Drake challenging all-time victory records

Jay Drake of Val Verde, Calif. has racked up 16 USAC feature victories this season and has an opportunity to break all-time records for USAC wins in a single season, both National and total. All 16 of Drake's wins have come in "National" events and he needs only four more to break the National record of 19 set by A.J. Foyt in 1961 and also surpass Sleepy Tripp's "grand total" count of 19 in 1988 which included two in the National Midget Car Series and 17 additional wins in Western Midget Car competition. Drake is competing in all three of USAC's primary National series, the Coors Light Silver Bullet, Stoops Freightliner Sprint Car and MCI WorldCom National Midget Car Series. His next outing is this Saturday night in the Sprint Car/Midget Car "doubleheader" at Indianapolis Raceway Park where he is slated to drive a BWB Racing Sprint Car and a Keith Kunz Midget Car. His next Silver Bullet appearance will come September 22 in the #9 East Enterprises/Tony Stewart machine in A.J. Foyt's True Value "Hulman-Hoosier Hundred" at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Foyt won four Championship Car races in 1961 and added six wins in Sprint Cars and nine in Midget Cars. A.J. also won 18 National races in 1964, including 10 Championship Cars, five Sprint Cars and three Stock Cars. Rich Vogler won 17 National events in 1988, 16 in Midget Cars and one in Sprint Cars, while Mel Kenyon set the National single-series mark of 17 in the 1967 National Midget Car Series. Parnelli Jones also won 18 National events in 1964, which included 2 in Championship Cars, 8 Stock Cars, 1 Sprint Car and 7 Midget Cars. Billy Boat won 18 features in the 1995 Western Midget Car Series (which included three Nationals) and set an incredible all-time single-series mark of 11 straight victories during that season. Sleepy Tripp also won 18 Western Midget Car races in 1987, which included four carrying National points. In 1978 Rich Vogler scored 16 National wins (11 in Midget Cars and five in Sprint Cars), while Tom Bigelow notched 15 National victories in 1977, which included 14 in Sprint Cars and one in the Silver Bullet Series. More than a dozen races remain on USAC's 2000 National racing calendar, which is scheduled to conclude Thanksgiving weekend on the west coast.

<pre> ALL-TIME SINGLE-SEASON USAC FEATURE VICTORY LEADERS

DRIVER WINS (National) YEAR SERIES

A.J. FOYT       19 (19)         1961    4 Championship Car, 6 Sprint Car and 9 National Midget Car
SLEEPY TRIPP    19 (2)          1988    2 National Midget Car and 17 Additional Western Midget Car
A.J. FOYT       18 (18)         1964    10 Championship Car, 5 Sprint Car and 3 Stock Car
PARNELLI JONES  18 (18)         1964    2 Championship Car, 8 Stock Car, 1 Sprint Car, 7 National Midget Car
RICH VOGLER     18 (17)         1988    16 National Midget Car, 1 Sprint Car and 1 Additional Western Midget Car
SLEEPY TRIPP    18 (4)          1987    4 National Midget Car and 14 Additional Western Midget Car
BILLY BOAT      18 (3)          1995    3 National Midget Car and 15 Additional Western Midget Car
MEL KENYON      17 (17)         1967    17 National Midget Car
JAY DRAKE       16 (16)         2000    1 Silver Bullet, 10 Sprint Car and 5 Midget Car
RICH VOGLER     16 (16)         1978    11 National Midget Car and 5 Sprint Car
TOM BIGELOW     15 (15)         1977    14 Sprint Car and 1 Silver Bullet
TONY STEWART    15 (13)         1995    7 Sprint Car, 6 National Midget Car, 1 Western Midget Car and 1 Speedrome Midget Car