USAC: Gamester 1st at Irwindale; Darland's Point Lead down to 5
17 October 2000
Posted By Terry
Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
"I wish I could run here every week," said Russ Gamester of Peru,
Ind.
after winning Saturday night's 100-lap Coors Light Silver Bullet race at
the
Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway. Gamester outran NASCAR Busch Series veteran
and
former USAC champion Jason Leffler to the checkered flag in the
penultimate
race of the 2000 series."It feels good to win," added Gamester in victory lane. "At the beginning of the race I was just feeling out the track and the car started coming in at about 20 laps." Russ caught Leffler for the lead in a turn four pass on lap 46 and never looked back in his Terre Haute First National Bank machine. "I knew when I got by Jason McCord for second I could catch Leffler," said Gamester.
Aaron Fike of Galesburg, Ill. finished third to earn the Oliver Trucking "Rookie of the Race" honors. Tracy Hines and Bud Kaeding rounded out the "top-five."
Dave Darland of Kokomo, Ind., who finished eight, emerged from the race with a narrow five-point lead over Hines in the Coors Light Silver Bullet standings going into the October 28-29 finale at Memphis Motorsports Park. Hines won the pole at Irwindale at a new track record speed of 93.163 mph.
Leffler grabbed the lead at the start and led for four laps before Jason McCord, who started fourth, moved to the front. McCord led for 14 laps until yielding to Leffler, who then succumbed to Gamester on lap 46.
The only yellow flag flew on lap 48 when Brad Noffsinger spun off turn four and slid into the inside wall.
USAC COORS LIGHT SILVER BULLET SERIES STANDINGS
1. Dave Darland 551
2. Tracy Hines 546
3. Brian Tyler 503
4. J.J. Yeley 445
5. Brad Noffsinger 441
6. Tony Elliott 432
7. John Heydenreich 424
8. Russ Gamester 396
9. Jack Hewitt 364
10. Kasey Kahne 355
Text Provided By Dick Jordan
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