USAC: Gurney returns for Monday's 'DuQuoin Century'

31 August 1999

Three-time "DuQuoin Century" winner Chuck Gurney of Livermore, Calif. returns to the Coors Light Silver Bullet Series for the first time in nearly a year when the series visits the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds next Monday afternoon for round 10 of the 1999 championship. He'll drive the #9 East Enterprises machine ordinarily driven by Jason Leffler, who has another commitment and will be unable to race at DuQuoin.

Gurney has driven only one race since last year's DuQuoin Century, at Sacramento, Calif. last October, but started on the front row at DuQuoin in 1998. After just three laps, though, a broken rear end forced him out of the 100-miler.

The 1989 Coors Light Silver Bullet Champion, Gurney ranks second on the all-time winners list behind Jack Hewitt. His 14 race victories include 1989, 1994 and 1996 triumphs on the DuQuoin mile. He ranks fourth in series starts with 113 and is second on the all-time lap leader list behind Jimmy Sills with 1,328 laps and 27 races led. By leading all 100 laps at DuQuoin he could overtake Sills as the all-time lap leader.

Ryan Newman of South Bend, Ind. leads the series standings going into Monday's race but he's only 12 ahead of Russ Gamester of Peru, Ind., the 1997 DuQuoin winner. Jimmy Sills of Placerville, Calif., the only three-time Coors Light Silver Bullet Champion, won last year's DuQuoin Century.

Practice at the dirt mile starts at 9 am. Qualifications begin at 10:30 am and will be followed by a 15-mile "qualifying race" at 12:30 pm. The 100-mile feature gets the green flag at 1:30.

Sills and Dave Darland are the two drivers who have posted 1999 dirt-track victories so far, Sills winning at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in May and Darland at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield August 21.

1999 USAC COORS LIGHT SILVER BULLET SERIES STANDINGS

1. Ryan Newman 435
2. Russ Gamester 423
3. Brian Tyler 329
4. Tracy Hines 327
5. Jack Hewitt 308
6. Jason Leffler 253
7. Dave Darland 249
8. J.J. Yeley 249
9. Gary Hieber 248
10. Chuck Leary 239

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.