59th Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown Sat, Aug 20@ IL State Fair

Big Cars Return to Illinois State Fair for 89th Time

By Jay Hardin
Track Enterprises

July 18, 2022 (Springfield, IL)-Auto Racing is the traditional day time entertainment of the last weekend of the Illinois State Fair, starting with the 89th scheduled appearance of the open wheel championship machines now known as the USAC Silver Crown Cars of the USAC (United States Auto Club). The annual Bettenhausen 100 presented by Mite Xstream takes place on Saturday, August 20 on the World’s Fastest One Mile Dirt track in Springfield, Illinois.

The 2022 Bettenhausen 100, the 62nd scheduled and 59th actual running (due to rain), is the 9th round of the 2022 USAC Silver Crown National Championship, and follows a run the night before on the pavement of World Wide Technology Raceway just 90 minutes away. In an unusual twist the Bettenhausen is just one of two Silver Crown contests on a traditional dirt mile and the only day time event on the schedule.

Indiana’s CJ Leary is the point leader after 5 events with a scant 6-point margin over Logan Seavey and 12 over 6-time and defending USAC champ Kody Swanson. Leary won on the pavement at Madison, Wisconsin while Seavey won on the dirt at Port Royal, Pennsylvania. Swanson’s lone 2022 win was a special event at Indianapolis Raceway Park, and Swanson is the only driver of the three with a Silver Crown victory on one of the dirt miles, three coming at Springfield. Swanson is the defending Bettenhausen 100 champion, leading the last 16 miles of the rain shortened 2021 event.

A large field of the mighty uprights is expected for the 2022 Bettenhausen 100 on August 20.

The event is all part of a huge weekend of racing that begins Friday night, August 19 at Lincoln Speedway featuring MOWA Sprint Cars, Saturday afternoon, August 20 with USAC Silver Crown and Sportsman at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, Saturday night at Macon Speedway with POWRi National Midgets, and Sunday afternoon, August 21 with ARCA Menards Series and Sportsman at the Illinois State Fair.

Advance tickets for the Illinois State Fair races are available by calling the Track Enterprises office at 217-764-3200, by calling the Illinois State Fair box office at 217-782-1979, or by stopping by the Illinois State Fair box office. Advance sale discounted tickets for the ARCA Menards Series event on Sunday, August 21 can be purchased in Central Illinois area Menards stores for a price of just $20.

The Facebook event for this race is https://www.facebook.com/events/1445861955893830

The biggest Central Illinois race weekend of the year is coming up Friday-Sunday, August 19-21, 2022. It all begins with MOWA Sprint Cars at Lincoln Speedway on Friday, August 19 before heading to the Illinois State Fair on Saturday and Sunday afternoon for Silver Crown, ARCA, and Sportsman Presented MiteXstream. In addition, don't forget about Macon Speedway featuring the Camfield Memorial for POWRi Midgets on Saturday night. Full details below...

Illinois State Fair Racing
Friday-Saturday-Sunday, August 19, 20, 21

Illinois State Fairgrounds
Springfield, IL

Friday Night, August 19
Midwest Open Wheel Association MOWA Sprints + 5 Classes
Lincoln Speedway

Saturday, August 20
Illinois State Fair
USAC Silver Crown Series
60th Annual Bettenhausen 100 Presented by Hunt Brothers Pizza
+ 29th Annual Illinois Sportsman Nationals DIRTcar Sportsman Prelims

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20 SPRINGFIELD TIMES:
7:00 AM Pits & Registration
9:00 AM Ticket Office & Grandstands
10:00-11:10 AM Silver Crown Practice
11:30 AM Silver Crown Qualifying
12:00 PM Sportsman Hotlaps
12:30 PM Silver Crown B-Main
1:00 PM Sportsman Heats
1:30 PM Pre-Race Ceremonies
2:00 PM USAC Silver Crown 60th Annual Bettenhausen 100 Presented by Hunt Brothers Pizza

Saturday Night, August 21
POWRi Midgets/Micros + 3 Classes
Macon Speedway

Sunday, August 21
Illinois State Fair
Menards ARCA Menards SeriesPresented by Mite Extreme
60th Annual Atlas 100 Presented by MiteXstream
+ 29th Annual Illinois Sportsman Nationals

SUNDAY, AUGUST 21 SPRINGFIELD TIMES:
6:30 AM Pits & Registration
8:30 AM Ticket Office & Grandstands
10:00 AM ARCA Practice
10:30 AM Sportsman Practice
11:15 AM General Tire ARCA Pole Qualifying
11:45 PM 29th Annual Illinois Sportsman Nationals
12:00 PM Driver Autograph Session
1:00 PM 60th Annual Atlas 100 Presented by Mite XStream

(*Don’t forget our two other local shows the same weekend, Lincoln Speedway Friday, August 19 and Macon Speedway Saturday night, August 20.)

SPRINGFIELD TICKET INFO:
Tickets will be available on raceday or by calling the State Fair office at 217-782-1979. Info and tickets can also be obtained by calling the Track Enterprises office at 217-764-3200. Discount tickets for Sunday also available at Menards.

RESERVED SEATING
Advance Tickets (Presale)
$25 Adults Per Day
$10 Children 11 & Under Per Day
Day Of Tickets (At Gate)
$30 Adults Per Day
$10 Children 11 & Under Per Day

INFIELD TICKETS
$20 Adults
$5 Children 11 & Under

PIT PASSES
$40 Adults Each Day
$20 Children 11 & Under Each Day
$50 Two-Day Pit Pass

INFIELD PARKING
$5 For Those Parking On Infield With No Infield Or Pit Passes

HOST HOTELS
Carpenter Street Hotel
888-779-9100 or www.carpenterstreethotel.com

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Fiftieth Anniversary of Big Al’s Springfield Sweep!
By Jay Hardin

Track Enterprises

Track Enterprises celebrates 29 years of promoting races on the Springfield Mile on the weekend of August 20-21. This weekend is also a time to honor the 50th anniversary one of the great accomplishments in motorsports, the weekend sweep by the late Al Unser of both the Atlas-Allen Crowe 100 stock car race and the Bettenhausen 100 dirt car race.

In the history of the USAC and ARCA stock car series, and the USAC and CART championship series, very few “doubleheaders” since 1950 were conducted outside of the fairground miles. During the 1970’s some same day doubleheaders were scheduled at venues such as Trenton, Ontario and Texas World Speedway. However, by then the weekend doubleheaders of stock car and championship dirt car racing at Springfield and DuQuoin were well established.

Prior to 1972 no driver had won both races on the same weekend at either fairground mile, much less a scheduled doubleheader between the champ and stock cars. Coming into the 1972 Illinois State Fair, a different type of program would greet fans and competitors. Midgets were added to the card on Friday, with the upright champ cars moving from Saturday to Sunday, and the stockers moving to Saturday. When the entry lists were released, Al Unser, Jigger Sirois and Ralph Ligouri each had stock and champ car rides. A.J. Foyt likely would have been in both races, however he was still recuperating from a nasty incident on Memorial Day at DuQuoin and was sticking with his dirt champ car.

On Saturday, Unser qualified the Ford of Peoria car owner Rudy Hoerr on the pole and after swapping the lead with Jack Bowsher, Sal Tovella and Don White took over for good on lap 54 and led the rest of the way. The win put him in position to sweep, however 31 other drivers and cars stood in his way for Sunday’s Bettenhausen 100 dirt car race. Unser started 7th as Lee Kunzman started up front. Kunzman led 10 miles before Foyt moved to the front. Unser bided his time, knowing the 4 time Bettenhausen winner was just coming back from injuries. On lap 29 Unser took the Viceroy Special into the lead and never looked back. Al banked over $11,000 for the weekend.

Since that day A.J. Foyt captured a couple of stock car-champ car doubles, one at Texas, one at Ontario. But no one has done so on the dirt. A.J. Fike came closest in 2013, winning the Bettenhausen and crossing the line first in the Atlas-Crowe 100, but a penalty assessed on a restart took him out of the top slot.

Al Unser went on to win the next week on the Indiana State Fair Mile in Hoerr’s Ford. Al captured another Bettenhausen win (1975) and two more Hoosier Hundred wins (1972-73) plus two more Indy 500 wins in his storied career. He remains one of twelve drivers to attempt the Springfield sweep, and the only driver to successfully use the broom.

Fike is the last driver to try both. At press time it is questionable if anyone will try the double this year, so it is likely that Al’s remarkable accomplishment will be solely his for another year.

The state fair weekend begins with the Bettenhausen 100 on August 20 for the USAC Silver Crown cars, and ends with the ARCA Atlas 100 and Sportsman Nationals on Sunday August 21.

Advance tickets for the Illinois State Fair races are available by calling the Track Enterprises office at 217-764-3200, by calling the Illinois State Fair box office at 217-782-1979, or by stopping by the Illinois State Fair box office. Advance sale discounted tickets for the ARCA Menards Series event on Sunday, August 21 can be purchased in Central Illinois area Menards stores for a price of just $20.

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(Photo from midwestracingarchives.com)

40 years ago a bearded Bobby Olivero came from deep in the pack to win a second Bettenhausen. It was not a good day for Larry (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)son who missed the show in 2 different cars.

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Springfield Win Gives Swanson Chance to Tie Foyt, Kenyon
By Jay Hardin
Track Enterprises

(Springfield, IL) Kody Swanson, leading USAC / USAC Silver Crown points and a favorite coming into Springfield, has to seem like a broken record to race fans. In fact, a sportswriter could have written the exact same story for the last 8 years, simply changed a few words and the date, and have his pre-race story for the Bettenhausen 100 presented by Hunt Brothers Pizza covered. The racing world seems to have the same “groundhog day” pattern this year as well. The six-time USAC champ out of Kingsburg, California is contending for a seventh USAC championship. The defending Bettenhausen 100 can’t be counted out either when the big cars roll onto the Illinois State Fair Mile August 20.

A win at Springfield gives Swanson a great chance to tie legend A.J. Foyt and Mel Kenyon for the most championships in USAC history. Kenyon won 7 USAC midget championships, while Foyt won 7 USAC national championships. Swanson’s 6 titles have all come in championship style machinery, the Silver Crown cars being the name given to the series ten years after the championship dirt track machines were removed from the national championship. No matter the series name, a Silver Crown machine is still an upright version of the same cars used on the championship trail prior to 1971.

Swanson has never driven a rear engine “Indy Car”. All of his record 36 wins have come in the Silver Crown Series and the upright machines, with 11 of the 36 coming on one mile dirt tracks. His six Silver Crown titles far surpass the three of former record holders Jimmy Sills and Bud Kaeding. Three of the eleven mile track victories have come at Springfield, including last August.

Last August, Swanson set fast time but started 23rd due to a tire change. In true Swanson fashion he bided his time, and by halfway was close to the lead, taking the top slot on lap 61 and never looking back as rain shortened the event to 76 miles. Swanson also did it in a new ride taking over the Chris Dyson owned machine for the first time at the 2021 Bettenhausen 100.

Swanson is the winner of two points paying events in the 2022 USAC Silver Crown season, at Winchester and Toledo plus a special event at Lucas Oil Raceway Park. He has an 18-point lead over Logan Seavey and a 38-point lead over C.J. Leary. The series also has one event prior to Springfield, at World Wide Technology Raceway August 19. The potential points available at Springfield could give Swanson quite a boost toward title number seven.

The event is all part of a huge weekend of racing that begins Friday night, August 19 at Lincoln Speedway featuring MOWA Sprint Cars, Saturday afternoon, August 20 with USAC Silver Crown and Sportsman at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, Saturday night at Macon Speedway with POWRi National Midgets, and Sunday afternoon, August 21 with ARCA and Sportsman at the Illinois State Fair.

Advance tickets for the Illinois State Fair races are available by calling the Track Enterprises office at 217-764-3200, by calling the Illinois State Fair box office at 217-782-1979, or by stopping by the Illinois State Fair box office. Advance sale discounted tickets for the ARCA Menards Series event on Sunday, August 21 can be purchased in Central Illinois area Menards stores for a price of just $20.

https://www.facebook.com/usacracing/...89696594609453

The weekly newsletter...

🏁 Macon Speedway Saturday Info Plus State Fair Racing Aug 19-21 - https://mailchi.mp/64b1a8da6c0f/maco...cing-aug-19-21

Ever wondered how fast a Champ Car on the Springfield Mile really is? Ride along with Logan Seavey and see for yourself!

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Last year was a dandy racing-wise with a DEEP charge by eventual winner Kody Swanson. Last year's highlights. https://www.facebook.com/usacracing/...41307623087983

Illinois State Fair Race Weekend Is Upon Us...

(Springfield, IL) The biggest weekend of Central Illinois racing begins this Friday night August, 19th at Lincoln Speedway featuring MOWA Sprint Cars, followed by the Springfield Mile Saturday afternoon, August 20 with USAC Silver Crown and Sportsman and Macon Speedway Saturday night with POWRi National Midgets. Completing the weekend will be Sunday afternoon, August 21 with ARCA and Sportsman at the Illinois State Fair.

The staple events of the weekend are Saturday, August 20th with the USAC Silver Crown National Championship 59th Bettenhausen 100 Presented by Hunt Brothers Pizza and the ARCA Menards Series Atlas 100 plus the Sportsman Nationals on Sunday afternoon, August 21st. The whole weekend is presented by MiteXstream.

The long standing USAC Silver Crown race has been a staple for the Illinois State Fair capping off the final weekend of the fair. USAC star Kody Swanson leads in points for the 2022 USAC Silver Crown season. Swanson has dominated the last three USAC Silver Crown events taking home the win at Toledo, Winchester, and Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Swanson also took home the win last year at the Mile, besting a field of 31 competitors to take home the win at the historic Mile. A great field of USAC stars is expected for what is just one of two mile long dirt races for the Silver Crown Series.

The ARCA Menards Series has the chance to make history at the Springfield Mile as two female competitors will get the shot to be the first female champion of the famed dirt mile. Toni Breidinger and Amber Balcaen sit both 5th and 6th in championship points in ARCA. While both have had good runs this season they both look to the Mile for their first ARCA Menards Series win. The ARCA Menards Series have seen some fantastic racing this year from a group of young and upcoming racing talent. A diverse field of cars will grace the Mile for just one of two dirt races for the ARCA series.

Advance tickets for the Illinois State Fair races are available by calling the Track Enterprises office at 217-764-3200, by calling the Illinois State Fair box office at 217-782-1979, or by stopping by the Illinois State Fair box office. Advance sale discounted tickets for the ARCA Menards Series event on Sunday, August 21 can be purchased in Central Illinois area Menards stores for a price of just $20.

Top Stories:
*The national touring USAC Silver Crown National Championship and ARCA Menards Series return to the Historic Springfield Mile Saturday, August 20th and 21st

*The ARCA Menards Series has the chance to make history with two female drivers entered in the Atlas 100 on Sunday afternoon, no female has won at the historic Mile in all of these years

*Two local dirt track shows also highlight the weekend with Lincoln Speedway starting the racing weekend off Friday Night and Macon Speedway running Saturday Night after the Bettenhausen 100 Presented by Hunt Brothers Pizza

*USAC Silver Crown Star, Kody Swanson, has had a dominating run this year in the Silver Crown Series winning the last three races in the series, Swanson is also the defending champion at the Springfield Mile

*All of the top USAC and ARCA stars are expected out this weekend to test their skills at one of the countries most historic dirt tracks

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IT IS BETTENHAUSEN 100 USAC SILVER CROWN RACE DAY AT THE ILLINOIS STATE FAIR!

Auto Racing is the traditional day time entertainment of the last weekend of the Illinois State Fair, starting with the 89th scheduled appearance of the open wheel championship machines now known as the USAC Silver Crown Cars of the USAC (United States Auto Club). The annual Bettenhausen 100 presented by Mite Xstream takes place on Saturday, August 20 on the World’s Fastest One Mile Dirt track in Springfield, Illinois.

The 2022 Bettenhausen 100, the 62nd scheduled and 59th actual running (due to rain), is the 9th round of the 2022 USAC Silver Crown National Championship, and follows a run the night before on the pavement of World Wide Technology Raceway just 90 minutes away. In an unusual twist the Bettenhausen is just one of two Silver Crown contests on a traditional dirt mile and the only day time event on the schedule.

Indiana’s CJ Leary is the point leader after 5 events with a scant 6-point margin over Logan Seavey and 12 over 6-time and defending USAC champ Kody Swanson. Leary won on the pavement at Madison, Wisconsin while Seavey won on the dirt at Port Royal, Pennsylvania. Swanson’s lone 2022 win was a special event at Indianapolis Raceway Park, and Swanson is the only driver of the three with a Silver Crown victory on one of the dirt miles, three coming at Springfield. Swanson is the defending Bettenhausen 100 champion, leading the last 16 miles of the rain shortened 2021 event.

Indiana’s CJ Leary is the point leader after 5 events with a scant 6-point margin over Logan Seavey and 12 over 6-time and defending USAC champ Kody Swanson. Leary won on the pavement at Madison, Wisconsin while Seavey won on the dirt at Port Royal, Pennsylvania. Swanson’s lone 2022 win was a special event at Indianapolis Raceway Park, and Swanson is the only driver of the three with a Silver Crown victory on one of the dirt miles, three coming at Springfield. Swanson is the defending Bettenhausen 100 champion, leading the last 16 miles of the rain-shortened 2021 event.

The event is all part of a huge weekend of racing that begins Friday night, August 19 at Lincoln Speedway featuring MOWA Sprint Cars, Saturday afternoon, August 20 with USAC Silver Crown and Sportsman at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, Saturday night at Macon Speedway with POWRi National Midgets, and Sunday afternoon, August 21 with ARCA Menards Series and Sportsman at the Illinois State Fair.

Full Details Below:

Saturday, August 20
Illinois State Fair
USAC Silver Crown Series
60th Annual Bettenhausen 100 Presented by Hunt Brothers Pizza
+ 29th Annual Illinois Sportsman Nationals DIRTcar Sportsman Prelims
SATURDAY, AUGUST 20 SPRINGFIELD

TIMES:
7:00 AM Pits & Registration
9:00 AM Ticket Office & Grandstands
10:00-11:10 AM Silver Crown Practice
11:30 AM Silver Crown Qualifying
12:00 PM Sportsman Hotlaps
12:30 PM Silver Crown B-Main
1:00 PM Sportsman Heats
1:30 PM Pre-Race Ceremonies
2:00 PM USAC Silver Crown 60th Annual Bettenhausen 100 Presented by Hunt Brothers Pizza

(*Don’t forget our two other local shows the same weekend, Lincoln Speedway Friday, August 19 and Macon Speedway Saturday night, August 20.)

SPRINGFIELD TICKET INFO:
Tickets will be available on raceday or by calling the State Fair office at 217-782-1979. Info and tickets can also be obtained by calling the Track Enterprises office at 217-764-3200.

RESERVED SEATING
Advance Tickets (Presale)
$25 Adults Per Day
$10 Children 11 & Under Per Day
Day Of Tickets (At Gate)
$30 Adults Per Day
$10 Children 11 & Under Per Day

INFIELD TICKETS
$20 Adults
$5 Children 11 & Under

PIT PASSES
$40 Adults Each Day
$20 Children 11 & Under Each Day
$50 Two-Day Pit Pass

INFIELD PARKING
$5 For Those Parking On Infield With No Infield Or Pit Passes

HOST HOTELS
Carpenter Street Hotel
888-779-9100 or www.carpenterstreethotel.com

LIVE STREAM: FloRacing (www.floracing.com)

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We are in a holding pattern at the Illinois State Fair. We had some heavy rain move through this morning and we are watching future cast radar, forecasts, and track conditions to monitor the situation. Pits and infield will not be opening at 7 am. We will update the situation when anything changes.

Heavy Morning Rains Force Bettenhausen 100 Postponement To October 15

(Springfield, IL) Heavy overnight rains that carried over into the Saturday morning hours have forced the postponement of the Bettenhausen 100 presented by Hunt Brothers and MiteXstream at the Illinois State Fairgrounds to Saturday, October 15. The Sunday, August 21st portion of the event, featuring the ARCA Menards Series is still scheduled as planned, with a much better weather forecast.

Saturday’s program was scheduled to have the USAC Silver Crown Series and DIRTcar Sportsman. Over 40 Silver Crown cars were entered for the historic event. .

The Sunday afternoon Atlas 100 presented by MiteXstream will see the ARCA Menards Series in the stock car portion of the weekend. The DIRTcar Sportsman will also qualify and run their feature event.

Tickets for the ARCA event can be purchased at the Illinois State Fair box office in advance for a $5 discount or on race day upon arrival.

For more information, visit www.trackenterprises.com.