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Veteran Tyler Romps At Richmond

Richmond, VA ? Veteran racer Brian Tyler dusted off the talented USAC Silver Crown field, winning the ?James River Grounds 100? at the Richmond International Raceway on Saturday afternoon.

The Michigan native ran second to fast-qualifier Bobby East for the first 85 laps and after a brief caution period, he maneuvered past the leader to gain the lead and his second Silver Crown victory at RIR and the 15th of his successful career.

The victor drove the Team Six-R/Fatheadz Sunglasses-Lucas Oil/Beast/Toyota.

In winning his 50th overall race, Tyler said, ?Without that caution I probably would have run second. I knew if I could get in front of him I could probably hold him off. On the restart, I made a banzai run to the outside and it took both of us into the corner deeper than we both wanted to go. He went up the hill, and I went underneath him going down the back shoot. I knew I had just one shot and I had better make it work.?

Whenever Tyler wins a race, he buys a cow and names it after the winning track. ?Last year I won two races, and I bought two cows and named them Springfield and DuQuoin. This week I am going to go buy a Richmond cow.?

A very dejected Bobby East said, ?I had a pretty good car but around lap 80 or so, my sway bar fell off, bringing out the caution. The car handled poorly after that and I ran second.?

Cameron Dodson, who suffered critical injuries in a November automobile accident, made his comeback at Richmond. Starting 14th, the Indiana native moved steadily through the field to gain third place with a dozen laps remaining. He drove the Ford Racing/Red Line Oil entry.

?I was driving the living daylights out of the car, and I am looking to winning within the next couple of races,? Dodson said afterward. ?I thought I had been working out pretty good but I think I need to be working out more.?

Fourth and fifth places went to young Pennsylvania driver Ryan Smith, who ran third until passed by Dodson toward the end, and A. J. Fike.

2008 race winner Chet Fillip ended up sixth with Jacob Wilson seventh and Tracy Hines eighth.

Series point leader Bud Kaeding took ninth and Jay Drake, returning from a three-year layoff, came in 10th.

Kaeding leads with 147 points and Hines is second with 126. Tyler holds down third with 120.

24 cars started the race and 15 were running at the end.

Two caution flags slowed the race for 10 laps.

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