 152
5. Dave Fitzgerald 145
6. Mike Boat 135
7. Rick hendrix 132
8. Billy Felts, Jr. 121
9. Tom Stansberry 94
10. Kevin Urton 91

MCI WORLDCOM WESTERN MIDGET CAR STANDINGS

1. Marc DeBeaumont 147
2. Shane Scully 119
3. Clay Klepper 114
4. Wally Pankratz 110
5. Jason Leffler 100
6. Rick Hendrix 89
7. John Starks 84
8. Alex Harris 75
9. Dave Steele 68
10. Tracy Hines 60

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