Eldora: Season finale summary

STEELE REPEATS AS SILVER CROWN CHAMPION
DARLAND TAKES ELDORA FINALE AGAIN!

Dave Steele of Tampa, Fla. repeated as USAC's Weld Racing Silver Crown Champion Saturday, finishing 10th in the series finale at Rossburg, Ohio and edging series runner-up Josh Wise by 19 points for the championship. Steele and his Bob East/Tony Stewart team will be celebrated for the championship at the USAC Champions Night in January in Indianapolis.

Dave Darland of Lincoln, Ind. captured Saturday's 50-lap "4-Crown Nationals" feature at the Eldora Speedway, leading all 50 laps despite a souring engine in the closing laps. His victory in the Jarvis Enterprises/Foxco Racing Engines Beast boosted him to sixth in the final series points. Mat Neely, John Heydenreich, Kevin Huntley and Rob Chaney trailed him to the checkered flag.

Wise and Brian Tyler, mathematically in the title chase at Eldora, were both involved in a four-car incident on lap 42, virtually ending their bids to unseat Steele as the champion. Wise restarted and finished seventh while Tyler was unable to restart. Wise established a new track qualifying record of 117.386 mph on Friday and Mat Neely won the 15-lap qualifying race.

"We just thought that we had to stay out there and get the best result that we could," Darland said. "We had to keep at a consistent RPM as well as keep the lapped cars behind us. We were really lucky to hold everybody off."

"We're really happy tonight," Steele said. "My crew gave me a great car and were ecstatic about defending the title."

<pre> USAC WELD RACING SILVER CROWN SERIES STANDINGS 1. Dave Steele 443 2. Josh Wise 424 3. Brian Tyler 396 4. John Heydenreich 322 5. Jay Drake 284 6. Dave Darland 271 7. Wayne Reutimann, Jr. 260 8. Nick Lundgreen 249 9. Bud Kaeding 244 10. Tracy Hines 234

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