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USAC: Nazareth Coors Light Silver Bullet Race Results (Leffler Wins)

18 July 1999

NAZARETH, PA - Results Saturday (July 17) from the USAC Coors Light Silver Bullet race at Nazareth Speedway, with starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, laps completed, reason out if any and money won.

Jason Leffler of Long Beach, Calif. became the sixth winner in six USAC Coors Light Silver Bullet races this year by winning Saturday's 100-mile race at the Nazareth (Pa.) Speedway.

Leffler started alongside pole winner Jimmy Sills but trailed him through the first 43 laps. When Sills' car started overheating on lap 44, Leffler took command and led the rest of the distance despite late-race pressure from Sills' teammate, Mike Bliss, who finished second. Chuck Leary, Brian Tyler and Pennsylvania favorite Gary Hieber rounded out the "top-10" at the checkered flag.

"My car was tight early," said Leffler after the race, "then the tires wore out and everything got warmed up and the car got pretty loose at the end. I just made sure we kept the car straight and didn't burn the tires off. My crew kept telling me Bliss was catching me, so it was time to go and not worry about the tires."

Series point leader Ryan Newman was also a victim of the opressive heat, with temperatures near 100. His car overheated after 60 laps and although he failed to finish the race he retained the point lead by 11 points over Russ Gamester, who finished 10th.

Rebel Jackson, Jr. earned the race's Turbines, Inc. "Rookie of the Race" Award for his sixth-place finish.

Eric Gordon of Indianapolis, Ind. won the 15-mile "qualifying race," during which Johnny Parsons of Indianapolis hit the wall. Parsons was taken to St. Luke's Hospital in Allentown, Pa. for a precautionary check. He suffered leg and rib contusions and was treated and released.

There was no time or speed for the 100-mile race due to a red flag which flew on lap 30 after Kevin Bloomstran of Lebanon, Ind. broke a brake line and stopped on the backstretch. A fire ensued and he was taken to Lehigh Valley Medical Center in Allentown. He is awake and alert and has burns. Further updates will come from Nazareth Speedway.

1 (2) Jason Leffler, Long Beach, Calif., 100, $18,100, No Speed-Red Flag.
2 (3) Mike Bliss, Milwaukie, Ore., 100, $9,100.
3 (6) Chuck Leary, Greenfield, Ind., 100, $5,600.
4 (4) Brian Tyler, Parma, Mich., 100, $4,400.
5 (5) Gary Hieber, Langhorne, Pa., 100, $3,600.
6 (8) Rebel Jackson, Jr., Buckley, Wash., 100, $3,475.
7 (14) J.J. Yeley, Phoenix, Ariz., 100, $2,650.
8 (20) Chet Fillip, Speedway, Ind., 100, $2,450.
9 (15) Brad Noffsinger, Concord, N.C., 100, $2,200.
10 (17) Russ Gamester, Peru, Ind., 100, $2,050.
11 (22) Paul White, Temple, Texas, 100, $1,950.
12 (25) Eric Gordon, Indianapolis, Ind., 100, $1,850.
13 (27) Jack Hewitt, Troy, Ohio, 100, $1,750..
14 (23) Jason McCord, Anderson, Ind.,  100, $1,700.
15 (28) Jimmy McCune, Toledo, Ohio, 100, $1,650.
16 (24) Bentley Warren, Kennebunkport, Maine, 100, $1,600.
17 (9) Jay Drake, Val Verde, Calif., 93, $1,543, Engine.
18 (21) Billy Puterbaugh, Jr., Brownsburg, Ind., 92, $1,492, Engine.
19 (12) Dave Darland, Kokomo, Ind., 82, $1,432, Overheating.
20 (19) Kipp Beard, Tampa, Fla., 78, $1,378, Accident.
21 (11) Tracy Hines, New Castle, Ind., 63, $1,338, Engine.
22 (13) Ryan Newman, South Bend, Ind., 60, $1,310, Overheating.
23 (16) Brian Paulus, Mechanicsburg, Pa., 54, $1,279, Oil Leak.
24 (1) Jimmy Sills, Placerville, Calif., 51, $1,251, Overheating.
25 (18) Robby Flock, Murietta, Calif., 45, $1,220, Overheating.
26 (29) Rich Tobias, Jr., Lebanon, Pa., 38, $1,188, Overheating.
27 (26) Tom Capie, Trevose, Pa., 37, $1,187, Brakes.
28 (30) Kevin Bloomstran, Lebanon, Ind., 23, $1,173, Fire.
29 (7) John Heydenreich, Bloomsburg, Pa., 17, $1,167, Engine.
30 (10) Dave Steele, Tampa, Fla., 6, $1,156, Electrical.

Average Speed: NONE-Red Flag.
Time of Race: NONE-Red Flag.
Caution Flags: Laps 1-12-17 Tobias spun in tunnel turn; Laps 25-29
Bloomstran broke brake line and fire ensued; RED FLAG on Lap 30; Laps
54-59
Paulus spun exiting tunnel turn; Laps 64-70 Hines blew engine in turn 1;
Laps 79-86 Beard hit wall in turn 1.
Lead Changes: 1 among 2 drivers.
Lap Leaders: Sills 1-43, Leffler 44-100.
Fastest Qualifier: Jimmy Sills - 26.630 seconds - 135.185 mph.
Qualifying Race Winner: Eric Gordon.
Coors Light Silver Bullet Point Standings: 1-Newman-290; 2-Gamester-279;
3-Tyler-273; 4-Yeley-198; 5-Hines-186; 6-Leffler-169; 7-Flock-168;
8-Hewitt-158; 9-Fillip-157; 10-Hieber-155.
Next Coors Light Silver Bullet Race: July 30 - Madison, Ill., Gateway
International Raceway.

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