Iowa: Round 12 preview

PIERCE SETS SIGHTS ON SILVER CROWN STRETCH RUN AS SERIES HEADS FOR IOWA SPEEDWAY DEBUT

Aaron Pierce has been one of the most improved drivers in the USAC Silver Crown Series presented by K&N Engineering this season.

This weekend, he'll try to continue making his statement and close on series leaders.

Pierce, third in the standings and 95 points behind series leader Brian Tyler, will continue his pursuit on the Silver Crown Series title Saturday and Sunday at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa, the first race weekend for the 7/8-mile. All three of USAC's National divisions are competing at the track this weekend.

Pierce tested at the track last month for Hoosier Tire, averaging laps at around 125 mph. He said his initial outing on the track proved the cars could put on a good race.

"I like the track a lot," Pierce said. "It's really smooth, and an all-around a nice facility. If the track takes rubber and takes two grooves, I think you'll have a good race. It should be fun. I'm ready to go back to the pavement."

It's not difficult to see why Pierce has been on the move in series points. Since moving late last year to the Phoenix, Ariz. area, Pierce has made driving cars at high speeds a fulltime gig. He spends his time testing and racing cars almost every day at Bob Bondurant's Racing School. He also gets the opportunity to develop aspiring drivers.

But his USAC accolades are totally different. Competing in USAC has been fairly limited this season, as the Sam Pierce Racing team has been focused more on chasing points in the Silver Crown Series. Pierce said driving every day, regardless if it's a sports car or open-wheel machine, has helped prepare him for the challenges in the Silver Crown car.

"It's seat time," Pierce said. "It teaches you car control. Driving is just driving, but each different kind of car weighs different. I've got the ability to drive everything to its potential. I've also got to tune the cars, which has helped me gain insight on what to do to each corner of the car and do what you have to do in order to get it to work right. It's pretty much helped me all around."

Pierce won't be the only one chasing Tyler this weekend. Bud Kaeding is only 17 points behind Tyler with three races to go. Both drivers are working on their first series championships.

-credit: usac