LVMS Bullring preview

Michael Lewis of Noblesville, Ind. and Tony Hunt of Fair Oaks, Calif. resmue their torrid battle for the 2004 USAC Valvoline Western Sprint Car title this Saturday night as USAC presents a racing "tripleheader" at the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Nevada.

Lewis won last year's title and leads 2001 titlist Hunt by just two points in the most closely contested USAC point race of the season. Rains forced cancellation of a similar USAC "tripleheader" at LVMS this spring. The USAC Western Midgets and California Ford Focus Midgets join the Sprint Cars on the action-packed 1/3-mile paved oval. A 30-lap Focus feature will be followed by 40-lap Midget and Sprint races.

The two point leaders have accounted for a half-dozen victories and a half-dozen runner-up finishes so far this year, including three 1-2 finishes. Lewis has the better record, with five wins, but Hunt's recent performances have been better, with a win and three seconds in his last five starts.

Hunt finished seventh in USAC's last Sprint race at the Bullring, a 2002 race won by NASCAR star Tony Stewart. Lewis did not compete in the 2002 race.

USAC VALVOLINE WESTERN SPRINT CAR SERIES STANDINGS
1.-Michael Lewis-728
2.-Tony Hunt-726
3.-Brad Bumgarner-650
4.-Brian McClish-620
5.-Michael Trimble-530
6.-Mike Murgoitio-526
7.-Shauna Hogg-516
8.-Tim Barber-510
9.-Greg Anderson-507
10.-Robert Beck-475

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