SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Brian Tyler led wire to wire to win Saturday afternoon’s Tony Bettenhausen 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
The victory in the 100-mile USAC K&N Silver Crown race presented by Optima Batteries was worth $10,500 for the veteran open-wheel racer. Tyler started second next to pole-winner Shane Hollingsworth, but took the lead on lap one and never looked back in his Toyota/Fatheadz Sunglasses Beast/Toyota.
Dave Darland finished second ahead of Hollingsworth, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Bud Kaeding.
Point-leader Jerry Coons, Jr. finished sixth, taking a 41-point lead over Darland heading into the Aug. 31 Ted Horn 100 at the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds.
Johnny Parsons escaped injury when he hit the wall in turn three on lap 24.
The summary:
Qualifications: 1. Shane Hollingsworth, Nolen 20, 30.286; 2. Brian Tyler, Team Six-R 21, 30.325; 3. Levi Jones, Stewart 10, 30.473; 4. Kody Swanson, Team Six-R 19, 30.483; 5. Shane Cottle, Contos 4, 30.532; 6. Dave Darland, Foxco 56, 30.609; 7. Tom Capie, Capie 153, 30.725; 8. Tracy Hines, Stewart 22, 30.750; 9. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Edwards/RE 199, 30.824; 10. Jon Stanbrough, Baldwin 5, 30.858; 11. Donnie Beechler, McQuinn 14, 30.915; 12. Mat Neely, RW 17, 30.930; 13. Randy Bateman, Bateman 55, 30.969; 14. A.J. Fike, RFMS 32, 31.053; 15. Russ Gamester, Gamester 51, 31.102; 16. Kevin Huntley, SC 97, 31.110; 17. Bud Kaeding, BK 29, 31.200; 18. Chris Urish, Urish 77, 31.256; 19. Paul White, Mucci/Matczak 99, 31.497; 20. Patrick Bruns, Quick Draw 81, 31.767; 21. Johnny Parsons, Nix 43, 32.055; 22. Craig Dori, Shoestring 38,32.917; 23. Jeff Leka, Miller 36, 33.872; 24. Mike Stroehle, Stroehle 83, no time; 25. Derek Hagar, RE 35, no time; 26. Jerry Coons, Jr., RW 27, no time.
Feature (100 laps): Tyler, Darland, Hollingsworth, Stenhouse, Kaeding, Coons, Cottle, Capie, Swanson, Stanbrough, Hines, Fike, Jones, Gamester, Neely, Bruns, Bateman, Dori, White, Leka, Parsons, Beechler, Urish, Hagar, Huntley, Stroehle.