PIERCE EYES 100TH USAC SILVER CROWN START AT TOLEDO

PIERCE EYES 100TH USAC SILVER CROWN START AT TOLEDO

Toledo, Ohio (October 2, 2020)………Aaron Pierce aims to become the 19th driver to reach 100 starts with the USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series this Sunday afternoon, October 4, in the Hemelgarn Racing/Super Fitness Rollie Beale Classic at Ohio’s Toledo Speedway.

Entering the event, Pierce (Muncie, Ind.) stands at 99 starts, but one more would put him an exclusive club of longevity that only a select few others can claim.

Among expected entries for this Sunday’s Toledo race, just two can already claim 100 or more starts with the series – 2008 champion driver Jerry Coons Jr. is fourth all-time at 176 starts while five-time titlist Kody Swanson has 107.  Dave Darland leads all drivers with 201 starts; Russ Gamester is at 199 while Brian Tyler is at 198.

Pierce has finished in the top-five in three of his last four Toledo Silver Crown starts with a 5th in 2015 and 2018 and a best of 3rd in 2019 and seeks a first victory with the series there on Sunday.

Making his first Silver Crown start in March of 2003 at Phoenix International Raceway, Pierce finished 25th after starting 28th that day, exiting after 42 of 100 laps with a valve spring issue.  Silver Crown victories along the way came for Pierce in his 28th start at Chicagoland Speedway in 2006, his 36th start at Kansas Speedway in 2006 and at South Carolina’s Darlington Raceway in 2007, which was his 40th start.

Early on during the 2006 season, Pierce recorded the fastest ever official lap in a Silver Crown series race, qualifying at an average one-lap speed of 175.012 mph in the “New Generation” car that was active between the 2006-07 seasons.

Other drivers who have recorded 100 or more Silver Crown starts include Tracy Hines (172), Jack Hewitt (163), Johnny Parsons (151), Tony Elliott (147), Eric Gordon (141), George Snider (128), Gary Hieber (125), Chuck Gurney (114), Bud Kaeding & Jimmy Sills (113), Dave Steele (111), John Heydenreich (110), A.J. Fike (103) and Larry Rice (100).

Jay Drake and Paul White remain the closest to reaching 100 with 94 starts each but have not made a start in several years.  Among drivers who’ve made a Silver Crown start this year, the next closest to reaching the 100 start mark is Chris Windom at 73, who you’ll also see in action this Sunday afternoon at Toledo.

The Sunday afternoon, October 4, Hemelgarn Racing/Super Fitness “Rollie Beale Classic” features the USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series plus Late Model Sportsman, Figure 8, Factory Stock and Street Stock features for the penultimate round of the 2020 season in the Glass City.

The USAC pit gate opens at 8:30am ET on raceday, front gates open at 11am, practice runs from 11:30am-12:15pm for the Silver Crown cars with Fatheadz Eyewear Qualifying at 1:05pm and opening ceremonies at 2pm, followed by the 100-lap Rollie Beale Classic.

All tickets are $25 each, and tickets will only be available online at www.toledospeedway.com.  With limited seating for each event, fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets as soon as possible.

Grandstand ticketing will be limited to 1,500 with a standard admission price for all events of $25 per person, with specified seating locations to ensure social distancing and presale offering contactless purchasing.  Any unsold tickets will be available at the track on race day, beginning at 11am.

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