DOUBLE SEASON OPENERS FOR USAC SILVER CROWN & MIDGETS AT BELLEVILLE MAY 19-20

By: Richie Murray – USAC Media

Belleville, Kansas (May 9, 2023)………The May 19-20 date at Kansas’ Belleville High Banks is special in more ways than one.

For one, it signals a return to the famed and historic venue for the first time in six seasons.  But it also presents a sort of rarity in the book of USAC history, one that hasn’t been witnessed in more than 13 seasons.

Of course, we’re talking about the fact that both the USAC Silver Crown and USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship seasons will now open on the same weekend at the same venue.

This wasn’t by design.  This is all happenstance created by the wrath of the hands of Mother Nature.  However, the stars (and the dates) have aligned to allow this rare season opening doubleheader to come to fruition.

The season openers for both series have coincided on the same weekend only 14 times prior to this season.  All 14 of them just so happened to take place in the state of Arizona.

For many years, the annual tradition was held at Phoenix International Raceway’s Copper World Classic on the one-mile paved tri-oval.  From 1994-97 and 2001-06, the Silver Crown and Midget series unfurled their new shiny equipment, and a new season of hopes and dreams for the event.

From 2007-10, the event shuffled to the soil for Copper on Dirt, first held at the half-mile Manzanita Speedway in 2009 and for one last time at Tucson’s USA Raceway in 2010.

A combo USAC Silver Crown/National Midget season opening doubleheader is afoot and its never been held in the month of May.  But this year is different.  The Belleville race track is iconic, and this year’s event will be epic with full programs for Midgets both nights on the quarter-mile short track with Silver Crown practice Friday and the main event Saturday, both on the half-mile high banks.

Here’s a look at the entire history of when the season openers for both the USAC Silver Crown series and the USAC National Midgets came together at the same venue on the same weekend.

1994 AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

Kenny Irwin Jr. of Indianapolis, Ind. and car owner Dave Calderwood scored their initial True Value Hardware USAC Silver Crown victory in the 50-lap main event at the one-mile tri-oval.  Irwin took over the lead at the halfway point from veteran George Snider and carried onto victory in the caution-free race which clocked in at an average speed of 129.776 mph.  Phew.

Livermore, California’s Chuck Gurney, meanwhile, made a rare 1990s midget appearance with the USAC National Midgets and became the last of six drivers to lead the 25-miler, passing Tony Stewart with four to go and beating Steve Lewis Racing teammate Stevie Reeves to the checkered flag.

1995 AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

Mike Bliss of Milwaukie, Ore, captured the opening event of the USAC Silver Crown Championship Series at Phoenix International Raceway, kickstarting a dominant stretch for the 1993 series driving champion and his Del McClure owned machines, averaging a race record 130.917 mph in the process after slipping by George Snider with 12 laps to go in another green-to-checkered affair.

Native Arizonian Dan Drinan averaged a record 128.821 mph. on his way to winning the feature in the USAC National Midget portion of the event.  He led all but the first four laps of the race in his self-engineered design.  The race ended in wild fashion with Drinan and challenger Davey Hamilton touching wheels exiting turn four, sending Hamilton spinning into the front straightaway wall.  An ensuing melee ended with John Sarna and John Starks flipping, Sauna's mount vaulting over the pit wall.  Hamilton’s record speed of 131.742 mph in qualifying marked the first time in history that a midget had qualified on a one mile track in excess of 130 mph.

1996 AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

Mike Bliss of Milwaukie, Ore. scored his second consecutive victory in the USAC Silver Crown portion of the Copper World Classic at Phoenix International Raceway.  Driving Del McClure’s No. 69, Bliss led 39 of the 50 laps to defeat Randy Tolsma by a mere .065 sec.  Bliss, working his way to the front from 12th starting spot, sailed past Kenny Irwin Jr. on lap 13 and was never again headed.

Hometown boy Billy Boat added on to his streak following his victory in the 25-mile USAC National Midget feature at Phoenix, doing so as the race looked like it belonged to pole sitter Kenny Irwin Jr.  However, traffic exiting the final comer of the final lap served to alter the race's outcome.  Boat, trailing Irwin into the final comers, was able to maneuver through the traffic to beat Irwin to the checkered flag by less than a second in his John Lawson owned machine.

1997 AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

In one of the most dramatic USAC finishes of all-time, Jimmy Kite of Stockbridge. Ga. scored a stunning upset victory in the 1997 Silver Crown season opener at Phoenix International Raceway.  In only his second career series start, Kite worked his way from the 26th starting position to second behind Chuck Gurney, then caught Gurney exiting the final comer of the final lap as Gurney's car was sputtering from lack of fuel.  Kite slipped by Gurney at the start/finish line to score a photo finish win for the Hoerner-Stapleton team.

On the midget side, Tony Stewart of Columbus, Ind. captured the feature victory, leading all but the first five laps of the main event.  Stewart caught Dan Drinan on lap six and never looked back in his Wynn's/Ford Beast/Performance Racing Industry machine.

2001 AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

In what was a major upset at the time, Paul White of Temple, Texas scored his first USAC Coors Light Silver Bullet Series victory in the now expanded 100-mile USAC Silver Crown event at Phoenix International Raceway.  White took the lead from pole starter Dave Steele on the 16th lap and led the remaining distance, although he survived a dustup with reigning series champion Tracy Hines which sent Hines into the inside front straightaway wall on with seven laps remaining.  White would parlay the victory into a Silver Crown championship at season’s end.

Michael Lewis of Noblesville, Ind., who had won the closest race in USAC National Midget history the year before at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway, scored his biggest victory to date at Phoenix in 2001.  Lewis took the lead from defending champ Kasey Kahne with six laps to go, then was promptly spun out in turn two by Kahne following the checkered flag.  Lewis had the last laugh, however, as he won and Steve Lewis teammates Kasey Kahne and Dave Darland, who originally finished second and third respectively, were notified after post-race technical inspection that their cars, which nearly ran out of fuel, were disqualified for failing to meet the minimum weight requirement.

2002 AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

Dave Steele of Tampa, Fla. began his reign of Phoenix International Raceway USAC Silver Crown domination in 2002 by leading all but six laps of the 100-mile Copper World Classic in his Bob Gratton owned machine.  Steele won the pole for the race with a track record speed of 141.459 mph and led the first 40 laps before being penalized one position on an aborted restart. Jay Drake led For six laps before yielding back to Steele on lap 47.

As it turned out, it was a complete sweep for the Man of Steele as he paced the subsequent 25-miler USAC National Midget opener at Phoenix.  Earlier, Steele set a new track qualifying record of 136.178 mph during qualifications, then led all but seven laps of the feature, giving car owner Dino Tomassi a major triumph.

2003 AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

Dave Steele of Tampa, Fla. successfully defended his Copper World Classic USAC Silver Crown victory in 2003 at Phoenix International Raceway, winning the 100-miler after leading 85 of the 100 laps for car owner Bob Gratton. “We had a great car,” said Steele in victory lane. “I had to run hard, and I could see Tracy Hines’ nose at times, so I knew they were right there.  The car started to get a bit loose near the end, so I drove defensively and guarded the bottom of the track. It worked.”

Aaron Pollock of Troy, Ohio pulled off a major upset victory at Phoenix in the midget round of the Copper World Classic.  The triumph was the second and final one for Pollock with the series after earlier winning at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway in 2000.  Pollock emerged as the race leader on lap 19 after a tangle sent leaders Michael Lewis, Jay Drake and Tracy Hines to the sidelines.  Pollock led the final seven laps in his family owned Drinan/Esslinger combo.

2004 AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

Dave Steele of Tampa, Fla. continued his dominance at Phoenix International Raceway in 2004 with a wire-to-wire victory in the 27th Annual Copper World Classic, leading all 100 laps in the USAC Silver Crown series opening event. It was his third consecutive victory in the race.  Steele, who started on the pole for the sixth Phoenix race in seven years, showed his power with his No. 9 Ford-powered Beast owned by Tony Stewart and Bob East.  Steele won the pole at a record speed of 142.197 mph, pacing the one-mile facility in 25.317 seconds.  The 36-car field was the largest in series history at PIR and the total purse of $115,040 was an all-time series record.

J.J. Yeley of Phoenix, Ariz. scored his initial Copper World Classic victory with a home state score in the USAC National Midget division at Phoenix.  Yeley started second in the 33-car field and led the first 15 laps before yielding to new track record holder Dave Steele, who set the standard at 138.201 mph. Steele then led through lap 23, but Yeley regained the lead on the white-flag lap and led to the checkered flag in his Steve Lewis Racing ASE/Ford Beast/Pink Ford.

2005 AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

Then defending USAC Silver Crown Series champion Dave Steele of Tampa, Fla. ran his Copper World Classic victory streak to four in 2005, winning the 100-mile FastSigns 100 at Phoenix International Raceway while driving the Bob East/Tony Stewart-owned Ford.  Steele led all 100 laps for the second straight year, pushing his total in the event to 267 straight laps on the point. He was challenged by runner-up Tracy Hines in the final quarter of the event but led Hines to the checkered flag for the third straight year.  Trailing the lead duo were Tyler Walker, J.J. Yeley and Brian Tyler.

Defending USAC Midget Copper World Classic winner J.J. Yeley used a pair of slower cars to make the winning move and defend his 2004 triumph in the 25-lap Fast Signs 25 at Phoenix.  Yeley's led only the final lap of the contest in his Steve Lewis ASE/Ford Beast/Pink Ford, making a bold move in traffic to beat Jay Drake, teammate Bobby East, Dave Steele and Tracy Hines to the twin checkered flags.  East inherited the lead and held off Yeley and Drake until turn four of the final lap.  East went high to avoid running into slower traffic, while Yeley split the middle and Drake dove low.  The final margin of victory was .049 seconds.

2006 AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

Dave Steele of Tampa, Fla.  captured the opening event in USAC’s 2006 Silver Crown Championship Series, showcasing the new generation cars, at Phoenix International Raceway.  The victory was Steele’s fifth consecutive in the Copper World Classic program, a series record.  Steele started fourth in the 12-car field but rapidly moved to the front and paced all 50 circuits around the one-mile paved tri-oval in his Six-R Racing Print Express C & R/Chevy.

Questions about how reliable and what the Toyota Midget engine would do were answered in a big way at Phoenix International Raceway with a familiar face in victory lane.  Dave Steele, who signed with Steve Lewis last month to drive one of Lewis’ Toyota-powered cars, proved the cars could compete just fine with a competitive victory over Michael Lewis and Jay Drake in the Fast Signs 25, part of the 29th annual Copper World Classic.  Steele fought off Michael Lewis for the final half of the race after inheriting the lead from Bobby East, who slid in his own oil laid down on Lap 14.

2007 AT MANZANITA SPEEDWAY

In only his sixth USAC Silver Crown race, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. gave Carl Edwards-RE Technologies its first career series victory in the 2007 Copper on Dirt at Manzanita Speedway in front of a capacity crowd.  Stenhouse, who started seventh in the No. 199 Ford/Red Line Oil J & J/Ford, moved into the top-five shortly after the green flag flew and led twice for nine laps, including the final eight to win the first series opener away from Phoenix International Raceway since 2000.  It was the night that put Stenhouse on the map as he also collected a USAC CRA Sprint Car victory earlier in the night, which led him to attain a ride with Tony Stewart Racing, and ultimately, a long career in NASCAR.

Cory Kruseman of Ventura, Calif. emerged with a victory in the 30-lap USAC National/Western States Midget feature event at Manzanita.  He officially led the final two laps in his Jesse Denome JP Machine/ARP Spike/Esslinger, but the ending was a dramatic one.  Kruseman was running behind race leader Tracy Hines exiting the final turn, but Hines' car ran out of fuel, relegating him to fourth place.  After the race, Hines' car was disqualified for failing to pass post-race technical inspection, restoring Kruseman as the leader on laps 29 and 30.

2008 AT MANZANITA SPEEDWAY

Jerry Coons Jr. of Tucson, Ariz., who grew up racing at Manzanita as a teenage sensation, earned his second career USAC K & N Silver Crown Series feature victory in 2008 during the 50-lap Copper on Dirt main event presented by Sands Chevrolet at Manzanita Speedway.  Coons started third and took the lead from Bud Kaeding on lap 39.  He led the final 12 laps in his RW Motorsports Rotondo Weirich Beast/Chevy to beat the defending series champion Kaeding and 2007 race winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to the checkered flag.

The second annual Copper on Dirt USAC Midget event at Manzanita resumed after rain washed out the previous night’s action.  Nothing slowed down Darren Hagen and his Keith Kunz Motorsports No. 67 in the 25-lap main this evening as he jumped from his car, climbed the front straightaway fence at the starter’s stand, then waved the checkered flag to fans.  Hagen was the fourth different leader among the group, leading the final 18 circuits, after Garrett Hansen and Tracy Hines controlled the proceedings earlier in the night.

2009 AT MANZANITA SPEEDWAY

Bud Kaeding of Campbell, Calif. won the 2009 50-lap Sands Chevrolet Copper on Dirt USAC K & N Silver Crown race at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix, Ariz.  Kaeding, who’d pick up his third career series title later this season, battled Jesse Hockett for 47 laps, then grabbed the lead on lap 48 and led the final three laps in his BK Motorsports Alviso Rock/Kaeding Performance DRC/Mopar to beat Hockett, fast qualifier Levi Jones, Tracy Hines and Derek Hagar.

When the USAC Midgets took to the half-mile dirt oval for its main event, it wound up as the Brad Sweet show, although it didn’t appear so throughout much of the event.  Bryan Clauson led a race-high 18 laps before trouble befell him just two laps from the finish line, dropping him all the way back to 21st in the running order.  From there, Sweet closed it out, leading the final two laps in his Kasey Kahne/Curb Racing ride.

2010 AT USA RACEWAY

After the sad demise and closure of Manzanita, Copper on Dirt moved onward to a new venue down the road in Tucson, Arizona where the series competed on its shortest track, the 3/8-mile USA Raceway.  Levi Jones of Olney, Ill. caught Bud Kaeding on the final lap of the 50-lap USAC Silver Crown race and beat him to the checkered flag.  Kaeding had led all 49 laps up to that point.  Jones’ win in the Tony Stewart Racing Bass Pro Shops/Chevy Maxim Kistler/Chevy was his first in the series and gave Stewart a record-tying 23rd career Silver Crown win as an owner and would ultimately pass Six-R Racing for the lead later that season.

Brad Sweet had a field day once again at Copper on Dirt as he successfully defended his throne of USAC National Midget race at the event in 2010. Sweet was in control for the first 21 laps before Tracy Hines took charge between laps 22-27.  However, Sweet found a second wind, and retook the lead from Hines with just three laps remaining to capture his second consecutive triumph in the event.

BELLEVILLE RACE DETAILS:

Each night on Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20, the pits open at 3pm Central with the front gates opening at 5pm and hot laps starting at 6:30pm, followed by qualifying and racing.

Friday tickets are $25 for general admission and reserved assigned seating.  Tickets for ages 12 and under are $15.  Pit passes are $35 with two-day pit passes sold for $60.

Saturday tickets are $30 for general admission and reserved assigned seating.  Tickets for ages 12 and under are $20.  Pit passes are $40 with two-day pit passes sold for $60.

Both nights of the event can be watched LIVE on FloRacing at  https://flosports.link/3Kdc2na.