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USAC: Hines only five points behind Darland as Silver Crown heads to Memphis

24 October 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Tracy Hines of New Castle, Ind. hasn't won as many USAC races this season as Jay Drake, but unlike Drake, Tracy does have a chance to win the Coors Light Silver Bullet Championship this weekend at Memphis Motorsports Park.

Tracy scored his 10th USAC feature win in Sunday's Sprint Car race at Winchester, Ind. but trails Dave Darland by only five points in the Silver Bullet Series standings going into this Sunday's finale at the 3/4-mile paved Memphis oval. A wire-to-wire victory from the pole would earn him his first USAC driving championship after three runner-up positions in the Sprint and Midget Car Series.

Hines is the only driver to record back-to-back wins in this year's Silver Bullet series, at Nazareth, Pa. and Madison, Ill. in April and May. He and Darland have averaged a ninth-place finish in seven pavement races this year, while Brian Tyler, who has a mathematical chance of catching both, trailing Darland by 48 points, has averaged a seventh place finish in his seven pavement starts so far.

Saturday's Memphis timetable calls for Coors Light Silver Bullet practice from 9-9:55 and 11-11:25 am. Qualifying is scheduled at 3 pm and a 15-lap "qualifying race" follows at 5. Sunday's 100-lap "Memphis 100" Silver Bullet race gets the green flag at 3 pm.

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

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.