Terre Haute 'Spring sprint' report

Tracy Hines caught teammate Dave Steele on the final lap of Saturday night's Union Federal Bank "Spring Sprint Special" to score his second Stoops Freightliner victory of the season in the GMS Motorsports/Northside Propane machine. Hines will be among drivers competing in the world's richest non-wing Sprint car race this week when the Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track hosts the $96,520 "Terre Haute National Open" presented by Dr. Pepper. The 3-night program on the 1/2-mile dirt track includes 20-lap features Thursday and Friday and a 40-lap finale Saturday offering $17,000 to win! Practice at Terre Haute gets under way at 6 pm Thursday and Friday and preliminary competition includes heat races, plus "C" qualifiers, True Value Semis and feature events. Saturday's finals open with practice at 6 pm and the first main event starts at 7:30. The format calls for an "E" main, "D" main, "C" main, True Value semi ("B" main) and the 40-lap feature event. Hines "swept the IRP program, posting the Turbines, Inc. fast qualifying time and winning his heat race. Steele then led the first 29 laps of the feature before slipping to second. Jason McCord, Jonathan Vennard and Kasey Kahne rounded out the "top-five" at the checkered flag. Steele and Tony Elliott also won heats and Bud Kaeding won the True Value semi. Elliott emerged with a 16-point lead over J.J. Yeley in the new series standings. This week's Terre Haute activities will showcase drivers from across the country, including the best of the SCRA series from California and Arizona. Among California entrants already are Rip Williams, Mike Kirby, Troy Rutherford, Mike English, Steve Ostling, Marc Hart, Rick Hinrichsen, Michael Smith, John Scott, Troy Cline, Rodney Argo, Cary Faas, Cory Kruseman, Tony Jones, Tony Everhart and Rickie Gaunt. Arizona entrants include Jerry Coons, Jr., Brandon Lane, Bob Ream, Jr., Casey Shuman, Hank Winter, Jeremy Sherman, Mike Boat and J.J. Yeley. Throw in New Mexico's Richard Griffin, Jay Drake and Bud Kaeding from California, plus other USAC regulars Brian Tyler, Eric Gordon, Tony Elliott, Derek Davidson, Jack Hewitt, Terry Pletch, Brad Fox, Dave Darland and Brad Noffsinger and you have the best non-wing sprint car drivers in America all in one place! Jerry Coons, Jr. and Tony Jones won last year's preliminary features and Frankie Kerr of Fremont, Ohio is the defending race champion. <pre> STOOPS FREIGHTLINER USAC SPRINT CAR SERIES STANDINGS

1. Tony Elliott 437 2. J.J. Yeley 421 3. Derek Davidson 378 4. Dave Darland 374 5. Brian Tyler 372 6. Tracy Hines 371 7. Eric Gordon 354 8. Kasey Kahne 323 9. Jonathan Vennard 321 10. Jack Hewitt 278