RICHMOND, Va. — Brian Tyler led the final 89 laps to win Saturday’s Silver Crown 100 at Richmond Int’l Raceway in his Team Six-R C & R/Chevy.
The victory was Tyler’s 12th in series competition and his first this season.
Only Jack Hewitt (23), Dave Steele (16) and Chuck Gurney (14) have more career triumphs in USAC Silver Crown action.
Tyler started third and passed early leader A.J. Fike on lap 12. He was not seriously challenged the rest of the way and finished more than a second ahead of runner-up Jerry Coons, Jr.
“I made my move early,” said Tyler, who earned $18,500. “It's hard to pass out there, and I figured I'd get to the front quick and stay there.”
Bobby East, who won the USAC sprint-car race earlier in the day at RIR, finished third, followed by Fike and pole-winner Pablo Donoso.
Donoso qualified at 127.914 seconds on Friday but fell behind Fike at the start of Saturday’s 100-lap race.
Only three yellow flags interrupted the race, which finished with an average speed of 99.447 miles per hour.
Wayne Reutimann, Jr., who finished seventh, took the point lead and has a 10-point advantage over Aaron Pierce and Fike.
The summary:
Qualifications: 1. Pablo Donoso, Foyt 11, 21.108; 2. A.J. Fike, Hemelgarn/RFMS 91, 21.244; 3. Brian Tyler, Team Six-R 21, 21.299; 4. Mike Murgoitio, Team Six-R 19, 21.363; 5. Jerry Coons, Jr., RW 27, 21.403; 6. Cameron Dodson, Edwards/RE 199, 21.531; 7. Tim Barber, Pierson 28, 21.623; 8. Bobby East, Foyt 14, 21.740; 9. Mat Neely, RW 17, 21.772; 10. Bud Kaeding, BK 29, 21.822; 11. Marc Jessup, Vance 2, 21.837; 12. Aaron Pierce, Pierce 26, 21.897; 13. Billy Wease, Western Speed 12, 22.217; 14. Wayne Reutimann, Jr., Reutimann 00, 22.389; 15. Levi Jones, Paternoster 41, 22.452; 16. Paul White, Mucci/Matczak 99, 23.415.
Feature (100 laps): Tyler, Coons, East, Fike, Donoso, Neely, Reutimann, Wease, Dodson, White, Kaeding, Jessup, Barber, Murgoitio, Pierce, Jones.