RacingNation.com

Hollingsworth Excels In Hoosier 100

Indianapolis, Ind. ? Shane Hollingsworth led every lap of the Hoosier 100 Friday night at the Indiana State Fairgrounds to score his first USAC Silver Crown victory. Starting from the pole, the Indianapolis native couldn?t be denied as he held off a handful of challengers for the triumph.
The winner drove the Nolen Racing /Competition Welding/Chevy.

?This is unbelievable, and this is the Hoosier 100,? the victor said with great enthusiasm. ?We have put together good runs in the past, but today was the day. My whole family was here and you can?t get any better than this. My team said to keep it straight and get good runs off the turns, as no one could beat me. I wanted to go faster at lap 70, but my team told me to wait another 10, and it paid off. We got this motor last night and just put it in today.

?This race is the grand-daddy of them all, and I don?t think I can put it into words as to what it means to win this race. There is so much history here I don?t know what to say.?

Even thought Hollingsworth reigned supreme throughout, Jerry Coons Jr., running second, blew a tire on the 98th lap, bringing out the last caution flag. Since the rules mandate the last two laps are to be completed under green flag conditions, it set the stage for a two-lap shootout. Regardless, Hollingsworth staved off a challenge from new runner-up Dave Darland.

Said the winner about the ending, ?It was a frustrating moment to come down to the white flag and see a yellow flag come out. We had to deal with Dave (Darland), but we had saved our tires, which turned out to be a key thing. It paid off.?

Darland, a three-time Hoosier 100 winner, ran third much of the race in the Foxco Motor Sports Chevy, but he moved into the catbird seat when Coons was forced to change tires.

?Experience didn?t help me,? he said. ?I just had a good starting position and some good luck. I had a fast race car, and I just couldn?t abuse the tires. Had I driven it as hard as it was capable of, I would have blown a tire and ended up in 15th or so. The track was okay ? not good, not bad. And I lost my radio during the race, and I couldn?t afford to over-drive the car.?

Third went to Shane Hmiel, who pushed forward from the 15th spot in the RW Motorsports Toyota. ?This is only my second dirt race in a Silver Crown car,? he said. ?My guys gave me a great car, and we probably passed more cars than anyone. These cars are easy to drive when they are that fast. I have been through a lot in the last couple of years, and I am ready to go.?

Bud Kaeding took fourth place with Russ Gamester fifth.

Chris Urish ended up sixth followed by Zach Daum, Tom Capie, Tracy Hines and Cole Whitt.

A red flag stopped the race on the ninth lap when Kody Swanson and Randy Bateman flipped in the first turn after they collided.

Hollingsworth out-paced the 28-car field during qualifications and gained the pole position with a speed of 112.665 miles per hour around the mile-dirt track.

Share Button