Indy IRP: Post-race notes

STEELE'S 10TH AT IRP SALVAGES POINT LEAD GOING INTO SPRINGFIELD'S "TONY BETTENHAUSEN 100"

Dave Steele of Tampa, Fla. continues to seek a second consecutive USAC Weld Racng Silver Crown Championship after maintaining his series point lead with a 10th-place finish in Saturday night's "J.D. Byrider 100" at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Steele hopes to become only the third driver in series history to win back-to-back titles, matching the feats of Jack Hewitt (1986-87) and J.J. Yeley (2002-03). He currently leads series runnerup Josh Wise by 42 points.

Bobby East led the final 87 laps at IRP to claim Saturday night's victory in the Klatt Enterprises Ford Performance Parts Beast/Ford. Pole starter and former series champion Jason Leffler finished second ahead of Wise, Jason McCord and Tracy Hines.

Jay Drake led the first 13 laps before yielding to East, who averaged 102.570 mph for the 100-lap distance. Rounding out the "top-10" were Eric Gordon, Chet Fillip, Jimmy Kite, Michael Lewis and Steele.

USAC WELD RACING SILVER CROWN SERIES STANDINGS
1.-Dave Steele-345
2.-Josh Wise-303
3.-Brian Tyler-254
4.-Jay Drake-239
5.-Bud Kaeding-221
6.-Wayne Reutimann, Jr.-185
7.-Jason McCord-184
8.-Ron Gregory-181
9.-Eric Gordon-178
10.-John Heydenreich178

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