Pikes Peak: Round six preview

WISE, FLOCK & STEELE EYE NEWMAN'S PPIR RECORD SUNDAY

USAC National Midget Series point leader Josh Wise, Western Midget Series point leader Robby Flock and defending race winner Dave Steele are among drivers expected to threaten Ryan Newman's 1-lap USAC Midget track qualifying record this Sunday at Pikes Peak International Raceway.

Wise, of Riverside, Calif., has a 79-point edge over Ron Gregory in the National points, while Flock is 74 ahead of Garrett Hansen in the Western rankings.

Newman's record of 139.265 mph was set in 1997 and remains the standard.

Steele won last year's 25-miler at PPIR but he'll have to contend with defending USAC National Midget Champion Bobby East, who will most certainly be on a mission Sunday. East led until the final lap in the only previous mile-track Midget race this year at Phoenix, only to have J.J. Yeley slip past him in traffic to win!

Gregory, a former winner of the prestigious "Night Before the 500" Midget classic, is expected to be a top threat as well, having captured last Saturday night's USAC Valvoline National Sprint Car race at Richmond, Va.

Flock, who is seeking his fifth Western Midget title, has 50 career feature victories in the Western series. Hansen won Saturday night's Western feature at USA Race Park in Tucson, Ariz.

USAC NATIONAL MIDGET CAR SERIES STANDINGS
1.-Josh Wise-315
2.-Ron Gregory-234
3.-Brad Kuhn-217
4.-Teddy Beach-215
5.-Bobby East-214
6.-Tom Hessert III-206
7.-Jerry Coons, Jr.-200
8.-Jay Drake-186
9.-Dave Darland-180
10.-Cole Carter-159

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