EAST & BELL FIGHT FOR SILVER CROWN CAR OWNER SUPREMACY
Defending USAC Silver Crown Champion Bobby East and defending Honda USAC National Midget Dirt Champion Christopher Bell will continue the fight for their car owner’s supremacy in the Silver Crown series this Sunday when they compete in the “Sumar Classic” at the Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track.
Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, who own East’s car, has 29 career wins, while Team 6R, owners of Bell’s entry, has 27. No other team has reached the 20-plus plateau in the 43 previous years of Silver Crown racing.
Sunday will be the series’ 373rd event since 1971. East has two of the Stewart/Curb-Agajanian wins, while Bell hopes to add his name to the Team 6R winners list. East’s last Silver Crown win came at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado last year.
Team 6R, headquartered in Zionsville, Ind., scored its first win with Jim Keeker at Phoenix, Ariz. in 1992. Subsequent winners for the team have included Jack Hewitt, Brian Tyler, Dave Steele, Tanner and Kody Swanson. Tyler posted Team 6R’s last Silver Crown win at Springfield, Ill. in 2011. Stewart’s winners started with Jason Leffler at Phoenix in 2000 and other winners include Kasey Kahne, J.J. Yeley, Dave Steele, Josh Wise, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Levi Jones, Bryan Clauson and East.
Sunday’s 100-lap race will headline a full afternoon of racing, beginning with practice at 4 pm. The UMP Modifieds share Sunday’s slate, with NASCAR drivers Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace competing in the Modified series. The first feature race is scheduled for 7 pm at the half-mile dirt oval.