STOCKS: Ross drives borrowed car to victory in Crystal Flash 100
28 August 1999
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. - A Labor Family Night crowd estimated at 23,500 saw Brian Ross win the Crystal Flash 100 presented by Spree Prepaid Foncard at Indianapolis Raceway Park on Saturday evening in a borrowed race car. In an early practice session for the Kendall Indiana Late Model Series, Ross suffered a serious mechanical failure with his regular ride, breaking the rear end beyond repair. He borrowed a car from David Ecoff, and managed to qualify it fourth fastest. When fast qualifier Scott Neal drew for the inversion in the feature start, luck of the draw gave Ross a front row starting position. Neal had qualified at 21.932 seconds (112.616 miles per hour), a new track record for the series. At the drop of the green flag, Ross jumped into the lead, and at times had a straightaway lead over the rest of the field. A final yellow slowed the pace and put the outcome in doubt, however, as Ross had to hold off Tim Felver. Felver mounted a determined charge in the first and second turns on the final lap, actually pulling alongside Ross at one point, but was unable to make it all the way past and Ross pulled ahead again on the back stretch. Felver was second, with Brian Rievley third and David Stremme fourth. "I have to thank David Ecoff," Ross said after the event. "He let me use his car, and our crew set it up perfectly for this place." He acknowledged that the last lap dramatics had him worried. "I thought it was Brian Rievley that was trying to get by, and I know how tough he can be," he said. "Tim made it really interesting." Eddie Van Meter posted a double on the night, winning both the Championship Auto Racing Series late model feature and the American Race Truck Series feature. Bob Dumke finished second in the late model race, followed by Bob Franklin and Kimberly Gibson. In the truck feature, Chris Tomasik was second behind Van Meter, with Bill Harkins third and Bruce Hartlep fourth. Van Meter actually had a three-for-four night, also winning the CARS Fast Car Dash. SUMMARY Kendall Indiana Late Model Series Fast Qualifier: Scott Neal, 21.932 seconds (New Track Record) Last Chance Race: A.J. Bowlen, Tim Rader, John Miller, Todd Robinson, Steve Seegott, Spanks Overbeck, Dave Nester, Joe Ross, Robert Ohlman Feature: Brian Ross, Tim Felver, Brian Rievley, David Stremme, Matt Hagans, Lennie LeGrande, Ray Skillman, Todd Oliver, Jeff Lane, Kurt Hough, Jim Crabtree Jr., Kenny Tweedy, Dave Jackson, Rick Turner, Mike Bryant, Jonathan Shields, Glenn Gault, Bowlen, Josh Clemons, Rader, Royce Mason, Seegott, Chet Blanton, Miller, Overbeck, Peter Cozzolino, Tony Ridner, Kyle Edwards, Neal, Robinson. American Race Truck Series Fast Qualifier: Eddie Van Meter, 25.512 seconds Dash: Scott Brooks, Bruce Hartlep, Chris Tomasik, Van Meter, Bill Harkins, Wes Bullock. First Qualifying Race: Dan Jordan, Jim Mills, Chester Read, Doug Tatman, Brad May, Delbert Tatman, Shawn Bergdoll, Eddie Freyman, Mark Shilling. Second Qualifying Race: Jeff Cave, Bill Nedwicky, John Wicks, Brian Hott, Ed Lynn, Paul Graybrook, Randy Bergdoll, Chris Crump, Cory Lodge. Feature: Van Meter, Tomasik, Harkins, Hartlep, Bullock, Tim Fulford, Zach McLin, Brandon Fagin, Cory Powell, Tom Moore, Andrew White, Rob Mason, Hott, Mark Jennings, Jason Hand, Nedwicky, Scott Dillion, Dwayne Tatman, R. Bergdoll, Jordan, May, Doug Tatman, S. Bergdoll, Buddy Davis, Bob Coffey, Crump, Brooks, Bob Franklin, Mills, Lynn, Read, Cave. Championship Auto Racing Series Late Models Fast Qualifier: Bob Franklin, 25.595 seconds Dash: Eddie Van Meter, Bob Dumke, Bob Franklin, Kimberly Gibson, Mark Fesmire, Van Meter, Dumke, Fesmire, Franklin, Bruce Hartlep, Gibson, Tim Green, Jerome Branscum, Wes Bullock, Loreen Morris, Mike Vanarsdale, Jason Lewellen, Mike Wenzlick, Jeff Cannon, Dwayne Tatman. -30-