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USAC: IRP hosts 'Spring Sprint Special' this Saturday Night

6 June 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Tony Elliott of Kokomo, Ind. leads the Stoops Freightliner Sprint Car Series into Saturday night's "Spring Sprint Special" at Indianapolis Raceway Park in search of his second series championship.

Tony won the 1998 series crown and currently leads J.J. Yeley by 25 points, with Brian Tyler, Dave Darland, Derek Davidson and Eric Gordon close behind. A 30-lap feature event is on tap at the .686-mile paved IRP oval following practice at 6 pm and qualifying at 7. The first preliminary race starts at 8.

Drivers will be shooting for Dave Steele's 1-lap track qualifying record of 123.068 mph, established in 1997. Steele won the last two USAC Sprint Car races at IRP last year, but Tracy Hines is the defending race champion and set the 30-lap race record of 115.287 mph two years ago.

Elliott scored a fifth and a seventh in two IRP starts in 1999 but none of his 19 previous series victories has come at IRP. His lone victory this season came in the most recent event, the May 28 race at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Other Stoops Freightliner Sprint Car winners this season are Hines, Ryan Newman, Jay Drake, Eric Gordon and Brian Tyler.

STOOPS FREIGHTLINER USAC SPRINT CAR SERIES STANDINGS

1. Tony Elliott 400
2. J.J. Yeley 375
3. Brian Tyler 356
4. Dave Darland 345
5. Derek Davidson 342
6. Eric Gordn 324
7. Tracy Hines 299
8. Kasey Kahne 271
9. Jonathan Vennard 266
10. Jay Drake 251

Text provided by Dick Jordan

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