Homestead: Round two preview

SILVER CROWN SERIES EAGER FOR HOMESTEAD RETURN INDIANAPOLIS -- For the second time in its history, the USAC Silver Crown Series presented by K&N Engineering will tackle the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway, with a 67-lap, 100-mile race scheduled ...

SILVER CROWN SERIES EAGER FOR HOMESTEAD RETURN

INDIANAPOLIS -- For the second time in its history, the USAC Silver Crown Series presented by K&N Engineering will tackle the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway, with a 67-lap, 100-mile race scheduled for this Friday.

Led by defending series champion Bud Kaeding and reigning race winner and series runner-up in points Brian Tyler, the ever-growing series expects to add to its legacy after putting on a successful show in 2006. Four drivers took turns at the lead, exchanging the point on six occasions, with Tyler holding off Aaron Pierce over the last five laps.

Pierce, third in points last season and currently seventh after the series opener at the dirt Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix, Ariz., will try his luck again with Tyler on Friday. The former native of Muncie, Ind., who now resides in Phoenix, set the qualifying speed record at HMS of 175.012 mph.

Running in conjunction with the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series, several of those owners have also given the Silver Crown Series a glimpse for their driver development programs.

A.J. Foyt Enterprises and Penske Racing are involved in fielding cars for the race. Foyt is fielding cars for 2000 Silver Crown champion Tracy Hines and Chilean Pablo Donoso, whose mentor is one of Foyt's former IndyCar drivers, Eliseo Salazar. Through the help of first-year team Western Speed, Penske development driver Billy Wease is in his rookie campaign in Silver Crown Series action.

Hemelgarn Racing, which won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 with driver Buddy Lazier, also joined the Silver Crown Series late last season, and will have veteran A.J. Fike in the seat for Homestead.

Wayne Reutimann Jr. is the only Florida-based driver scheduled to compete, and Californian Tim Barber looks to improve on his career-best third-place finish, which came at HMS a year ago. The point standings will have an immediate impact as point leaders Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Shane Cottle, tied with the most points after Manzanita, are entered to run exclusively on the dirt.

Practice for the series begins early Thursday afternoon with qualifying scheduled at 6 p.m. Competitors are scheduled to take the green flag for the 67-lapper at 3:30 p.m. Friday.