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"Rocket Man" Returns for Rich Vogler Classic

Former USAC Silver Crown Champion Ryan Newman of South Bend, Ind. will briefly divert his focus for this week’s “Brickyard 400” at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to participate in this Thursday night’s “Rich Vogler Classic” at Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg, Ind.

Newman, who won the 1999 Silver Crown title, has competed in five Silver Crown races at Lucas Oil Raceway since 2008 and finished second to Bobby East in the 2008 race. Last year he finished fourth in the “Rich Vogler Classic.”

A two-time Silver Crown race winner, Newman won at Lucas Oil Raceway on his way to the 1999 championship and he will pilot a car entered by Bowman Racing and Brad Armstrong. His teammate Thursday will be Tanner Swanson, who has been virtually unbeatable at the Brownsburg oval, winning three of the last four Silver Crown races there the last three years. He led 99 laps of last year’s “Rich Vogler Classic” only to lose to David Byrne on the final lap!

Swanson’s dominance at Lucas Oil Raceway has been such that he has led 385 of the last 386 Silver Crown laps in the past four races!

Swanson’s brother, Kody, who led the first 14 laps in 2013, leads the 2015 series standings in defense of his 2014 championship. He has a 38-point lead over A.J. Fike with a maximum of 66 points available Thursday.

The late Jason Leffler continues to hold the one-lap qualifying record of 121.667 mph which he set in 2000.

Thursday’s event honors the memory of the driver who amassed more USAC race victories (171) than any driver in history. Vogler’s career included five Lucas Oil Midget wins and three in the Sprint cars. The pit gate opens at 2 pm. Spectator gates open at 5 and Silver Crown practice begins at 5:30. Qualifying starts at 6:30 and opening ceremonies are at 7:15. A late model race at 7:30 precedes the 8:30 pm Silver Crown green flag.

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