WM: Pikes Peak race notes

Dave Steele of Tampa, Fla. captured Friday's 30-mile "Rocky Mountain Classic" Midget Car feature event at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo. He led all 30 laps around the 1-mile paved oval in the Dino Tomassi Mopar/Engler Machine Beast/Mopar.

Fast qualifier J.J. Yeley finished second to increase his National Midget Car point lead to 18 points over Tracy Hines, who finished sixth at PPIR. The National Midget Car Series resumes July 30 with the "Bosma 50" at the Anderson (Ind.) Speedway.

Trailing Steele and Yeley at the checkered flag were Jay Drake, Bobby East and Michael Lewis. Ryan Scott escaped injury in a flip at the starting line on lap 12 which necessitated the event's only red flag.

USAC Western Midget Car point leader Steve Paden finished 21st at PPIR but retains a 27-point lead in the Western standings.

Yeley won the pole for the "Rocky Mountain Classic" with a Thursday speed of 138.100 mph in his ASE/Ford Beast/Pink Ford.

<pre> USAC NATIONAL MIDGET CAR SERIES STANDINGS 1. J.J. Yeley 807 2. Tracy Hines 789 3. Bobby East 758 4. A.J. Fike 640 5. Jay Drake 630 6. Dave Darland 493 7. Teddy Beach 472 8. Aaron Fike 440 9. Tom Hessert 352 10. Ryan Durst 335

USAC WESTERN MIDGET CAR SERIES STANDINGS 1. Steve Paden 361 2. J.J. Yeley 334 3. Bobby East 329 4. Josh Wise 286 5. A.J. Fike 285 6. Jerome Rodela 278 7. Tracy Hines 274 8. Jay Drake 245 9. Wally Pankratz 241 10. Dave Steele 235

-usac-