"Indiana Sprint Week" recap

Dave Darland of Lincoln, Ind. edged defending champion Jay Drake of Val Verde, Calif. by 33 points to claim the 2001 Pennzoil "Indiana Sprint Week" championship, his second. Darland, who also won the title in 1998, won Friday night's "Robbie Stanley Classic" at the Lawrenceburg Speedway and added "top-10" finishes in each of the other races to take the top spot in the final standings. He also emerged with a 60-point lead over Drake in the Stoops Freightliner Sprint Car standings going into the August 11 "Joe James/Pat O'Connor Classic" at the Salem (Ind.) Speedway.

Tony Elliott of Kokomo, Ind. won Sunday night's "Vince Osman Classic" at Kokomo Speedway and finished second in the final Pennzoil standings, while Jay Drake ended up third in the series points.

Elliott lost the race lead to Jeremy Sherman on the 29th lap at Kokomo, then regained in on the final lap to put his Stealth/Hoosier/KECO/Lamers Claxton/Stealth in victory lane ahead of Sherman, Bud Kaeding, J.J. Yeley and Brian Tyler. Rain forced a halt to Saturday night's events at the Terre Haute Action Track just as the "Jan Opperman Classic" feature field was lining up on the 1/2-mile dirt track.

A.J. Anderson of State Line, Ind. recorded his initial USAC feature victory in Friday night's "Larry Rice Classic" at the Bloomington Speedway, leading the final six laps in his Crume-Evans Insurance Chevy/Stealth to beat Yeley, Drake, Darland and Kaeding.

Darland and his Arctic Cat/Red Line Oil Gaerte/Eagle were trailed by Drake, Kaeding, Mike English and Kevin Thomas in Thursday's "Robbie Stanley Classic" at Lawrenceburg, while Jack Hewitt of Troy, Ohio led all 30 laps in his NBC Steering & Pumps/Print Express/American Racer Gaerte/Stealth to win Tuesday night's "Pat O'Connor Classic" at Twin Cities Raceway Park in North Vernon, Ind. over Yeley, Kevin Briscoe, Terry Pletch and Tyler. The win was Jack's 46th in Stoops Freightliner competition, second on the all-time list to Tom Bigelow's 52.

Brian Hayden of Fillmore, Ind. was transported to Kokomo's St. Joseph's Hospital following a flip during Sunday night's semi. He was awake and alert when admitted for treatment.

Turbines, Inc. fast qualifiers in last week's action were Tracy Hines (North Vernon), Ande Possman (Lawrenceburg) and Tony Elliott (Bloomington, Terre Haute and Kokomo).

USAC and track officials are hopeful of rescheduling the 30-lap Terre Haute feature race for a date later in the 2001 campaign, although it now will not affect the final standings of Pennzoil "Indiana Sprint Week."

<pre> STOOPS FREIGHTLINER USAC SPRINT CAR SERIES STANDINGS

1. Dave Darland 1,077 2. Jay Drake 1,017 3. J.J. Yeley 977 4. Tony Elliott 908 5. Tracy Hines 780 6. Bud Kaeding 724 7. Bill Rose 647 8. Derek Davidson 628 9. Robbie Rice 615 10. Levi Jones 571

FINAL PENNZOIL "INDIANA SPRINT WEEK®" STANDINGS

1. Dave Darland 321 2. Tony Elliott 288 3. Jay Drake 271 4. J.J. Yeley 264 5. Levi Jones 255 6. Bud Kaeding 211 7. Kevin Thomas 185 8. Bill Rose 184 9. Dickie Gaines 172 10. Terry Pletch 171

-USAC