In celebration of the 50th year of USAC Silver Crown Champ Car racing in 2020, we are reviewing the past 49 years of series history.
1987 USAC SILVER CROWN SEASON REVIEW
Jack Hewitt’s four-race Valvoline USAC Silver Crown series winning streak ended in the 1987 series opener at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. His domination of the series in the J.W. Hunt Produce Chevy, however, continued as he scored back-to-back victories in the Tony Bettenhausen 100 at Springfield and the Silver Century at Du Quoin and claimed his second consecutive series title.
Hewitt was leading the Tampa opener when a blown tire relegated him to also-ran status in the Salute to Joltin’ Jud Larson behind winner Larry Rice.
In the subsequent Hulman Hundred 60-miler at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Jack’s bid for a repeat win was halted by Rookie Jeff Swindell’s amazing drive from 27th to first.
Shedding his dirt track image, Jack took advantage of Gary Bettenhausen’s misfortune in the Pepsi-Cola 150 pavement race at Indianapolis Raceway Park in July and was leading on the final lap, but a sour magneto left him stalled on the backstretch, giving the win to Jeff Bloom.
At Springfield, Jack set a new 100-mile record of 106.920 mph in a race devoid of yellow flags, then at Du Quoin he came from 18th starting spot to beat Kenny Jacobs to the checkered flag.
His attempt to complete a second straight sweep of the three-mile track dirt races ended in a third-place finish behind spectacular Kenny Jacobs and Dave Blaney at the Hoosier Hundred in Indianapolis.
The Illinois wins and the Hoosier Hundred third, however, put him in the driver’s seat in the standings and his fourth-place finish in the 4-Crown Nationals finale at Eldora Speedway in September wrapped up the crown.
Jack dropped out of the series finale at Phoenix International Raceway in November, when his engine expired nine miles from the finish.
Steve Butler, USAC’s 1987 Sprint Car titlist, wound up second in the points as a result of consistent top finishes although that initial first series triumph eluded him.
Swindell’s Hulman Hundred triumph helped him to third in the standings, while impressive victories put Kenny Jacobs and Jeff Bloom fourth and fifth in the final tally
Swindell was outstanding in his 27th to first drive in the Hulman Hundred, leading the final 35 miles to grab the series point lead away from Tampa winner Rice. Robby Unser, son of Bobby Unser, suffered a fractured leg in a qualifying race crash.
Bloom followed his surprise IRP win with a fine second to Hewitt at Springfield.
Gary Bettenhausen appeared to have the IRP race wrapped up until magneto trouble set up the last lap dramatics with Hewitt and Bloom. At Du Quoin, Gary suffered a badly lacerated ankle in a practice crash.
Jeff Swindell was rewarded with the 1987 USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year award while Andy Hillenburg earned Most Improved Driver honors.
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RICE WINS SALUTE TO JOLTIN’ JUD LARSON AT TAMPA
Tampa, Florida………Larry Rice of Brownsburg, Indiana drove the Richardson-Krieg Rentals Chevy to victory in the 100-lap Salute to Joltin’ Jud Larson at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa on February 7, ending Jack Hewitt’s four-race winning streak in the Valvoline USAC Silver Crown series.
Rice started eighth in the race at the half-mile dirt track and trailed early leaders Dave Blaney and Jack Hewitt until both ran into tire problems in the latter stages of the race.
Blaney led the first 60 laps before Hewitt charged past. Jack then led 14 laps before pitting for fresh rubber and rejoining the race. Blaney regained the lead but yielded to Rice on lap 84, with Larry leading the rest of the way. Blaney finally retired with tire problems six laps from the checkered flag.
Hewitt was still running at the finish but the six laps he lost in the pits relegated the 1986 USAC Silver Crown champ to a 12th place finish.
Warren Mockler of Westfield, Ind. finished second in the 100-lapper, with Duke Cook of Sidney, Ohio third. Steve Butler, the 1986 USAC National Sprint Car champion, was fourth, with fast qualifier Jac Haudenschild, subbing for the injured Kenny Jacobs, fifth. Jacobs, last year’s series Rookie of the Year, was unable to compete due to injuries suffered in a Tampa race crash on January 30.
VALVOLINE USAC SILVER CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: February 7, 1987 – Tampa, Florida – Florida State Fairgrounds – Salute to Joltin’ Jud Larson
QUALIFYING: 1. Jac Haudenschild, 56, Gohr-22.620; 2. Dave Blaney, 29, Seymour-23.275; 3. Tony Elliott, 18, Conroy-23.366; 4. Rich Vogler, 22, Vance-23.469; 5. Bob Ewell, 1n, Nance-23.472; 6. Jack Hewitt, 63, Hampshire-23.786; 7. Rick Hood, 39, Fortune-23.895; 8. Larry Rice, 5, LeFevre-23.924; 9. Ron Dunstan, 42, Dunstan-24.068; 10. Gary Hieber, 47, EWH-24.090; 11. Red Kunstbeck, 88, J & J-24.245; 12. Paul Huntington, 34, Russell-24.277; 13. Duke Cook, 44, Cook-24.489; 14. Keith Kauffman, 31, Mataka-24.864; 15. Warren Mockler, 8, Runyon-24.933; 16. Jim Jackson, 7J, Jackson-25.129; 17. Steve Butler, 10, Jarrett-25.148; 18. Randy Mausteller, 87, Mausteller-25.303; 19. Greg Staab, 99, Dickinson-25.352.
FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Larry Rice (8), 2. Warren Mockler (15), 3. Duke Cook (13), 4. Steve Butler (17), 5. Jac Haudenschild (1), 6. Rick Hood (7), 7. Tony Elliott (3), 8. Randy Mausteller (18), 9. Gary Hieber (10), 10. Red Kunstbeck (11), 11. Dave Blaney (2), 12. Jack Hewitt (6), 13. Keith Kauffman (14), 14. Rich Vogler (4), 15. Bob Ewell (5), 16. Greg Staab (19), 17. Jim Jackson (16), 18. Ron Dunstan (9), 19. Paul Huntington (12). 47:54.78
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-60 Dave Blaney, Laps 61-74 Jack Hewitt, Laps 75-83 Dave Blaney, Laps 84-100 Larry Rice.
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JEFF SWINDELL SUBS FOR GARY B., WINS HULMAN HUNDRED
Indianapolis, Indiana………Jeff Swindell scored a stunning upset in the May 22 Hulman Hundred Valvoline USAC Silver Crown race at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis.
Replacing Gary Bettenhausen at the controls of the Delrose-Holt Terre Haute First National Bank Chevy, Jeff started 27th in the 32-car field, but grabbed the lead from Steve Butler on the 28th lap and led the rest of the way to beat defending series champion Jack Hewitt and Californian Brent Kaeding to the checkered flag.
Swindell’s win, his second in USAC competition at the time after winning a Sprint feature in 1982 at Missouri’s I-70 Speedway, gives him the series point lead by 18 over Larry Rice, who did not finish the 60-miler at the one-mile dirt oval.
Swindell’s victory was worth $9,000, which included a $1,000 cash Checkered Flag Award from J.W. Hunt Produce.
Robby Unser, son of three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Unser, suffered a fractured leg in an accident during one of the preliminary events.
VALVOLINE USAC SILVER CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: May 22, 1987 – Indianapolis, Indiana – Indiana State Fairgrounds – Hulman Hundred
FIRST QUALIFYING RACE: (15 laps, top-12 transfer to the feature) 1. Rusty McClure (#14 Smith), 2. Bob Cicconi (#59 Senter), 3. Sheldon Kinser (#2 Kirtley), 4. Duke Cook (#44 Cook), 5. Keith Kauffman (#41 Bartemio-Sloan), 6. George Snider (#3 Leyba), 7. Paul Clark (#91 Lahm), 8. Tommie Estes Jr. (#21 Hajduk), 9. Manny Rockhold (#19 Automotive Machine), 10. Andy Hillenburg (#85 McMahon), 11. Greg Staab (#99 Dickinson), 12. Bob Frey (#20 Niebel), 13. Leon Gentry (#61 Gentry), 14. Paul Huntington (#34 Russell), 15. Charlie Workman (#45 Checkered Demon), 16. Robby Unser (#25 MBC), 17. Tony Elliott (#18 Conroy), 18. Ed Lynch Jr. (#98 Lesko), 19. Jerry Russell (#53 Schmidt), 20. Randy Mausteller (#87 Mausteller). NT
SECOND QUALIFYING RACE: (15 laps, top-12 transfer to the feature) 1. Mark Alderson (#51 GCQ), 2. Larry Rice (#5 LeFevre), 3. Steve Butler (#10 Jarrett), 4. Kenny Jacobs (#56 Gohr), 5. Ron Dunstan (#31 Mataka), 6. Brent Kaeding (#96 Miller), 7. Tom Bigelow (#28 Polnau), 8. Rick Hood (#4 Amerling), 9. Bobby Adkins (#69 McClure), 10. Warren Mockler (#8 Runyon), 11. Gary Irvin (#48 Irvin), 12. Red Kunstbeck (#88 J & J), 13. Jack Ziegler (#76 Glass), 14. Terry Kawell (#90 Kawell), 15. Danny Milburn (#94 Truchan), 16. Bob Meli (#26 Jones), 17. Jack Hewitt (#63 Hampshire), 18. Gary Hieber (#47 EWH), 19. Jeff Swindell (#12 Delrose-Holt), 20. Rich Vogler (#29 Seymour). NT
ALSO AT THE TRACK: Billy Felts (#35 Senter-Brzozowski) & Chuck Gurney (#58 Gohr)
SEMI: (15 laps, top-6 transfer to the feature) 1. Rich Vogler, 2. Jack Hewitt, 3. Jeff Swindell, 4. Leon Gentry, 5. Tony Elliott, 6. Gary Hieber, 7. Paul Huntington, 8. Jack Ziegler, 9. Terry Kawell. 8:34.53
FEATURE: (60 miles, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Jeff Swindell (27), 2. Jack Hewitt (26), 3. Brent Kaeding (12), 4. Kenny Jacobs (8), 5. Rick Hood (16), 6. Paul Clark (13), 7. Bob Cicconi (3), 8. Ron Dunstan (10), 9. Andy Hillenburg (19), 10. George Snider (11), 11. Tony Elliott (29), 12. Tom Bigelow (14), 13. Warren Mockler (20), 14. Gary Irvin (22), 15. Bob Frey (23), 16. Greg Staab (21), 17. Leon Gentry (28), 18. Manny Rockhold (17), 19. Rich Vogler (25), 20. Keith Kauffman (9), 21. Paul Huntington (32), 22. Mark Alderson (2), 23. Steve Butler (6), 24. Larry Rice (4), 25. Bobby Adkins (18), 26. Red Kunstbeck (24), 27. Rusty McClure (1), 28. Duke Cook (7), 29. Bob Meli (31), 30. Tommie Estes Jr. (15), 31. Gary Hieber (30), 32. Sheldon Kinser (5). 34:31.26
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Lap 1 Mark Alderson, Lap 2 Larry Rice, Laps 3-11 Bob Cicconi, Laps 12-27 Steve Butler, Laps 28-60 Jeff Swindell.
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BLOOM WINS PEPSI-COLA 150 ON FINAL LAP AT IRP
Clermont, Indiana………Jeff Bloom led only one lap of the July 11 Pepsi-Cola 150 at Indianapolis Raceway Park, but he led the one that counted – lap 150 – to win round three of the 1987 Valvoline USAC Silver Crown series in the Roberts Steel Erectors Special.
Bloom grabbed the lead when defending series titlist Jack Hewitt encountered engine problems on the final lap. Hewitt wound up second in the official rundown, with 1986 USAC National Sprint Car champion Steve Butler third, Rick Hood fourth and Jeff Swindell fifth.
Hewitt’s finish puts him atop the series point standings after three events, with a 43-point lead over Hood and 44 over Swindell.
Rich Vogler was the fastest overall qualifier at IRP with a new one-lap track record of 109.599 mph and was one of seven different race leaders. Other leaders included Ken Schrader, Butler, Bob Frey, Gary Bettenhausen, Hewitt and Bloom. Bettenhausen led 63 laps of the event and appeared headed for victory until magneto problems sent him to the sidelines 13 laps from the checkered flag.
Bloom’s victory was worth $8,000, which included a $1,000 cash bonus from J.W. Hunt, sponsor of the Checkered Flag Award presented to each series feature winner this year. He averaged 98.728 mph for the distance, which was also a new track record.
VALVOLINE USAC SILVER CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: July 11, 1987 – Clermont, Indiana – Indianapolis Raceway Park – Pepsi-Cola 150
QUALIFYING: (Top-14 locked into the feature) 1. Rich Vogler, 3, Leyba-22.533; 2. Steve Butler, 10, Jarrett-22.701; 3. Jeff Bloom, 67, Roberts-22.897; 4. Ken Schrader, 29, Seymour-22.930; 5. Dave Blaney, 84, Nott-22.970; 6. Bob Cicconi, 59, Senter-22.987; 7. Mark Alderson, 51, GCQ-23.030; 8. Bob Frey, 20, Niebel-23.070; 9. Kenny Jacobs, 56, Gohr-23.201; 10. Andy Hillenburg, 85, McMahon-23.229; 11. Gary Bettenhausen, 7, Leader Card-23.241; 12. Bruce Field, 21, Hajduk-23.272; 13. Steve Chassey, 4, Amerling-23.315; 14. Jeff Swindell, 12, Delrose/Holt-23.341; 15. Rick Hood, 39, Fortune-23.352; 16. Larry Rice, 5, LeFevre-23.374; 17. Jack Hewitt, 63, Hampshire-23.390; 18. Jim Childers, 88, J & J-23.519; 19. Mike Bliss, 69, McClure-23.547; 20. Manny Rockhold, 19, Automotive Machine-23.554; 21. Duke Cook, 44, Cook-23.561; 22. Warren Mockler, 26, Jones-23.564; 23. Kelly Kinser, 41, Bartemio/Sloan-23.928; 24. Billy Felts, 35, Senter/Brzozowski-24.052; 25. Leon Gentry, 61, Brizius-24.191; 26. Rusty McClure, 14, Smith-24.325; 27. Paul Huntington, 34, Russell-24.444; 28. Terry Kawell, 90, Kawell-24.481; 29. Gary Hieber, 47, EWH-24.567; 30. Gary Irvin, 48, Irvin-24.808; 31. Tony Elliott, 18, Conroy-24.882; 32. Jack Ziegler, 76, Glass-24.883; 33. Ron Dunstan, 31, Mataka-25.419; 34. Danny Milburn, 94, Truchan-25.744; 35. Gary Grissom, 11, Plummer-NT; 36. Jim Mahoney, 50, G & B-NT.
JONATHAN BYRD’S KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN QUALIFYING RACE: (25 laps, top-12 transfer to the feature) 1. Jim Childers, 2. Rick Hood, 3. Jack Hewitt, 4. Duke Cook, 5. Warren Mocker, 6. Manny Rockhold, 7. Larry Rice, 8. Kelly Kinser, 9. Ron Dunstan, 10. Terry Kawell, 11. Mike Bliss, 12. Tony Elliott, 13. Billy Felts, 14. Paul Huntington, 15. Leon Gentry, 16. Gary Irvin, 17. Rusty McClure, 18. Danny Milburn, 19. Jack Ziegler, 20. Gary Hieber. 9:51.91
FEATURE: (150 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Jeff Bloom (3), 2. Jack Hewitt (17), 3. Steve Butler (2), 4. Rick Hood (16), 5. Jeff Swindell (14), 6. Bruce Field (12), 7. Steve Chassey (13), 8. Warren Mockler (19), 9. Mark Alderson (7), 10. Tony Elliott (26), 11. Kenny Jacobs (9), 12. Duke Cook/Ken Schrader (18), 13. Larry Rice (21), 14. Jim Childers (15), 15. Terry Kawell (24), 16. Manny Rockhold (20), 17. Gary Bettenhausen (11), 18. Bob Frey (8), 19. Bob Cicconi (6), 20. Rich Vogler (1), 21. Andy Hillenburg (10), 22. Ron Dunstan (23), 23. Kelly Kinser (22), 24. Mike Bliss (25), 25. Ken Schrader (4), 26. Dave Blaney (5). 1:02:32.109
**Ken Schrader relieved Duke Cook in car #44 after 30 laps.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-16 Rich Vogler, Laps 17-19 Ken Schrader, Laps 20-45 Steve Butler, Laps 46-74 Bob Frey, Laps 75-137 Gary Bettenhausen, Laps 138-149 Jack Hewitt, Lap 150 Jeff Bloom.
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HEWITT REPEATS AS TONY BETTENHAUSEN 100 WINNER AT SPRINGFIELD
Springfield, Illinois………Jack Hewitt resumed his mastery of the nation’s one-mile dirt ovals on August 22, driving the J.W. Hunt Produce Chevy to a repeat victory in the Tony Bettenhausen 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield.
The victory, worth $9,5000 to the Bob Hampshire team, extended Jack’s lead in the Valvoline Silver Crown series standings to 99 points over Jeff Bloom, who finished second at Springfield.
Jack started 18th in the 34-car field but grabbed the lead on the 18th mile and finished 15 seconds ahead of the runner-up. Andy Hillenburg was third, also on the lead lap, with Jim Childers fourth and Rusty McClure fifth.
Jeff Swindell set a new one-lap track record of 116.433 mph during qualifications but lost the lead at the start to Larry Rice and was never a serious factor. He retired after 32 miles with fuel pump trouble.
Rice led for 14 miles before engine problems eliminated him, giving the lead to Bloom, who led only two laps before Hewitt made his move to the front.
Pre-race favorites Gary Bettenhausen, George Snider and Tom Bigelow all failed to finish. A broken oil line knocked out Bettenhausen, while Snider broke a torsion bar and Bigelow’s brakes went away.
There were no yellow flags during the 100-miler, contributing to Hewitt’s record average speed of 106.920 as he completed the distance in 56 minutes and seven seconds.
VALVOLINE USAC SILVER CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: August 22, 1987 – Springfield, Illinois – Illinois State Fairgrounds – Tony Bettenhausen 100
QUALIFYING: (Top-20 locked into the feature) 1. Jeff Swindell, 12, Delrose/Holt-30.919; 2. Rick Hood, 39, Fortune-31.454; 3. Tom Bigelow, 28, Polnau-31.750; 4. Larry Rice, 5, LeFevre-31.779; 5. Gary Bettenhausen, 7, Leader Card-31.870; 6. Jeff Bloom, 67, Roberts-32.151; 7. Mark Alderson, 22, Vance-32.165; 8. Rusty McClure, 14, Smith-32.170; 9. George Snider, 3, Leyba-32.224; 10. Billy Engelhart, 41, Bartemio/Sloan-32.366; 11. Jerry Russell, 53, Schmidt-32.375; 12. Ron Dunstan, 42, Dunstan-32.543; 13. Bob Cicconi, 59, Senter-32.583; 14. Kenny Jacobs, 56, Gohr-32.597; 15. Steve Butler, 10, Jarrett-32.610; 16. Andy Hillenburg, 85, McMahon-32.686; 17. Steve Chassey, 69, McClure-32.721; 18. Jack Hewitt, 63, Hampshire-32.766; 19. Tommie Estes Jr., 21, Hajduk-32.786; 20. Paul Clark, 91, Lahm-32.876; 21. Manny Rockhold, 19, Automotive Machine-33.038; 22. Duke Cook, 44, Cook-33.137; 23. Bob Frey, 20, Niebel-33.257; 24. Greg Staab, 99, Dickinson-33.286; 25. Jim Childers, 88, J & J-33.461; 26. Gary Irvin, 48, Irvin-33.863; 27. Steve Knepper, 46, Egan-33.983; 28. Steve Cannon, 43, Marcello-34.104; 29. Terry Kawell, 90, Kawell-34.175; 30. Kevin Koch, 40, Koch-34.250; 31. Gary Hieber, 47, EWH-34.313; 32. Jim Mahoney, 50, G & B-34.352; 33. Jim Moughan, 49, Conrad-NT; 34. Danny Milburn, 94, Truchan-NT; 35. Tony Elliott, 18, Conroy-NT; 36. Leon Gentry, 61, Brizius-NT; 37. Dave Blaney, 84, Nott-NT; 38. Mark Alderson, 51, GCQ-NT.
FIRST QUALIFYING RACE: (8 laps, top-7 transfer to the feature) 1. Manny Rockhold, 2. Bob Frey, 3. Gary Hieber, 4. Jim Childers, 5. Steve Knepper, 6. Terry Kawell, 7. Jim Moughan. 4:32.25
SECOND QUALIFYING RACE: (8 laps, top-7 transfer to the feature) 1. Gary Irvin, 2. Duke Cook, 3. Greg Staab, 4. Kevin Koch, 5. Jim Mahoney, 6. Steve Cannon, 7. Danny Milburn. 4:32.71
FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Jack Hewitt (18), 2. Jeff Bloom (6), 3. Andy Hillenburg (16), 4. Jim Childers (27), 5. Rusty McClure (8), 6. Ron Dunstan (12), 7. Jerry Russell (11), 8. Gary Irvin (22), 9. Greg Staab (26), 10. Gary Hieber (25), 11. Steve Butler (15), 12. Kevin Koch (28), 13. Bob Frey (23), 14. Manny Rockhold (21), 15. Bob Cicconi (13), 16. Steve Chassey (17), 17. Mark Alderson (7), 18. Tom Bigelow (3), 19. Kenny Jacobs (14), 20. Steve Knepper (29), 21. Tommie Estes Jr. (19), 22. Billy Engelhart (10), 23. Paul Clark (20), 24. Jeff Swindell (1), 25. Danny Milburn (34), 26. Larry Rice (4), 27. Steve Cannon (32), 28. Jim Mahoney (30), 29. George Snider (9), 30. Gary Bettenhausen (5), 31. Jim Moughan (33), 32. Duke Cook (24), 33. Rick Hood (2), 34. Terry Kawell (31). 56:07.00
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-14 Larry Rice, Laps 15-16 Jeff Bloom, Laps 17-100 Jack Hewitt.
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HEWITT STREAK CONTINUES IN Du QUOIN’S SILVER CENTURY
Du Quoin, Illinois………Jack Hewitt extended his mile-track winning streak to five on Labor Day, September 7, coming from the last spot at the start to win the Silver Century Valvoline USAC Silver Crown race at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds.
After encountering mechanical problems with his J.W. Hunt Produce machine on the original start and joining the field in time for the green flag, Jack was able to get additional repairs on his car during a one-and-a-half hour rain delay 12 miles into the contest. He eventually overtook leaders Kenny Jacobs and Jeff Swindell on the 69th mile and held on to win, with Jacobs second and pole starter Swindell third.
Swindell led the first seven laps but yielded to second-starting Andy Hillenburg on the eighth lap. Hillenburg was leading when rain came, then surrendered the lead back to Swindell shortly after the restart. Jacobs tracked down Swindell on lap 49, then gave up the number one position 20 miles later to Hewitt.
Pre-race favorites Gary Bettenhausen and Rich Vogler were eliminated by accidents, apparently both attributed to mechanical problems. Bettenhausen hit the outside wall in turn three during warmups and suffered a lacerated ankle and broken shoulder blade but was released from the hospital in time to return to the track. Vogler hit the wall on the back straightaway on the third lap while running in third place.
VALVOLINE USAC SILVER CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: September 7, 1987 – Du Quoin, Illinois – Du Quoin State Fairgrounds – Silver Century
QUALIFYING: (Top-20 locked into the feature) 1. Jeff Swindell, 12, Delrose/Holt-31.477; 2. Andy Hillenburg, 85, McMahon-31.711; 3. Rich Vogler, 84, Nott-32.120; 4. Kenny Jacobs, 56, Gohr-32.287; 5. Rick Hood, 39, Fortune-32.360; 6. Paul Clark, 91, Lahm-32.457; 7. Larry Rice, 5, LeFevre-32.628; 8. Jim Childers, 88, J & J-32.688; 9. Rusty McClure, 14, Smith-32.723; 10. Mark Alderson, 52, Alderson-32.782; 11. Tony Elliott, 18, Conroy-32.890, 12. Jeff Bloom, 67, Roberts-32.937; 13. Bob Cicconi, 59, Senter-33.124; 14. George Snider, 3, Leyba-33.188; 15. Steve Chassey, 69, McClure-33.193; 17. Ron Dunstan, 42, Dunstan-33.250; 18. Jack Hewitt, 63, Hampshire-33.298; 19. Gary Hieber, 47, EWH-33.304 20. Manny Rockhold, 19, Automotive Machine-33.342; 21. Jack Ziegler, 76, Glass-33.435; 22. Kevin Koch, 40, Koch-33.448; 23. Steve Cannon, 43, Marcello-33.450; 24. Bob Frey, 20, Niebel-33.469; 25. Steve Butler, 10, Jarrett-33.555; 26. Jerry Nemire, 98, Lesko-33.563; 27. Tom Bigelow, 28, Polnau-33.570; 28. Greg Staab, 99, Dickinson-33.793; 29. Paul Huntington, 34, Russell-33.800; 30. Terry Kawell, 90, Kawell-33 861; 31. Leon Gentry, 61, Brizius-34.427; 32. Mike Thomas, 78, Thomas-34.533; 33. Jim Whiteside, 11, Plummer-34.579. 34. Jim Moughan, 49, Conrad-36.662; 35. Dean Billings, 46, Egan-NT; 36. Jerry Russell, 53, Schmidt -NT; 37. Gary Bettenhausen, 7, Leader Card-NT.
QUALIFYING RACE: (12 laps, top-10 transfer to the feature) 1. Steve Butler, 2. Bob Frey, 3. Kevin Koch, 4. Tom Bigelow, 5. Jerry Nemire, 6. Paul Huntington, 7. Steve Cannon, 8. Greg Staab, 9. Terry Kawell, 10. Jim Whiteside, 11. Mike Thomas, 12. Leon Gentry, 13. Jim Moughan, 14. Jack Ziegler. NT
FEATURE: (100 miles, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Jack Hewitt (18), 2. Kenny Jacobs (4), 3. Jeff Swindell (1), 4. Steve Butler (21), 5. Rick Hood (5), 6. Steve Chassey (15), 7. Larry Rice (7), 8. Mark Alderson (10), 9. Rusty McClure (9), 10. George Snider (14), 11. Palmer Crowell (16), 12. Jeff Bloom (12), 13. Tom Bigelow (24), 14. Manny Rockhold (20), 15. Kevin Koch (23), 16. Terry Kawell (29), 17. Paul Huntington (26), 18. Jim Whiteside (30), 19. Jerry Nemire (25), 20. Andy Hillenburg (2), 21. Tony Elliott (11), 22. Bob Cicconi (13), 23. Gary Hieber (19), 24. Paul Clark (6), 25. Bob Frey (22), 26. Jim Childers (8), 27. Steve Cannon (27), 28. Greg Staab (28), 29. Ron Dunstan (17), 30. Rich Vogler (3). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-7 Jeff Swindell, Laps 8-14 Andy Hillenburg, Laps 15-48 Jeff Swindell, Laps 49-68 Kenny Jacobs, Laps 69-100 Jack Hewitt.
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JACOBS LEADS OHIO TRIO IN 35TH HOOSIER HUNDRED
Indianapolis, Indiana………Kenny Jacobs of Holmesville, Ohio led a trio of Buckeye State drivers of the checkered flag in the 35th Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis on September 12.
His victory in the Genesee Beer Wagon Chevy ended Jack Hewitt’s five-race winning streak on the nation’s one-mile dirt ovals.
Jacobs trailed new track record holder and pole starter Dave Blaney for the first 85 miles before sliding under him in turn one traffic. Blaney wound up about a car length behind at the finish as Jacobs averaged a record 106.977 mph in the race which saw no caution flags.
Defending race winner Hewitt took third and emerged with a comfortable 321-point series lead over runner-up Swindell, who was fourth in the 100-miler and earned Rookie of the Race honors.
Gary Irvin and George Snider suffered minor injuries in separate flips during practice, Irvin injuring his forearm and Snider breaking a kneecap.
VALVOLINE USAC SILVER CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: September 12, 1987 – Indianapolis, Indiana – Indiana State Fairgrounds – Hoosier Hundred
QUALIFYING: (Top-20 locked into the feature) 1. Dave Blaney, 84, Nott-33.098; 2. Jeff Swindell, 12, Delrose/Holt-33.199; 3. Kenny Jacobs, 56, Gohr-33.285; 4. Steve Chassey, 69, McClure-33.443; 5. Jack Hewitt, 63, Hampshire-33.467; 6. Jim Childers, 88, J & J-33.487; 7. Bob Frey, 20, Niebel-33.605; 8. Steve Butler, 10, Jarrett-33.641; 9. Andy Hillenburg, 85, McMahon-33.683; 10. Tom Bigelow, 28, Polnau-33.693; 11. Tony Elliott, 18, Conroy-33.746; 12. Rick Ungar, 58, Gohr-33.764; 13. Jerry Russell, 41, Bartemio/Sloan-33.805; 14. Rick Hood, 39, Fortune-33.809; 15. Larry Rice, 5, LeFevre-33.953; 16. Mark Alderson, 51, GCQ-33.955; 17. Brent Kaeding, 96, Miller-34.026; 18. Duke Cook, 44, Cook-34.093; 19. Tray House, 2, Boles-23.168; 20. Jeff Bloom, 67, Roberts-23.175; 21. Rich Vogler, 22, Vance-34.230; 22. Billy Engelhart, 15, Beletsky-34.309; 23. Terry Kawell, 90, Kawell-34.335; 24. Nick Fornoro Jr., 57, B & B-34.418; 25. Rusty McClure, 14, Smith-34.495; 26. Paul Clark, 91, Lahm-34.597; 27. Manny Rockhold, 19, Automotive Machine-34.690; 28. Ron Dunstan, 42, Dunstan-34.802; 29. Warren Mockler, 31, Mataka-34.854; 30. Kevin Olson, 7, Leader Card-34.884; 31. Dean Erfurth, 40, Koch-34.918; 32. Gary Hieber, 47, EWH-34.940; 33. Jack Ziegler, 76, Glass-34.984; 34. Mike Thomas, 78, Thomas-34.990; 35. Jerry Nemire, 98, Lesko-34.995; 36. Danny Milburn, 94, Truchan-35.355; 37. Danny Lasoski, 21, Hajduk-35.390; 38. Bob Cicconi, 35, Brzozowski/Senter-35.424; 39. Paul Huntington, 34, Russell-35.833; 40. Rocky Hodges, 53, Schmidt-36 132; 41. Randy Mausteller, 87, Mausteller-36.363; 42. Greg Staab, 99, Dickinson-36.678; 43. Steve Knepper, 43, Marcello-NT; 44 Jim Whiteside, 11, Plummer-NT; 45. Dean Billings, 46, Egan-NT; 46. Bill Tyler, 25, MBC-NT; 47. George Snider, 3, Leyba-NT; 48. Gary Irvin, 48, Irvin-NT.
FIRST QUALIFYING RACE: (12 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Rusty McClure, 2. Rich Vogler, 3. Manny Rockhold, 4. Jerry Nemire, 5. Warren Mockler, 6. Dean Erfurth, 7. Jack Ziegler, 8. Danny Lasoski, 9. Randy Mausteller, 10. Terry Kawell. 6:42.80
SECOND QUALIFYING RACE: (12 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Billy Engelhart, 2. Paul Clark, 3. Rocky Hodges, 4. Gary Hieber, 5. Nick Fornoro Jr., 6. Kevin Olson, 7. Mike Thomas, 8. Danny Milburn, 9. Ron Dunstan, 10. Bob Cicconi. 6:52.69
FEATURE: (100 miles, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kenny Jacobs (3), 2. Dave Blaney (1), 3. Jack Hewitt (5), 4. Jeff Swindell (2), 5. Rick Hood (14), 6. Larry Rice (15), 7. Rick Ungar (12), 8. Rusty McClure (21), 9. Paul Clark (24), 10. Rich Vogler (23), 11. Tony Elliott (11), 12. Tom Bigelow (10), 13. Manny Rockhold (25), 14. Brent Kaeding (17), 15. Dean Erfurth (31), 16. Jerry Nemire (27), 17. Jerry Russell (13), 18. Tray House (19), 19. Andy Hillenburg (9), 20. Jeff Bloom (20), 21. Duke Cook (18), 22. Rocky Hodges (26), 23. Bob Frey (7), 24. Nick Fornoro Jr. (30), 25. Warren Mockler (29), 26. Jim Childers (6), 27. Mark Alderson (16), 28. Billy Engelhart (22), 29. Gary Hieber (28), 30. Steve Chassey (4), 31. Steve Butler (10). 56:05.20
**Gary Irvin suffered a punctured forearm in a flip during practice. George Snider flipped during practice.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-85 Dave Blaney, Laps 86-100 Kenny Jacobs.
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RICE WIRE-TO-WIRE AT ELDORA 4-CROWN 50-LAPPER
Rossburg, Ohio………Larry Rice drove the Kasle Recycling/Richardson Building Rentals Chevy to victory in the 50-lap 4-Crown Nationals Valvoline USAC Silver Crown race on September 27, leading all 50 laps of the race at Eldora Speedway.
Series point leader Jack Hewitt finished fourth behind Steve Butler and fast qualifier Rick Hood.
Tom Bigelow and Bob Frey were treated and released from the hospital following a triple flip during the Tom Stenger Ford semi-feature won by Tray House. Tony Elliott was the third driver to flip but was unhurt.
VALVOLINE USAC SILVER CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: September 26-27, 1987 – Rossburg, Ohio – Eldora Speedway – 4-Crown Nationals
QUALIFICATIONS: (Top-12 locked into the feature) 1. Rick Hood, 39, Fortune-18.131; 2. Jack Hewitt, 63, Hampshire-18.192; 3. Kenny Jacobs, 56, Gohr-18.200; 4. Larry Rice, 5, LeFevre-18.202; 5. Steve Butler, 10, Jarrett-18.237; 6. Jeff Swindell, 12, Delrose/Holt-18.315; 7. Mark Alderson, 52, Alderson-18.321; 8. Jerry Russell, 41, Bartemio/Sloan-18.516; 9: Rich Vogler, 22 Vance-18.525; 10. Paul Clark, 91, Fitchburg-18.550; 11, Bill Tyler, 25, MBC-18.728; 12. Andy Hillenburg, 85, McMahon-18.777; 13. Tony Elliott, 18, Conroy-18.790; 14. Kevin Huntley, 6, Winterbotham-18.822; 15. Rusty McClure, 14, Smith-18.853; 16. Steve Chassey, 69, McClure-18.879; 17. Dave Feese, 43, Marcello-18.940; 18. Jeff Bloom, 67, Roberts-18.961; 19. Jack Ziegler, 76, Glass-19.014; 20. Jon Johnson, 1x, Ochs-19.023; 21. Paul Huntington, 34, Russell-19.052; 22. Tray House, 2, Boles-19.068; 23. Tom Bigelow, 3, Leyba-19.085; 24. Jim Childers, 88, J & J-19.126; 25. Manny Rockhold, 19, Automotive Machine-19.152; 26. Warren Mockler, 31, Mataka-19.181; 27. Jerry Nemire, 98, Lesko-19.215; 28. Bob Cicconi, 49, Conrad-19.434; 29. Gary Hieber, 47, EWH-19.582; 30. Ron Dunstan, 42, Dunstan-19.727; 31. Bob Frey, 20, Niebel-NT.
TOM STENGER FORD TRUCK CENTER SEMI: (20 laps, top-12 transfer to the feature) 1. Tray House, 2. Jerry Nemire, 3. Jon Johnson, 4. Dave Feese, 5. Manny Rockhold, 6. Steve Chassey, 7. Jim Childers, 8. Warren Mockler, 9. Ron Dunstan, 10. Jeff Bloom, 11. Gary Hieber, 12. Rusty McClure, 13. Bob Cicconi, 14. Tony Elliott, 15. Jack Ziegler, 16. Tom Bigelow, 17. Bob Frey. NT
FEATURE: (50 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Larry Rice (4), 2. Steve Butler (5), 3. Rick Hood (1), 4. Jack Hewitt (2), 5. Kenny Jacobs (3), 6. Andy Hillenburg (10), 7. Jeff Swindell (6), 8. Jim Childers (19), 9. Mark Alderson (7), 10. Charlie Swartz (#41) (24), 11. Dave Feese (14), 12. Tray House (13), 13. Jon Johnson (15), 14. Gary Hieber (23), 15. Paul Clark (8), 16. Rich Vogler (9), 17. Rusty McClure (22), 18. Jerry Nemire (12), 19. Manny Rockhold (11), 20. Bill Tyler (21), 21. Ron Dunstan (17), 22. Steve Chassey (16), 23. Jeff Bloom (20), 24. Warren Mockler (18). NT
**Tony Elliott, Tom Bigelow & Bob Frey flipped during the semi. Frey & Bigelow were taken to Coldwater Community Hospital for treatment, then released.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-50 Larry Rice.
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SCHRADER WINS PHOENIX’S CHECKER CLASSIC
Avondale, Arizona………Ken Schrader led all but the first 10 miles of the Checker Classic to win the Valvoline USAC Silver Crown season finale on November 1 at Phoenix International Raceway.
Kenny started seventh in the 26-car field in the Seymour Enterprises Chevy but passed pole starter Tray House for third on the third lap. He caught Steve Butler on lap 10 for second and sailed past leader Bob Cicconi the following lap for the lead which he held to the finish.
Indianapolis 500 veteran Steve Chassey passed Butler on the final lap for the runner-up spot.
Jack Hewitt was running sixth with seven laps remaining when the engine in his J.W. Hunt Produce Chevy let go, relegating him to a 15th place finish, but the Troy, Ohio charger ended up with his second consecutive series championship in the process.
Butler’s third-place finish enabled him to grab second in the final series standings.
House earned the pole starting spot on October 31 with a qualifying speed 128.324 mph in the Boles Chevrolet, but suspension problems sidelined him 11 miles from the checkered flag.
Schrader’s team earned $14,860 from the $65,800 purse, his total including $4,860 in lap prizes.
VALVOLINE USAC SILVER CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES RACE RESULTS: November 1, 1987 – Avondale, Arizona – Phoenix International Raceway – Checker Classic
FAST QUALIFIER: Tray House, 2, Boles-28.054
FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Ken Schrader (#29 Seymour) (7), 2. Steve Chassey (#69 McClure) (8), 3. Steve Butler (#10 Jarrett) (4), 4. Brent Kaeding (#96 Miller) (20), 5. Jeff Bloom (#67 Roberts) (21), 6. Larry Rice (#5 LeFevre) (6), 7. Gary Irvin (#48 Irvin) (25), 8. Dave Blaney (#84 Nott) (3), 9. Wally Pankratz (#26 Jones) (18), 10. Rusty McClure (#14 Smith) (13), 11. Bob Cicconi (#59 Senter) (2), 12. Jim Mahoney (#50 G & B) (19), 13. Kenny Jacobs (#56 Gohr) (5), 14. Tony Elliott (#18 Conroy) (11), 15. Jack Hewitt (#63 Hampshire) (17), 16. Andy Hillenburg (#85 McMahon) (16), 17. Tray House (1), 18. Duke Cook (#44 Cook) (14), 19. Mark Alderson (#51 GCQ) (12), 20. Bob Frey (#20 Niebel) (10), 21. Jeff Swindell (#12 Delrose-Holt) (22), 22. Jim Childers (#88 J & J) (26), 23. Gary Bettenhausen (#79 Kammerer) (15), 24. Rick Hood (#28 Polnau) (9), 25. Mike Andreeta (#65 Neilson) (24), 26. Bruce Field (#21 Hajduk) (23).
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-10 Cicconi, Laps 11-100 Schrader.
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1987 USAC SILVER CROWN DRIVER POINTS
1. (844) Jack Hewitt, Troy, Ohio
2. (530) Steve Butler, Kokomo, Ind.
3. (506) Jeff Swindell, Memphis, Tenn.
4. (487) Kenny Jacobs, Holmesville, Ohio
5. (485) Jeff Bloom, Kalamazoo, Mich.
6. (465) Rick Hood, Memphis, Tenn.
7. (379) Larry Rice, Brownsburg, Ind.
8. (310) Steve Chassey, Clermont, Ind.
9. (222) Dave Blaney, Hartford, Ohio
10. (222) Rusty McClure, Ashland, Ohio
11. (209) Brent Kaeding, Campbell, Calif.
12. (200) Andy Hillenburg, Indianapolis, Ind.
13. (140) Jim Childers, Seffner, Fla.
14. (139) Warren Mockler, Westfield, Ind.
15. (117) Ron Dunstan, Ruchsville, Pa.
16. (114) Mark Alderson, Timberlake, S.D.
17. (113) Gary Irvin, West Lafayette, Ind.
18. (95) Paul Clark, Madison, Wisc.
19. (86) Bruce Field, Lockport, Ill.
20. (81) Duke Cook, Sidney, Ohio
21. (70) Tony Elliott, Warsaw, Ind.
22. (68) Bob Cicconi, Prospect Park, Pa.
23. (64) Jerry Russell, Springfield, Ill.
24. (56) Gary Hieber, Langhorne, Pa.
25. (49) George Snider, Bakersfield, Calif.
26. (48) Greg Staab, Cincinnati, Ohio
27. (41) Rich Vogler, Glen Ellyn, Ill.
28. (25) Randy Mausteller, Bloomsburg, Pa.
29. (25) Tom Bigelow, Whitewater, Wisc.
30. (23) Manny Rockhold, Pekin, Ill.
31. (21) Bob Frey, Elyria, Ohio
32. (20) Palmer Crowell, Glenwood, Ore.
33. (16) Red Kunstbeck, Brandon, Fla.
34. (15) Kevin Koch, Madison, Wisc.
35. (12) Jim Mahoney, Peru, Ill.
36. (11) Tray House, Anderson, Ind.
37. (10) Terry Kawell, Colton, Calif.
38. (10) Jerry Nemire, Toledo, Ohio
39. (8) Gary Bettenhausen, Monrovia, Ind.
40. (6) Paul Huntington, Plainfield, Ind.
41. (5) Billy Engelhart, Madison, Wisc.
42. (4) Steve Knepper, Belleville, Ill.
43. (4) Tommie Estes, Jr., Ada, Okla.
44. (4) Jim Whiteside, Indianapolis, Ind.
45. (3) Kelly Kinser, Bloomington, Ind.
46. (2) Leon Gentry, Henderson, Ky.
47. (2) Keith Kauffman, Mifflintown, Pa.
48. (2) Steve Cannon, Danville, Ill.
49. (2) Mike Andreeta, Roseville, Calif.
50. (1) Bobby Adkins, Indianapolis, Ind.
51. (1) Sheldon Kinser, Bloomington, Ind.
1987 USAC SILVER CROWN ENTRANT POINTS
1. (844) Bob Hampshire, Findlay, Ohio (#63)
2. (537) Gohr Distributing, Buffalo, N.Y. (#56)
3. (530) Kenny Jarrett, Elwood, Ind. (#10)
4. (506) Delrose-Holt Racing, Joliet, Ill. (#12)
5. (485) Lyle Roberts, Kalamazoo, Mich. (#67)
6. (402) Damon Fortune, Boonville, Ind. (#39)
7. (379) David LeFevre, Lafayette, Ind. (#5)
8. (248) Del McClure, Portland, Ore. (#69)
9. (229) Robert Miller, Los Gatos, Calif. (#96)
10. (222) Cecilia Smith, Eaton, Ohio (#14)
11. (214) Louis Seymour, Marlboro, Mass. (#29)
12. (213) Allan Nott Engineering (#84)
13. (200) Ron McMahon, Flushing, Mich. (#85)
14. (161) J & J Marine, St. Petersburg, Fla. (#88)
15. (123) Mauri Amerling, Kingston, N.Y. (#4)
16. (113) Gary Irvin, West Lafayette, Ind. (#48)
17. (93) Elizabeth Jones, Silverado, Calif. (#26)
18. (90) Duke Cook, Sidney, Ohio (#44)
19. (90) Racing Associates, Niles, Ill. (#21)
20. (84) Colleen Dunstan, Coplay, Pa. (#42)
21. (83) Gary Runyon, Carmel, Ind. (#8)
22. (70) Joe Conroy, Brunswick, Ohio (#18)
23. (68) Lou Cicconi, Glenn Mills, Pa. (#59)
24. (63) Commercial Truck Components, Chandler, Ind. (#53)
25. (60) Gohr Distributing, Buffalo, N.Y. (#58)
26. (56) E.W.H. Service, Langhorne, Pa. (#47)
27. (53) Ben Leyba, South Bend, Ind. (#3)
28. (51) Peter Lahm, Madison, Wisc. (#91)
29. (50) Michael Gurtizen, Yoe, Pa. (#51)
30. (48) Tom Dickinson, Roanoke, Va. (#99)
31. (44) Fitchburg Racing, Madison, Wisc. (#91)
32. (39) William Mataka, Lebanon, N.J. (#31)
33. (38) Johnny Vance Racing Team, Dayton, Ohio (#22)
34. (28) Richard Polnau, Phoenix, Ariz. (#28)
35. (25) Randy Mausteller, Bloomsburg, Pa. (#87)
36. (23) Walter Rockhold, Pekin, Ill. (#19)
37. (21) Glen Niebel, Edinburgh, Ind. (#20)
38. (20) Bob Bartemio/William Sloan, Melrose Park, Ill. (#41)
39. (15) Koch Racing Team, Madison, Wisc. (#40)
40. (12) G & B Racing, Chicago, Ill. (#50)
41. (11) Willie Boles, Pendleton, Ind. (#2)
42. (10) Terry Kawell, Colton, Calif. (#90)
43. (10) Bob Lesko Enterprises, Wayne, N.J. (#98)
44. (7) Frank Marcello, Henderson, Colo. (#43)
45. (6) Lloyd Russell, Apopka, Fla. (#34)
46. (5) Leader Card, Milwaukee, Wisc. (#7)
47. (4) George Egan, Hazelwood, Mo. (#46)
48. (4) Jesse Plummer, Indianapolis, Ind. (#11)
49. (3) B & B Racing, Willow Grove, Pa. (#57)
50. (2) Warner Brizius, Evansville, Ind. (#61)
51. (2) Walter Beletsky, Bethany, Conn. (#15)
52. (1) Phyllis Kirtley, Bloomington, Ind. (#2)
53. (1) MBC Racing, Jackson, Mich. (#25)