Ed Stimely Invited to Indy 500 Champions Day

Ed Stimely Jr. Invited To Represent ARDC At Indy 500 Champions Day

EASTON, Pa., May 1--- The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has extended an invitation to the reigning ARDC CARQUEST Midget Series Champion, Ed Stimely, Jr., to attend "Champions Day" on Wednesday May 13, 1998. "Champions Day" at this famous speedway was created to honor the champions of major open wheel racing sanctioning bodies and to pay a special tribute to three-time Indy 500 winner, Johnny Rutherford. Stimely, from McVeytown, Pa., will be attending the Indianapolis event with his car owner, Harold Yetter of Sciota, Pa. Yetter is also going to bring the car that Ed Stimely, Jr. drove to the ARDC CARQUEST Championship in 1997 to have it on display at the Speedway's Flag Lot. Stimely will participate in an autograph session with champions from other open wheel racing divisions during the FanFest. The representatives from ARDC will take part in seminars that are conducted during the festivities.

One of the seminars scheduled for the drivers is called "How to get to the Indy 500". ARDC CARQUEST Business Manager, Mike Roselli, Sr., is also going to try to make the trip.

The Stimely/Yetter ARDC team is already on top of the point standings this season in an effort to defend their title. With consistent top finishes and a feature win at Port Royal Speedway last Saturday night, Stimely is focused on repeating as the ARDC Champion in 1998.

The competition in the first three races of the year have produced three different winners for the Midget organization. Walt Stearly won his career first ARDC feature win in the opener at Silver Spring Speedway and John Heydenreich, who has won many Midget main events, won his first at the Lincoln Speedway on April 18, 1998. Until that win Heydenreich had seven second place finishes at Lincoln.