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IRL: Dismore Wins PPG Pole; Teammate Sharp Second at Dover

1 August 1999

DOVER, Del., - Kelley Racing teammates Mark Dismore and Scott Sharp qualified first and second, respectively, Saturday for the MBNA Mid-Atlantic 200 at Dover Downs International Speedway, with Dismore winning the pole with a lap of 182.639 mph.

Defending event champion Sharp was second at 182.417 on the 1-mile concrete oval in the Delphi Automotive Systems Dallara/Aurora/Goodyear. His time of 19.735 seconds was just 24-thousandths of a second slower than that posted by Dismore in the MCI WorldCom Dallara/Aurora/Goodyear.

It's the second time this season that Kelley Racing has swept the front row of a Pep Boys Indy Racing League event. Dismore and Sharp were 1-2 at the Longhorn 500 presented by MCI WorldCom in June at Texas Motor Speedway.

"The car handled," Dismore said of his performance Saturday. "I couldn't really ask for it to be any better than it was. It's certainly an advantage to be up front and avoid some of the traffic. We're still looking for our first win from the 28 side."

The MBNA Mid-Atlantic 200 starts at 12:30 p.m. (EDT) Sunday. The race will be televised at 3 p.m. (EDT) on FOX.

While Dismore posted his fastest lap on his first of two trips around the "Monster Mile," Sharp's best time came on his second lap in 97-degree air temperatures.

"Kelley Racing worked real hard, and I was real confident we had a great car," Sharp said. "It was like splitting hairs out there, and Mark had the shortest one. It's an all-Kelley front row, and I'm really excited for me and him."

Sharp climbed to second in the Pep Boys Million championship point standings after earning his first victory of the season in the Kobalt Mechanics Tools 500 presented by MCI WorldCom on July 17 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Sharp was 21 points behind leader Scott Goodyear entering this event, and he admitted that having his teammate alongside on the front row should increase his chances for a strong finish.

"Mark and I won't take chances out there and take each other out," Sharp said.

Greg Ray will start third after posting a fast lap of 181.068 in the Glidden-Menards Dallara/Aurora/Firestone. Ray has qualified in the top-four at all seven Indy Racing events this season, winning the pole at Phoenix and Pikes Peak.

Sam Schmidt was fourth fastest at 181.005 in the Sprint PCS G Force/Aurora/Firestone, followed by rookie Scott Harrington at 180.415 in The CertainTeed Building Products Special Dallara/Aurora/Firestone. It's Harrington's best career start.

Points leader Scott Goodyear will start 18th in the Pennzoil Panther G Force/Aurora/Goodyear. Goodyear posted an average speed of 177.532, slowed by gearbox problems.

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