Points race never lived up to billing in Las Vegas 500K

So much for the much-hyped battle between Kenny Brack, Davey Hamilton and Tony Stewart for the IRL championship.

It took all of about five minutes Sunday to figure out that Brack would leave Sunday's Las Vegas 500K as the new series champion.

As soon as the 28 cars took the green flag at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Stewart -- who started on the outside of the front row -- quickly was passed by the majority of the cars in the field, his Menards Dallara/Aurora unable to reach speed.

Five laps into the race, Stewart had fallen to the back of the field, Hamilton was running in the middle of the pack near where he started (13th) and Brack had maintained his starting position (sixth).

That, too, would soon change.

Less than 30 laps into the race, Brack's Dallara/Aurora developed engine problems that relegated him to mid-pack.

"We had a plan to stay in contention until the end and then see what we could do but it didn't turn out that way because we had our own problems," Brack said. "We just tried to do the best from that point and we did."

Brack was able to finish 10th, six laps off the pace, and clinch the title for team owner A.J. Foyt. Brack finished the season with 332 points, 40 more than second-place Hamilton and 43 more than Stewart.

"This is my biggest success so far in my career," Brack said. "I won many races and championships in the past but this is the biggest achievement I've had so far.

"I'd say, all in all, we had a good season. We had our ups and downs and you just have to make good use of the good situations you have."

Hamilton, of Las Vegas, bowed out of the race when when he and Roberto Guerrero made contact and crashed in turn two on lap 129.

It marked the second year in a row that Hamilton finished second in the championship. Last year, he lost the title to Stewart by six points.

"We came here planning to get the pole and win (the race)," Hamilton said. "Losing the championship is the biggest heartbreaker.

"Overall, we had a great season and I am proud that we finished the championship in second place. The IRL has given us some great racing this year and I am looking forward to coming back next year to try to win this thing."

Stewart, beset by mechanical failures for much of the season, saw another gremlin ruin his chance at making a run at Brack for the championship in his final full season in the IRL.

"I just couldn't believe it," said Stewart, who is leaving the IRL for a full-time ride in NASCAR's Winston Cup Series. "We got the green (flag) and the car wouldn't go. We couldn't get any RPMs. We don't know for sure what it was ... something electrical, maybe a coil.

"It was a disappointing year for us. I wanted to finish my full-time IRL career on a high note, especially for my (crew). We just couldn't get any luck to go with us."

* RUMOR MILL: The off-season "silly season" began early this year, with several rumors making their way around the paddock area at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Among the more interesting: John Menard, who fielded cars for Tony Stewart and Robbie Buhl this season, pulling out of the IRL full-time and running only the Indianapolis 500 in 1999. Or, Menard pulling out of the IRL and taking over Dan Gurney's Toyota team in the rival CART FedEx Championship Series. Yet another rumor has Stewart running the Indy 500 for A.J. Foyt next year. Foyt fields cars driven by Kenny Brack and Billy Boat and indicated Sunday that he planned to have both drivers back on board in 1999. Menard declined to comment on either rumor and Stewart said only that he has talked "with several people" about running Indy next year.

* TOP ROOKIE: Robby Unser, son of three-time Indy 500 winner Bobby Unser, won the IRL's Rookie of the Year honor and a $50,000 bonus. Unser finished fifth at this year's Indy 500, took second at the Lone Star 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in September and finished 16th Sunday after blowing an engine on lap 174.

* THE PITS: The primary pace car for Sunday's Las Vegas 500K, an Oldsmobile Intrigue, blew a right-rear tire during a caution period and race officials were forced to press the backup pace car, a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, into service.

* SMALL CONSOLATION: IRL team owner Tom Kelley saw his drivers, Scott Sharp and Mark Dismore, finish 12th and 15th, respectively, in Sunday's race. On the bright side, Kelley loaned out two of his spare engines to Arie Luyendyk and Henderson's Sam Schmidt, who finished first and second. "At least our motors finished 1-2," Kelley said.

* NO BIG LOSS: Stewart and fellow Team Menard driver Buhl each were docked 15 points earlier this season after a post-race inspection found that the rear wings on both cars did not meet league specifications. As it turned out, the penalty did not effect Stewart's bid for a second straight championship; he finished third, 43 points behind Brack.

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