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McQuarrie Coming From England For Russell Pro Triple Crown Opener at Sears Point

22 June 1999

The 1999 Russell Pro Triple Crown Championship kicks off Saturday afternoon at Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. as part of the track's Save Mart/Kragen 350 weekend and last year's Formula Russell Champion is coming back from England to participate.

Tyler McQuarrie, who has moved from Walnut Creek, Calif. to Britain, will return for this weekend's activities on the 1.9-mile Sears Point circuit. A 30-minute race is planned as the concluding event on Saturday's list of races, the first of three scheduled to determine this year's Russell Pro Triple Crown driving champion. Swedish driver Niklas Loven won last year's title.

McQuarrie will be joined by 1998 Triple Crown participants Patrick McDowell and David Farley, plus Nathan Smith and Timothy Barber, who finished 1-2 in the 1998 Russell Graduate Run-Offs. Warren Washer, this year's Spring Formula Russell Mechanics Training Program Challenge Series titlist, is also scheduled to compete.

The 1999 Russell Pro Triple Crown Champion earns trips to three year-end awards ceremonies, including the USAC National Awards Dinner in Indianapolis, the USAC Western States Awards Banquet and the Jim Russell International Awards Banquet, scheduled to be held in England. He also will earn a testing session in a Formula 2000 machine.

Triple Crown practice is slated at Sears Point Thursday from 10:40-11:20 am and 3:10-3:30 pm. A 1/2-hour qualifying session will conclude Friday's track activities.

The Russell Pro Triple Crown Series continues July 25 at Sears Point and concludes October 16 at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway.

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