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9/17/14 1:43 PM ELDORA’S FAVORITE SON JACK HEWITT RETURNS!

http://usacracing.com/news/silver-cr...hewitt-returns



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ELDORA’S FAVORITE SON JACK HEWITT RETURNS!

“4-CROWN NATIONALS” SATURDAY AT ELDORA SPEEDWAY

Jack Hewitt, the winningest USAC Silver Crown driver of all time, returns to competition this Saturday, piloting a Six-R Racing Toyota in the 33rd “4-Crown Nationals” at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

It’s Jack’s first USAC race appearance since his 2002 Sprint car accident at North Vernon, Ind. and as he says “I’m like a kid counting down to Christmas.”

Jack got to try the car Saturday night during a shakedown run at Waynesfield, Ohio and says the team is making a lot of little “tweaks” in preparation for Saturday’s race. “I’m going to have fun,” he adds, “but I’m also going to do my best. I’ve had so much support from my many fans and I hope they have fun Saturday too. It’s great to be back with Six-R Racing. It’ll be like a stroll down memory lane, but it’ll be interesting since this is my first ride in a Toyota.”

The winner of 23 Silver Crown races, including eight during the “4-Crown,” Jack’s last Silver Crown start came at Terre Haute, Ind. in 2002. His last Silver Crown victory was the Tony Bettenhausen 100 in Springfield, Ill. in 2000.

His last “4-Crown” Silver Crown win closed out one of the most remarkable motor racing achievements of all time, the 1998 event in which he won all four feature events! His 24 Eldora wins in various series is twice Dave Darland’s second-best record of 12 Eldora wins.

Darland is the second leading active Silver Crown winner behind Hewitt, with 14 career wins. He currently ranks eighth in the latest standings.

A 27-point separation exists between series point leader Kody Swanson and runner-up Tracy Hines. Defending series champion Bobby East is similarly 27 points behind Hines.

Chris Windom, fourth in the series points, is the defending winner of the “4-Crown Nationals” Silver Crown race.

Saturday’s Larry Rice “high-performance” awards at the “4-Crown Nationals” are $750 each in memory of the late USAC Champion.

Buck & Betty Rice of ProSource of Grand Saline, Texas will award $200 each for Saturday’s fastest qualifiers in all three series as well as posting a similar award at Thursday night’s Terre Haute USAC Sprint race.

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[ronmil]

I was present at his last USAC race appearance in 2002. Certainly hope this one turns out better than that one! I was at the Four Crown when Jack won all four features. Wish Jack all the best on his return!

[ISF]

We witnessed every Silver Crown race Ol' Jack ever won at Springfield but his last Silver Crown win was the best. Jack's 2000 win at Springfield was a work of art. He hung close to the front all day and with a handful of laps left he passed a budding young Silver Crown star by the name of Bud Kaeding to take the lead getting into #1.

From there he ran just hard enough to keep Bud from getting a run on him. One of the most popular wins I've ever seen at Springfield, and we've seen a few.

I asked Bud about that race a couple of years later at the Ovals out at Perris and he said it kind of startled him when he looked over and saw Jack along side him. Bud said his spotter told him on the radio Jack was 3 car lengths back.

I think maybe when they call Jack's name during driver introductions Saturday night there just might be some eyes needin' dried.

[flagboy55]

I think it's great jack is gonna saddle up this weekend. My conservative side says i just want to see him pull it in safely after 50 good laps. I asked him at the late great Santa fe speedway once what it took to run the big cars on the miles the way he does. He laughed and answered, "big balls". My not so conservative side hopes Saturday he still has em!

[Chase Hightower]

Definitely a HUGE boost to the series to have Jack back! Great guy with more natural dirt skills than most anyone before or after! Hope he has a good showing.