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USAC: Kerr Rakes In $17,000 for 'Terre Haute National Open' Win

22 June 1999

JONES, COONS & STEELE ALSO CLAIM STOOPS VICTORIES

Frankie Kerr of Fremont, Ohio is $17,000 richer after his victory in Saturday night's 40-lap Clabber Girl "Terre Haute National Open" Stoops Freightliner USAC Sprint car race (co-sanctioned by SCRA) at the Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track. The race was the richest in non-wing, dirt-track sprint car history.

Kerr started 16th in his Shoff Motorsports Special and emerged from a battle with Mike English and Jac Haudenschild to lead lap 31 of the 40-lapper. After English regained the lead for two laps, Kerr caught him on lap 34 and never looked back.

"It's great to win this race for Stan Shoff, my car owner," said Kerr in victory lane. "My crew set up a beautiful car, which allowed me to come from 16th to the lead. The race track was the best I've ever seen it. Late in the race Haudenschild was running on top and English was running on the bottom, so I decided to take the middle and I found a new groove. It worked!"

Haudenschild finished second, ahead of English, Cory Kruseman and Jack Hewitt. Haudenschild led the first 25 laps before a three-car battle for the lead saw he, English and Kerr trade the lead back and forth for the next eight laps.

Preliminary 20-lap features at Terre Haute went to SCRA's Tony Jones (Thursday) and USAC's Jerry Coons, Jr. (Friday). Jones led all 20 laps in his GC Acro/Flexible Circuitry/VGI Graphics/Auto B Collision Repair machine to beat Haudenschild and J.J. Yeley Thursday, then Coons turned Friday night's 20-lapper into a wire-to-wire runaway in his Custom Equipment Design/Stealth/McCreary/Foxco machine, beating John Scott and Mike Kirby to the checkered flag.

Dave Steele of Tampa, Fla., subbing for the Derek Davidson, who suffered a broken arm in a Thursday Terre Haute accident, drove the Hannig Construction/Bailey's One Stop Special to victory in Sunday's Wal-Mart "Father's Day Classic" feature at the Salem (Ind.) Speedway. Starting on the front row, Steele led all 30 laps to beat Dave Darland and Billy Puterbaugh, Jr. Steele's time for the 30 laps broke Jeff Gordon's 9-year-old record by over 12 minutes.

Darland emerged from the four races with a 32-point lead over Tracy Hines in the new Stoops Freightliner standings. Darland was 10th and 6th in his two Terre Haute races and Hines was fifth and 13th at Terre Haute and 7th at Salem.

Turbines, Inc. fast qualifying awards went to Cory Kruseman and Hines at Terre Haute and Darland at Salem.

Troy Cline and Jay Drake captured True Value semis at Terre Haute.

STOOPS FREIGHTLINER SPRINT CAR STANDINGS

1. Dave Darland 837 6. Eric Gordon 543
2. Tracy Hines 805 7. Brian Gerster 472
3. Brian Tyler 634 8. Robbie Rice 427
4. Tony Elliott 621 9. Jason McCord 313
5. Derek Davidson 605 10. Jack Hewitt 297

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