ProVee: Stout captures championship at IRP

Stout captures IRP and ProVee championship

Brad Stout led from the pole, held off an early challenge by Andres Serrano, and won the Valvoline ProVee race July 8th at Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP). It was Stout's third consecutive ProVee win at IRP and fifth in the past seven years.

Serrano lined up alongside Stout on the first row and quickly tucked in behind him as they went through turn one. Setting a quick pace, Brad and Andres pulled away to a comfortable margin over the rest of the 21-car field.

Andres stayed with Brad but didn't have the power to get around the defending champion. A mid-race bobble dropped Serrano far enough behind that he couldn't catch Stout and finished a distant second, comfortably ahead of third.

In the first group behind the leaders, Greg Buttrey, Jeff Loughead and Don Schanche frequently swapped positions each lap. Originally split off from this trio, Bill Noble and Ben Diringer worked together and caught them by lap six, turning the battle for third into a five-car show.

On lap seven, Bill Noble moved around all four cars in this group at turn one and took over third. At turn three, Schanche spun and dropped to sixth, breaking contact with the group. The next lap, Diringer spun, also at turn three, and fell all the way to tenth.

Loughead took third ahead of Buttrey and Noble on lap nine. Driving without a drafting partner, Schanche fought back to the tail end of this group by lap 12 before spinning and crashing three laps later.

As Stout's margin over Serrano expanded, the action continued behind them. The second group slowly separated themselves from one another and fell into their respective finishing positions -- Loughead in third, Buttrey fourth and Bill Noble fifth.

One of the strongest charges of the race occurred following Diringer's spin on lap eight that left him in tenth place. The youngster didn't give up, calmly taking over eighth, moving around both Greg Schings and Rich Richardson, who battled each other throughout the race, on lap 13.

Lisa Noble's off-course excursion on lap 15 allowed Diringer to make up ground on her, who ran alone most of the race. Diringer caught and passed her on the last lap to finish sixth. Lisa came home seventh, followed by Richardson in eighth, Schings ninth and Charlie Hearn an impressive tenth.

With the win, Stout clinched his fourth consecutive season championship with one race remaining, August 11-12 at Virginia International Raceway. Brad is the only ProVee driver to have ever won more than one season championship.

-VPV-

Results July 8, 2001, from the ProVee race of the Indy Grand Prix, over the 2.5-mile course at Indianapolis Raceway Park Driver, hometown, sponsor(s), make of car, laps completed and winner's average speed.

1. Brad Stout, St. Louis, Mo., Goodyear/Noble Racing/LRE, Vortech, 17 laps, 83.661 mph. 2. Andres Serrano, Kingwood, Texas, PJF, Citation, 17. 3. Jeff Loughead, Darien, Ill., Hoosier Tire/L.L. Loughead DDS, Citation, 17. 4. Greg Buttrey, Indianapolis, Ind., DRE/Hoosier/Autowerks/Lindstrand, Mysterian, 17. 5. William Noble, Manhattan, Kans., Valvoline/Hoosier Tire, Caracal, 17. 6. Ben Diringer, Newton, Kans., Lazer, 17. 7. Lisa B. Noble, Manhattan, Kans., Valvoline/Hoosier Tire, Protoform, 17. 8. Rich Richardson, Pekin, Ill., Enginuity, Lazer, 17. 9. Greg Schings, Lexington, Ky., SR Racing, Citation, 17. 10. Charlie Hearn, Houston, Texas, Hearn Contractors/Apartment Home Search/Cattleguard Restaurant & Bar, Protoform, 17. 11. Brad Cook, Loveland, Ohio, Dragon Racing, Citation, 17. 12. Noah Smith, Spring Valley, Ohio, SR Racing Engines, Caracal, 17. 13. Jerry Baker, Geneva, Ill., LRE, Citation, 16. 14. W.R. "Bill" Rowden, Houston, Texas, Apartment Home Search/Cattleguard Restaurant & Bar, Protoform, 16. 15. Charlie Turner, Mission Viejo, Calif., Turner Motorsports Marketing/Mitron, Caracal, 16. 16. Mike Rogers, Nedderland, Texas, Citation, 16. 17. Don Schanche, Chesterfield, Mo., Noble Engines/Hoosier Tire, Protoform, 14*. 18. Craig Leeke, Lebannon, Ind., US Paint/Logan Racing, Citation, 14. 19. Joe Claudy, New Whiteland, Ind., Citation, 8*. 20. Brian Jennerjahn, Hartford City, Ind., Jennerjahn Machine Inc., Mysterian, 3*.

* - not running at the finish

Time of race: 30:28.803 Margin of victory: 19.36 seconds Caution flags: No full-course yellows Lead changes: none Lap leaders: Stout 1-17

Points leaders (after four of five races)

1. Brad Stout, St. Louis, Mo., 120; 2. Bill Noble, Manhattan, Kans., 83; 3. Don Schanche, Chesterfield, Mo., 82; 4. Lisa Noble, Manhattan, Kans., 79; 5. Charlie Hearn, Houston, Texas, 70; 6. Andres Serrano, Kingwood, Texas, 65; 7. Jeff Loughead, Darien, Ill., 64; 8. Rich Richardson, Pekin, Ill., 59; 9. Bob O'Connor, Camden, Ark., 54; 10. Ben Diringer, Newton, Kans., 50.

<<IRP motorsport.com.doc>>

[ Part 2, Application/MSWORD 35KB. ] [ Unable to print this part. ]