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USAC: Steele Leads Coors Light Silver Bullets to Saturday's 'Coca-Cola 100'

18 May 1999

Dave Steele of Tampa, Fla. leads the Coors Light Silver Bullet Series standings going into this Saturday night's "Coca-Cola 100" at Indianapolis (Ind.) Raceway Park. He holds a six-point lead over 1998 series runner-up Brian Tyler and a nine-point edge over 1998 third-place point finisher Ryan Newman. Defending series champion Jason Leffler currently sits fifth in the points.

Steele, whose only previous series victory came last year at Memphis Motorsports Park, finished second in the 1999 opener at Walt Disney World Speedway and fourth in the February "Copper World Classic" at Phoenix, Ariz.

Saturday's timetable calls for practice from 5-6 pm and qualifying at 6. A 15-lap "qualifying race" starts at 8:30, followed by the "Coca-Cola 100," starting 30 cars.

Mike Bliss of Milwaukie, Ore, who won the inaugural "Coca-Cola 100" in 1996, is among the entries for Saturday night's race. He also won this year's opener at Orlando, Fla. Pat Abold won the 1997 IRP race and Tony Stewart won last year.

Track records up for grabs Saturday night include Jim Keeker's 1-lap 1995 mark of 119.143 mph and Johnny Parsons' 100-lap 1991 record of 97.630 mph.

Visitors to IRP for this weekend's "Coca-Cola 100" will be witness to a brand-new frontstretch grandstand, complete with new control center-pressbox-suite amenities.

In addition to Steele, other 1998 Silver Bullet winners in Saturday night's field include 1999 "Copper World Classic" Champion Brian Tyler of Parma, Mich., Tony Elliott of Kokomo, Ind., Russ Gamester of Peru, Ind., Jimmy Sills of Placerville, Calif., Jack Hewitt of Troy, Ohio and J.J. Yeley of Phoenix, Ariz.

1999 USAC COORS LIGHT SILVER BULLET SERIES STANDINGS

1. Dave Steele 114 6. Billy Puterbaugh, Jr. 75
2. Brian Tyler 108 7. Mike Bliss 63
3. Ryan Newman 105 8. Todd Kane 63
4. Russ Gamester 96 9. J.J. Yeley 62
5. Jason Leffler 93 10. Brad Noffsinger 58

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.