TRACKS: Four Points Separate Top Sprint Cars; Critical Swing Begins at Bloomington
14 July 1999
BLOOMINGTON, IN - Only four points separate Derek Scheffel and Kenny Carmichael at the top of Bloomington Speedway's Pennzoil Cup points. While each of the five sprint car events remaining on this summer's calendar is important, the next three Friday night's races could be the most demanding, and the most interesting.Scheffel, the defending Pennzoil Cup champion, and Carmichael are the only two drivers to compete in every sprint car event at Bloomington this summer. The three upcoming races are distinctly different from each other and present contrasting challenges to the teams. While this Friday's event is open competition, featuring the Pennzoil Cup series cars racing for $1,200-to-win plus points, next Friday's event hosts the USAC Stoops Freightliner Sprint Cars. As the third consecutive night of USAC Pennzoil Indiana Sprint Week, the event usually lures 50 or more top sprinters, raising the racing bar significantly. Bloomington's third consecutive Friday event closes July with the return of Joey Saldana, the fastest driver to ever lap Bloomington Speedway, and the All Stars Circuit of Champions winged sprint car series. Showing well in all three events could swing this year's Pennzoil Cup championship, and Scheffel and Carmichael will battle head-to-head in these three distinct settings.
Last Friday's rainout awarded "show up" points for all of the drivers on hand when the storm engulfed the oval. There was little change at the top of Bloomington's three point races, as all of the top competitors were ready for action.
Friday night's racing will feature Bloomington's exciting Pennzoil Cup Sprint Car series, as well as UMP Modifieds and Indiana Street Stocks. The grandstand gates will open at 5:30, the pit gate at 4:30, with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:45. General admission is $10 for this event, with pit admission at $20. Youths 12 & under are free with an adult.
Bloomington Speedway Points
(Through July 9)
Pennzoil Cup Sprint Cars: 1. Derek Scheffel 405, 2. Kenny Carmichael 401, 3. Eric Burns 358, 4. Justin Marvel 337, 5. Lennie Waltz 298, 6. Chris LaFollette 291, 7 Jason Knoke 289, 8. Dave Peperak, Jonathan Vennard, Levi Jones 267 (tie)
UMP Modifieds: 1. Matt Tiller 411, 2. Ray Humphrey 396, 3. Richie Lex 395,
4. Jack Taylor 391, 5. Levi Ray Godsey 354, 6. Kerry Norris 348, 7. Brian
Campbell 338, 8. Charlie Phillips 324, 9. John DeMoss 298, 10. Tim Prince
277
(Please note that these are Bloomington Speedway's track points
and not UMP series points.)
Indiana Street Stocks: 1. Lee Hobbs 465, 2. Jerry Hepworth 429, 3. Cory Brown 405, 4. Don Bush Jr. 395, 5. Perry Bruce 381, 6. Steve Hollars 371, 7. Roy Bruce Jr. 368, 8. Steve Hunt 363, 9. Steve Hawkins 362, 10. Gerald Todd & Greg O'Neill 360 (tie)
Editors Note: For hundreds of hot racing photos and racing art, be sure to visit The Racing ImageGalleries and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.