Route 66 preview

Rain cancels "Bob Wente Classic" at Granite City "Triple Crown" battle continues at Joliet Friday

Three drivers own USAC's career "Triple Crown" and two others are trying to join that exclusive club. Both, however, need the 2003 USAC National Midget Car Championship to accomplish it and only one will wear the crown.

Bobby East of Brownsburg, Ind. hopes to thwart both efforts as he trails J.J. Yeley and Tracy Hines in the current standings, trying to earn his own initial USAC title.

Rain and wet grounds forced cancelation of Saturday night's "Bob Wente Classic" at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Ill.

Yeley, of Phoenix, Ariz., leads all three USAC National series standings entering Friday night's Sprint/Midget "doubleheader" at the 1/2-mile dirt Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill. He already has Silver Crown and Sprint Car championships but winning all three this year would match a feat achieved previously only by Tony Stewart in 1995. Pancho Carter and Dave Darland each can claim USAC's career "Triple Crown" and a Midget title would give Yeley that distinction as well.

Hines, of New Castle, Ind., like Yeley a USAC Silver Crown and Sprint car titlist, also needs the Midget title to claim the career "Triple Crown." A total of 72 points are available at Joliet Friday and Hines trails by only 29.

A 30-lap feature event caps both the Midget and Sprint Car activity at Joliet, which starts with practice at 5 pm, qualifying at 6 and racing at 7.

Yeley's all-time USAC single-season record of 21 feature victories this year include six in the Midget cars. Last year he finished fourth at Joliet behind winner Critter Malone.

USAC NATIONAL MIDGET CAR SERIES STANDINGS

1. J.J. Yeley 1,149
2. Tracy Hines 1,120
3. Bobby East 1,070
4. Jay Drake 918
5. A.J. Fike 898
6. Teddy Beach 698
7. Aaron Fike 600
8. Dave Darland 597
9. Tom Hessert 507
10. Ryan Durst 444