|
|
-
 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield Mile
The rescheduled Bettenhausen 100 for the USAC Racing Silver Crown Champ Cars is coming up on Sunday, September 22 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, IL. The DIRTcar Racing Modifieds will be racing as well. Details below... Bettenhausen 100 Sunday, September 22 Illinois State Fairgrounds Springfield , IL Divisions: USAC Silver Crown Series Bettenhausen 100 + DIRTcar Racing Modified "Everything Dirt Racing" Feature SUNDAY, SEPT 22 SPRINGFIELD TIMES: 7:00am - Registration and pit gates open 9:00am - Grandstands and ticket office open 9:30am - Drivers Meeting 10:00-11:10am - Silver Crown Practice 11:15am - UMP Modifieds Hotlaps/Qualifying 11:35am - Silver Crown Qualifying 12:30pm - Silver Crown Semi Feature 1:00pm - UMP Modifieds Feature ($2,000 to win/$200 to start) + $25 per lap led money 1:30pm - Pre-Race Ceremonies 2:00pm - Silver Crown Feature Event For discounted advance sale tickets, call Track Enterprises 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 PIT PASSES $35 Adults Each Day $20 Children 11 & Under Each Day More Information: For more information, contact Track Enterprises by calling the office at 217-764-3200 or by visiting their website at www.trackenterprises.com Follow Track Enterprises online at https://www.trackenterprises.com/, like them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TrackEnterprises), and follow them on Twitter (@TEIRacing) Follow USAC online at www.usacracing.com, like them on Facebook (http://usacracing.com/), and follow them on Twitter (@USACNation)  
-
-
-
Bettenhausen 100 Refires On The Dirt Sunday In Springfield By: Richie Murray – USAC Media Springfield, Illinois (September 16, 2019)………The glorious roar of the USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series returns to the iconic Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield this Sunday, September 22, for the 58th running of the Bettenhausen 100 presented by Brandt, honoring the great racing family based out of Tinley Park, Ill. The DIRTcar Modifieds are also on schedule for the event. Following August’s washout, the date marks just the third time the Bettenhausen 100 will have been held in the month of September, following Chuck Gurney’s victory in 1996 and Kody Swanson’s triumph in 2014. Tony Bettenhausen, the 1951 AAA and 1958 USAC National Champion, won the first National Championship race held during September at the Springfield Mile in 1947 under AAA sanction. This Sunday, look for a field chock full of talented veterans and hungry young lions prepared to make their mark in the 100-miler at the famed one-mile dirt oval. Chris Windom (Canton, Ill.) enters as the defending winner of the Bettenhausen 100 en route to a sweep of both Illinois dirt mile races on the schedule in 2018. Brian Tyler (Mt. Pleasant, NC) leads all drivers in the lineup with four Bettenhausen 100 victories in 2004-05-08-11. A.J. Fike (Galesburg, Ill.) won back-to-back Bettenhausen 100 races in 2012-13 just as Kody Swanson (Kingsburg, Calif.) did in 2014-15. Russ Gamester (Peru, Ind.) prepares for his 26th career start in the race, which ranks 3rd all-time and includes a triumph in 1998. Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) captured the first of his two career USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series victories in 2017 at Springfield. A handful of drivers have gotten the job done on the Land of Lincoln’s other dirt mile, the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds, but are seeking their first Springfield victories. Two-time Du Quoin Silver Crown winner Shane (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)rum (Benton, Ill.), plus another pair of past Du Quoin Mile winners in Shane Cottle (Kansas, Ill.) and Chris Urish (Elkhart, Ill.) are up to the task. Jeff Swindell (Germantown, Tenn.) is a three-time Silver Crown winner on dirt miles, twice at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and once at Du Quoin, but Springfield has eluded him thus far despite three 3rd place finishes in 1992-1993-2017. Springfieldian Korey Weyant wowed fans with a high-wire ride on the cushion in the qualifying race at Springfield a year ago and joined by fellow Illinoisans Patrick Lawson (Edwardsville, Ill.), a 29th place finisher in 2018, and Terry Babb (Decatur, Ill.), who took 31st in 2018, are ready to make an impression for the home crowd. On the two occasions the Silver Crown cars graced a one-mile dirt oval this year, Tyler Courtney (Indianapolis, Ind.) was the victor in May’s Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. He led a race-high 49 laps last year at Springfield. Jacob Wilson (Crawfordsville, Ind.) won the most recent dirt event in a stellar performance for his first career series win at Du Quoin. He came home a strong 4th at Springfield a year ago. Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, Okla.) has also won on the dirt this year, taking a wild last-lap victory at Pennsylvania’s Williams Grove Speedway in June for his first career win in a Crown car. His Klatt Enterprises team holds a slim 15-point lead over Nolen Racing in the owner standings for the season. Veteran Silver Crown winners seeking their first mile dirt victories on Sunday include C.J. Leary Greenfield, Ind., a two-time series winner seeking his first dirt mile victory. David Byrne (Shullsburg, Wisc.) finished 10th at Springfield a year ago. John Heydenreich (Bloomsburg, Pa.) and Eric Gordon (Fortville, Ind.) will each return to Springfield after lengthy absences, Heydenreich (2007) and Gordon (2003). Kevin Thomas, Jr. (Cullman, Ala.) led 42 laps and finished 2nd in 2018 at Springfield. Steve Buckwalter (Royersford, Pa.) finished 5th at Springfield in 2015. Those veterans are joined by 2018 Bettenhausen 100 top-ten finishers, New Castle, Indiana’s Kyle Robbins (6th) and Sylvania, Ohio’s Austin Nemire (8th), all of whom are gunning for their first career Silver Crown wins. Mike Haggenbottom (Levittown, Pa.) is 8th in the standings and enters his second Bettenhausen 100 run after starting 20th and finishing 12th a year ago. Matt Goodnight (Winchester, Ind.) stands 12th in points and is coming off his best run of the year in the most recent dirt race, a 10th at Du Quoin. Sunday’s Bettenhausen 100 in Springfield gets underway with pits opening and registration starting at 7am (Central), the ticket office and grandstands opening at 9am, the drivers meeting at 9:30am, Silver Crown practice from 10am to 11:10am, DIRTcar Modified hot laps/qualifying at 11:15am, Fatheadz Silver Crown Qualifying at 11:35am, Silver Crown Qualifying Race at 12:30pm, Modified feature at 1pm, pre-race ceremonies at 1:30pm and the Bettenhausen 100-mile race at 2pm. Tickets will be available on raceday or by calling the Track Enterprises at 217-764-3200. Advance Tickets (Presale) are $25 for adults and $10 for children 11 and under. On race day, tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for children 11 and under. Infield tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for children 11 and under. Pit passes are $35 for adults and $20 for children 11 and under. USAC SILVER CROWN CHAMP CAR SERIES POINTS: 1-Kody Swanson-577, 2-Justin Grant-514, 3-David Byrne-456, 4-Kyle Hamilton-381, 5-Bobby Santos-378, 6-Eric Gordon-375, 7-Chris Windom-342, 8-Mike Haggenbottom-328, 9-Kyle Robbins-320, 10-Austin Nemire-315. AAA / USAC CHAMP CAR WINNERS AT THE ILLINOIS STATE FAIRGROUNDS: 1934: Billy Winn 1935: Billy Winn 1936: Wilbur Shaw 1937: Mauri Rose 1938: Tony Willman 1939: Emil Andres 1940: Rex Mays 1947: Tony Bettenhausen 1948: Ted Horn & Myron Fohr 1949: Mel Hansen & Johnnie Parsons 1950: Paul Russo & Tony Bettenhausen 1951: Tony Bettenhausen 1952: Bill Schindler 1953: Rodger Ward & Sam Hanks 1954: Jimmy Davies 1955: Jimmy Bryan 1956: Jimmy Bryan 1957: Rodger Ward 1958: Johnny Thomson 1959: Len Sutton 1960: Jim Packard 1961: Jim Hurtubise 1962: Jim Hurtubise 1963: Rodger Ward 1964: A.J. Foyt 1965: A.J. Foyt 1966: Don Branson 1967: A.J. Foyt 1968: Roger McCluskey 1969: Mario Andretti 1970: Al Unser 1971: A.J. Foyt 1972: Al Unser 1973: Mario Andretti 1974: Mario Andretti 1975: Al Unser 1976: Tom Bigelow 1977: Larry Rice 1978: Gary Bettenhausen 1979: Bobby Olivero 1980: Pancho Carter 1981: George Snider 1982: Larry (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)son & Bobby Olivero 1983: Gary Bettenhausen 1984: Chuck Gurney 1985: Chuck Gurney 1986: Jack Hewitt 1987: Jack Hewitt 1988: Steve Chassey 1989: Chuck Gurney 1990: Chuck Gurney 1991: Chuck Gurney 1992: Jimmy Sills 1993: Jack Hewitt 1994: Chuck Gurney 1995: Kenny Irwin, Jr. 1996: Chuck Gurney 1997: Dave Darland 1998: Russ Gamester 1999: Dave Darland 2000: Jack Hewitt 2001: Paul White 2002: J.J. Yeley 2003: Dave Darland 2004: Brian Tyler 2005: Brian Tyler 2006: Tracy Hines 2007: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 2008: Brian Tyler 2009: Cole Whitt 2011: Brian Tyler 2012: A.J. Fike 2013: A.J. Fike 2014: Kody Swanson 2015: Kody Swanson 2017: Justin Grant 2018: Chris Windom
-
-
-
This Week's Newsletter... Macon Speedway Saturday & USAC Sunday At Springfield Mile - https://mailchi.mp/cb8caf684510/maco...ringfield-mile
-
WILSON GOES FOR ILLINOIS DIRT MILE SWEEP SUNDAY AT SPRINGFIELD By: Richie Murray – USAC Media Springfield, Illinois (September 17, 2019)………Once you win one, you just can’t stop.* That’s been the mantra for several drivers over the years who’ve tamed both the Du Quoin and Springfield miles in a single year. This Sunday, September 22, in the 58th running of the Bettenhausen 100, Jacob Wilson aims to join an illustrious group of drivers who’ve scored AAA/USAC Champ Car victories within a single calendar year at both Illinois venues. Wilson (Crawfordsville, Ind.) dominated the Ted Horn 100 at Du Quoin at the beginning of September, leading the final 59 laps to capture his first career USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series victory. Prior to that, the feat of doubling up in the Land of Lincoln has been accomplished on 22 occasions by 15 different drivers and was done as recently as 2018 when Chris Windom (Canton, Ill.) conquered both, leading a total of just 15 laps combined in his winning efforts. Tony Bettenhausen was the first to win at both Springfield and Du Quoin back in 1951.* He has the unique aspect of winning three between the two tracks that year, winning once at Springfield in August, then swept the Labor Day Champ Car weekend at Du Quoin, winning both Saturday’s Ted Horn Memorial and Monday’s Du Quoin 100.* Tony’s son, Gary, followed his father’s footsteps to an Illinois mile track sweep in 1983. Bettenhausen was one of four drivers to achieve the Springfield/Du Quoin sweep in the 1950s, followed by Sam Hanks (1953), Jimmy Bryan (1955-56) and Johnny Thomson (1958). Supertex A.J. Foyt carried the torch into the decade of the 1960s and, like Bryan, did the deed twice in both 1964 and 1967, the same seasons he earned his second and third Indianapolis 500 victories, respectively. Al Unser won Indy, Springfield and Du Quoin all within the same year in 1970 aboard Vel’s Parnelli Jones’ striking Johnny Lightning Special. Mario Andretti went back-to-back as Unser’s Vel’s Parnelli Jones teammate in 1973 and 1974 at Springfield and Du Quoin.* Just three weeks following his champ car victory at Du Quoin, Andretti, the eventual World Driving Champion in 1978, finished 7th in the Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport in Formula One Grand Prix competition. Only two drivers have swept Springfield and Du Quoin in the same season on three different occasions.* Jack Hewitt went back-to-back at both in 1986-87 where he put a stranglehold on the dirt, winning eight of 13 across a two-year span on the dirt portion of the Silver Crown schedule in his two championship seasons. Chuck Gurney notched three seasons of one-mile Illinois sweeps, first during his championship year of 1989 in the meticulous Junior Kurtz owned machine, followed by two more years of Illinoisan domination by the Californian in 1994 and 1996. Paul White and J.J. Yeley swept Springfield and Du Quoin during their Silver Crown championship years as well in 2001 and 2002, respectively.* Tracy Hines, who, like Yeley, went on to become a USAC Triple Crown champion, celebrated in victory lane at both venues in 2006. Brian Tyler has five combined triumphs at Springfield (4) and Du Quoin (1).* In 2008, his Bettenhausen 100 score at Springfield came in tandem with his lone win at Du Quoin two weeks later. Wilson’s opportunity awaits this Sunday.* Some may have seen his Du Quoin performance as a startling revelation.* However, he’s shown year-after-year his growth into a sure-footed competitor on the dirt miles.* He started 10th and finished 4th last year at Springfield, stormed from 31st to 11th in 2017, started 5th in 2015 and began the 100-miler from the front row in 2014. By winning at Du Quoin, Wilson joined an amazing list of some of the who’s who of Champ Car racing going back six decades.* The same can be said for Springfield, whose heritage dates to 1934 with AAA. *Getting both in one year would elevate him into a stratosphere known only to a few individuals.* That opportunity awaits him this Sunday. Sunday’s Bettenhausen 100 in Springfield gets underway with pits opening and registration starting at 7am (Central), the ticket office and grandstands opening at 9am, the drivers meeting at 9:30am, Silver Crown practice from 10am to 11:10am, DIRTcar Modified hot laps at 11:15am, Fatheadz Silver Crown Qualifying at 11:35am, Silver Crown Qualifying Race at 12:30pm, Modified feature at 1pm, pre-race ceremonies at 1:30pm and the Bettenhausen 100-mile race at 2pm. 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.* Advance Tickets (Presale) are $25 for adults and $10 for children 11 and under.* On race day, tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for children 11 and under.* Infield tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for children 11 and under.* Pit passes are $35 for adults and $20 for children 11 and under. This Sunday’s Springfield race can be watched LIVE and on-demand on FloRacing, listened to via live audio on the USAC app as well as live timing and scoring on both the USAC app and the Race-Monitor app. * WON AAA/USAC CHAMP CAR RACES AT BOTH SPRINGFIELD AND Du QUOIN IN SAME SEASON: 1951: Tony Bettenhausen 1953: Sam Hanks 1955-56: Jimmy Bryan 1958: Johnny Thomson 1964: A.J. Foyt 1967: A.J. Foyt 1970: Al Unser 1973: Mario Andretti 1974: Mario Andretti 1983: Gary Bettenhausen 1986: Jack Hewitt 1987: Jack Hewitt 1989: Chuck Gurney 1993: Jack Hewitt 1994: Chuck Gurney 1996: Chuck Gurney 2001: Paul White 2002: J.J. Yeley 2006: Tracy Hines 2008: Brian Tyler 2018: Chris Windom
-
38 ENTRIES FOR SUNDAY’S BETTENHAUSEN 100 By: Richie Murray – USAC Media Springfield, Illinois (September 17, 2019)………The entry list for Sunday’s 58th running of the Bettenhausen 100 presented by Brandt has been revealed with 38 USAC Silver Crown Champ Car drivers and teams ready to take on the legendary Springfield mile at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Six past Bettenhausen 100 winners are entered for the Sunday afternoon race.* Among them are Chris Windom (Canton, Ill.), who enters as the defending winner of the Bettenhausen 100 en route to a sweep of both Illinois dirt mile races on the schedule in 2018.* Brian Tyler (Mt. Pleasant, NC) leads all drivers in the lineup with four Bettenhausen 100 victories in 2004-05-08-11. The two most recent drivers to go back-to-back at Springfield include A.J. Fike (Galesburg, Ill.) won consecutive runnings of the Bettenhausen 100 in both 2012-13 just as point leader Kody Swanson (Kingsburg, Calif.) did in 2014-15.* Russ Gamester (Peru, Ind.) prepares for his 26th career start in the race, which ranks 3rd all-time and includes a triumph in 1998.* Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) captured the first of his two career USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series victories in 2017 at Springfield. A handful of drivers have gotten the job done on the Land of Lincoln’s other dirt mile, the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds, but are seeking their first Springfield victories.* Two-time Du Quoin Silver Crown winner Shane (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)rum (Benton, Ill.), plus another pair of past Du Quoin Mile winners in Shane Cottle (Kansas, Ill.) and Chris Urish (Elkhart, Ill.) are up to the task.* Jeff Swindell (Germantown, Tenn.) is a three-time Silver Crown winner on dirt miles, twice at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and once at Du Quoin, but Springfield has eluded him thus far despite three 3rd place finishes in 1992-1993-2017. Springfieldian Korey Weyant wowed fans with a high-wire ride on the cushion in the qualifying race at Springfield a year ago and joined by fellow Illinoisans Patrick Lawson (Edwardsville, Ill.), a 29th place finisher in 2018, and Terry Babb (Decatur, Ill.), who took 31st in 2018, are ready to make an impression for the home crowd. On the two occasions the Silver Crown cars graced a one-mile dirt oval this year, Tyler Courtney (Indianapolis, Ind.) was the victor in May’s Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.* He led a race-high 49 laps last year at Springfield.* Jacob Wilson (Crawfordsville, Ind.) won the most recent dirt event in a stellar performance for his first career series win at Du Quoin.* He came home a strong 4th at Springfield a year ago. Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, Okla.) has also won on the dirt this year, taking a wild last-lap victory at Pennsylvania’s Williams Grove Speedway in June for his first career win in a Crown car.* His Klatt Enterprises team holds a slim 15-point lead over Nolen Racing in the owner standings for the season. Veteran Silver Crown winners seeking their first mile dirt victories on Sunday include C.J. Leary Greenfield, Ind., a two-time series winner seeking his first dirt mile victory.* David Byrne (Shullsburg, Wisc.) finished 10th at Springfield a year ago.* John Heydenreich (Bloomsburg, Pa.) and Eric Gordon (Fortville, Ind.) will each return to Springfield after lengthy absences, Heydenreich (2007) and Gordon (2003). Kevin Thomas, Jr. (Cullman, Ala.) led 42 laps and finished 2nd in 2018 at Springfield.* Steve Buckwalter (Royersford, Pa.) finished 5th at Springfield in 2015.* Those veterans are joined by 2018 Bettenhausen 100 top-ten finishers, New Castle, Indiana’s Kyle Robbins (6th) and Sylvania, Ohio’s Austin Nemire (8th), all of whom are gunning for their first career Silver Crown wins. Mike Haggenbottom (Levittown, Pa.) is 8th in the standings and enters his second Bettenhausen 100 run after starting 20th and finishing 12th a year ago.* Matt Goodnight (Winchester, Ind.) stands 12th in points and is coming off his best run of the year in the most recent dirt race, a 10th at Du Quoin. Ohio’s Matt Westfall will make his Silver Crown season debut Sunday at Springfield, which will mark the 2005 Eldora USAC Sprint winner’s first start at Springfield since 2009 and his first Silver Crown appearance anywhere since 2013. Sunday’s Bettenhausen 100 in Springfield gets underway with pits opening and registration starting at 7am (Central), the ticket office and grandstands opening at 9am, the drivers meeting at 9:30am, Silver Crown practice from 10am to 11:10am, DIRTcar Modified hot laps at 11:15am, Fatheadz Silver Crown Qualifying at 11:35am, Silver Crown Qualifying Race at 12:30pm, Modified feature at 1pm, pre-race ceremonies at 1:30pm and the Bettenhausen 100-mile race at 2pm. 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.* Advance Tickets (Presale) are $25 for adults and $10 for children 11 and under.* On race day, tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for children 11 and under.* Infield tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for children 11 and under.* Pit passes are $35 for adults and $20 for children 11 and under. This Sunday’s Springfield race can be watched LIVE and on-demand on FloRacing, listened to via live audio on the USAC app as well as live timing and scoring on both the USAC app and the Race-Monitor app. * BETTENHAUSEN 100 100 ENTRY LIST (38 DRIVERS) # / DRIVER / HOMETOWN / TEAM 07 JACOB WILSON/Crawfordsville, IN (Wilson Brothers Racing) 08 KYLE STEFFENS/St. Louis, MO (Kyle Steffens) 2 PATRICK LAWSON/Edwardsville, IL (Patrick Lawson) 6 BRADY BACON/Broken Arrow, OK (Klatt Enterprises) 7 KYLE ROBBINS/New Castle, IN (KR Racing) 9 ®TANNER THORSON/Minden, NV (Chris Dyson Racing) 10 C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (DMW Motorsports) 12 BRIAN TYLER/Mt. Pleasant, NC (Galas Motorsports) 14 A.J. FIKE/Galesburg, IL (Dennis & Dave McQuinn) 15 ®CHAD KEMENAH/Alvada, OH (Hampshire/Kemenah Racing) 16 AUSTIN NEMIRE/Sylvania, OH (Nemire-Lesko Racing) 17 CHRIS WINDOM/Canton, IL (Goodnight-Byrd Racing) 18 TRAVIS WELPOTT/Pendleton, IN (Welpott/Gorman Racing) 20 KODY SWANSON/Kingsburg, CA (Gene Nolen Racing) 21 JEFF SWINDELL/Germantown, TN (Mark Swanson Encore Team) 23 TERRY JAMES/St. Louis, MO (Todd Satterthwaite) 24 MIKE HAGGENBOTTOM/Levittown, PA (John Haggenbottom) 31 ®DAVE BERKHEIMER/Mechanicsburg, PA (Berkheimer Racing) 33 ®RONNIE WUERDEMAN/Cincinnati, OH (Ronnie Wuerdeman) 34 TERRY BABB/Decatur, IL (Ken Morford) 39 MATT GOODNIGHT/Winchester, IN (Goodnight Racing) 40 DAVID BYRNE/Shullsburg, WI (Byrne Racing) 43 JOHN HEYDENREICH/Bloomsburg, PA (A.J. Felker) 44 DANNY LONG/Bonne Terre, MO (Danny Long) 47 ®AUSTIN MUNDIE/Dallas, TX (Patty Butler) 51 RUSS GAMESTER/Peru, IN (Gamester Racing) 53 STEVE BUCKWALTER/Royersford, PA (Five Three Motorsports) 54 MATT WESTFALL/Pleasant Hill, OH (Westfall Motorsports) 56 KEVIN THOMAS, JR./Cullman, AL (Foxco Racing) 57 ®DALLAS HEWITT/Troy, OH (Dallas Hewitt) 66 BILL ROSE/Plainfield, IN (Bill Rose Racing) 71 SHANE (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)RUM/Benton, IL (Hardy Boys Motorsports) 77 CHRIS URISH/Elkhart, IL (Chris Urish) 78 ERIC GORDON/Fortville, IN (Armstrong/Slinkard Racing) 81 SHANE COTTLE/Kansas, IL (Curtis Williams) 91 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (Hemelgarn Racing) 97 TYLER COURTNEY/Indianapolis, IN (Hans Lein) 99 ®KOREY WEYANT/Springfield, IL (Scott Weyant) 123 ®JIMMY LIGHT/West Springfield, PA (Two-Three Motorsports) ® = USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year contender
-
-
-
GRANT ON PROWL FOR SECOND BETTENHAUSEN WIN By: Jay Hardin - Track Enterprises Staff Springfield, Illinois (September 18, 2019)………Following a strong run at Du Quoin in the Hemelgarn-NOS Energy Drink DRC powered Ford, 2017 Bettenhausen 100 winner Justin Grant appears poised for a strong run at a second Bettenhausen trophy this Sunday. Grant gained six spots in four laps during the final ten miles at Du Quoin to finish second behind winner Jacob Wilson and the 28-year-old star looks to advance one more position in the final order at Springfield. Grant is a terror on the USAC and Indiana sprint car scene with top runs in midget cars as well.* His championship car breakthrough came at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in August of 2017.* After qualifying on the outside of the front row, Grant got the jump on polesitter Jerry Coons, Jr. and led the first 36 miles before being passed by veteran Brian Tyler. Tyler appeared to have the advantage until Grant caught and re-passed him on a lap 57 restart after a red flag due to a Zach Daum flip on the main chute.* Grant was able to lead the final miles and gain his first, and to date, only 100-mile dirt track victory. A win at Terre Haute in the Sumar Classic followed in 2018 as did a third at Springfield and a fourth at Du Quoin as Grant chased Kody Swanson for the 2018 title. This season, Grant is second in points, just 39 behind Swanson entering the Bettenhausen, with only the finale at Eldora to follow.* Grant has made all nine Silver Crown races to date with a 17th at Madison the only time he has finished lower than eighth.* Grant has two thirds and three fourth place finishes in the eight races so far. Justin Grant continues pursuit of a second Bettenhausen trophy and his first Silver Crown title Sunday, September 22 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield with pits opening and registration starting at 7am (Central), the ticket office and grandstands opening at 9am, the drivers meeting at 9:30am, Silver Crown practice from 10am to 11:10am, DIRTcar Modified hot laps/qualifying at 11:15am, Fatheadz Silver Crown Qualifying at 11:35am, Silver Crown Qualifying Race at 12:30pm, Modified feature at 1pm, pre-race ceremonies at 1:30pm and the Bettenhausen 100-mile race at 2pm. Tickets will be available on raceday or by calling the Track Enterprises at 217-764-3200.* Advance Tickets (Presale) are $25 for adults and $10 for children 11 and under.* On race day, tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for children 11 and under.* Infield tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for children 11 and under.* Pit passes are $35 for adults and $20 for children 11 and under. This Sunday’s Springfield race can be watched LIVE and on-demand on FloRacing, listened to via live audio on the USAC app as well as live timing and scoring on both the USAC app and the Race-Monitor app. * BETTENHAUSEN 100 100 ENTRY LIST (38 DRIVERS) # / DRIVER / HOMETOWN / TEAM 07 JACOB WILSON/Crawfordsville, IN (Wilson Brothers Racing) 08 KYLE STEFFENS/St. Louis, MO (Kyle Steffens) 2 PATRICK LAWSON/Edwardsville, IL (Patrick Lawson) 6 BRADY BACON/Broken Arrow, OK (Klatt Enterprises) 7 KYLE ROBBINS/New Castle, IN (KR Racing) 9 ®TANNER THORSON/Minden, NV (Chris Dyson Racing) 10 C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (DMW Motorsports) 14 A.J. FIKE/Galesburg, IL (Dennis & Dave McQuinn) 15 ®CHAD KEMENAH/Alvada, OH (Hampshire/Kemenah Racing) 16 AUSTIN NEMIRE/Sylvania, OH (Nemire-Lesko Racing) 17 CHRIS WINDOM/Canton, IL (Goodnight-Byrd Racing) 18 TRAVIS WELPOTT/Pendleton, IN (Welpott/Gorman Racing) 20 KODY SWANSON/Kingsburg, CA (Gene Nolen Racing) 21 JEFF SWINDELL/Germantown, TN (Mark Swanson Encore Team) 23 TERRY JAMES/St. Louis, MO (Todd Satterthwaite) 24 MIKE HAGGENBOTTOM/Levittown, PA (John Haggenbottom) 31 ®DAVE BERKHEIMER/Mechanicsburg, PA (Berkheimer Racing) 33 ®RONNIE WUERDEMAN/Cincinnati, OH (Ronnie Wuerdeman) 34 TERRY BABB/Decatur, IL (Ken Morford) 39 MATT GOODNIGHT/Winchester, IN (Goodnight Racing) 40 DAVID BYRNE/Shullsburg, WI (Byrne Racing) 43 JOHN HEYDENREICH/Bloomsburg, PA (A.J. Felker) 44 DANNY LONG/Bonne Terre, MO (Danny Long) 47 ®AUSTIN MUNDIE/Dallas, TX (Patty Butler) 51 RUSS GAMESTER/Peru, IN (Gamester Racing) 53 STEVE BUCKWALTER/Royersford, PA (Five Three Motorsports) 54 MATT WESTFALL/Pleasant Hill, OH (Westfall Motorsports) 56 KEVIN THOMAS, JR./Cullman, AL (Foxco Racing) 57 ®DALLAS HEWITT/Troy, OH (Dallas Hewitt) 66 BILL ROSE/Plainfield, IN (Bill Rose Racing) 71 SHANE (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)RUM/Benton, IL (Hardy Boys Motorsports) 77 CHRIS URISH/Elkhart, IL (Chris Urish) 78 ERIC GORDON/Fortville, IN (Armstrong/Slinkard Racing) 81 SHANE COTTLE/Kansas, IL (Curtis Williams) 91 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (Hemelgarn Racing) 97 TYLER COURTNEY/Indianapolis, IN (Hans Lein) 99 ®KOREY WEYANT/Springfield, IL (Scott Weyant) 123 ®JIMMY LIGHT/West Springfield, PA (Two-Three Motorsports) ® = USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year contender
-
Be sure to check out the Facebook group Everything Dirt Racing at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1962...7638507278341/. The group has put together lap money for the UMP Modified portion of the racing program.
-
-
-
SWINDELL CAN JOIN LEGENDS LIST AT SPRINGFIELD SUNDAY * By Jay Hardin -*Track Enterprises Staff * Springfield, Illinois (September 19, 2019).........Germantown, Tennessee veteran race car driver Jeff Swindell has achieved many milestones in his long and storied career. * From countless sprint car victories, to two Hoosier Hundred wins, to even serving as a member of A.J. Foyt’s pit crew, Jeff has put his name into many racing record books.* He has a chance at history one more time in the rescheduled USAC Silver Crown Bettenhausen 100 presented by Brandt Agricultural Products Sunday at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. *Jeff is the lone driver who can join a list of 14 other racing legends who have won at least one championship dirt car race on the three fairground miles of the Midwest, Indianapolis, Springfield and Du Quoin. * Other active drivers have at least two of the three in their pocket.* Russ Gamester, Chris Windom and Brian Tyler have captured the Bettenhausen 100 at Springfield and the Ted Horn 100 at Du Quoin but none were able to win the Hoosier Hundred on what may soon be a defunct Indy mile.* * The list of legends who have captured all three starts with the “Arizona Cowboy” Jimmy Bryan, one of four men who can claim they won the “triple crown” in the same season.* In fact, Bryan did so twice, in 1955 and again in 1956.* A.J. Foyt (1964), Al Unser (1970) and Jack Hewitt (1986) are the other same season trifecta winners.* The drivers who won on all three, but not in the same year, are Rodger Ward, Mario Andretti, Tom Bigelow, Pancho Carter, Gary Bettenhausen, George Snider, Chuck Gurney, Jimmy Sills, J.J. Yeley and the last to join the list, Kody Swanson.* * Swindell won the prestigious Hoosier Hundred in 1991 driving for car owners Tim Delrose and Dale Holt and chief wrench Bob Galas, repeating again in 1993.* He won the 1990 Ted Horn 100 at DuQuoin driving for the same team and sat on the pole at Springfield for Delorse-Holt with a new world lap record in 1987, yet victory eluded him then at Springfield.* * After a long absence Jeff rejoined the series in 2016 for owner Mark Swanson who passed away over the winter.* The team has continued with Jeff racing to a fourth on the Du Quoin mile, his third top five finish in his last four starts at Du Quoin.* Coming from twenty-eighth to third in the 2017 Bettenhausen showed race fans that Swindell can still get the job done in the big cars. * Sunday’s Bettenhausen 100 in Springfield gets underway with pits opening and registration starting at 7am (Central), the ticket office and grandstands opening at 9am, the drivers meeting at 9:30am, Silver Crown practice from 10am to 11:10am, DIRTcar Modified hot laps/qualifying at 11:15am, Fatheadz Silver Crown Qualifying at 11:35am, Silver Crown Qualifying Race at 12:30pm, Modified feature at 1pm, pre-race ceremonies at 1:30pm and the Bettenhausen 100-mile race at 2pm.* Tickets will be available on raceday or by calling the Track Enterprises at 217-764-3200.* Advance Tickets (Presale) are $25 for adults and $10 for children 11 and under.* On race day, tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for children 11 and under.* Infield tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for children 11 and under.* Pit passes are $35 for adults and $20 for children 11 and under.* This Sunday’s Springfield race can be watched LIVE and on-demand on FloRacing, listened to via live audio on the USAC app as well as live timing and scoring on both the USAC app and the Race-Monitor app. * BETTENHAUSEN 100 100 ENTRY LIST (38 DRIVERS) # / DRIVER / HOMETOWN / TEAM 07 JACOB WILSON/Crawfordsville, IN (Wilson Brothers Racing) 08 KYLE STEFFENS/St. Louis, MO (Kyle Steffens) 2 PATRICK LAWSON/Edwardsville, IL (Patrick Lawson) 6 BRADY BACON/Broken Arrow, OK (Klatt Enterprises) 7 KYLE ROBBINS/New Castle, IN (KR Racing) 9 ®TANNER THORSON/Minden, NV (Chris Dyson Racing) 10 C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (DMW Motorsports) 14 A.J. FIKE/Galesburg, IL (Dennis & Dave McQuinn) 15 ®CHAD KEMENAH/Alvada, OH (Hampshire/Kemenah Racing) 16 AUSTIN NEMIRE/Sylvania, OH (Nemire-Lesko Racing) 17 CHRIS WINDOM/Canton, IL (Goodnight-Byrd Racing) 18 TRAVIS WELPOTT/Pendleton, IN (Welpott/Gorman Racing) 20 KODY SWANSON/Kingsburg, CA (Gene Nolen Racing) 21 JEFF SWINDELL/Germantown, TN (Mark Swanson Encore Team) 23 TERRY JAMES/St. Louis, MO (Todd Satterthwaite) 24 MIKE HAGGENBOTTOM/Levittown, PA (John Haggenbottom) 31 ®DAVE BERKHEIMER/Mechanicsburg, PA (Berkheimer Racing) 33 ®RONNIE WUERDEMAN/Cincinnati, OH (Ronnie Wuerdeman) 34 TERRY BABB/Decatur, IL (Ken Morford) 39 MATT GOODNIGHT/Winchester, IN (Goodnight Racing) 40 DAVID BYRNE/Shullsburg, WI (Byrne Racing) 43 JOHN HEYDENREICH/Bloomsburg, PA (A.J. Felker) 44 DANNY LONG/Bonne Terre, MO (Danny Long) 47 ®AUSTIN MUNDIE/Dallas, TX (Patty Butler) 51 RUSS GAMESTER/Peru, IN (Gamester Racing) 53 STEVE BUCKWALTER/Royersford, PA (Five Three Motorsports) 54 MATT WESTFALL/Pleasant Hill, OH (Westfall Motorsports) 56 KEVIN THOMAS, JR./Cullman, AL (Foxco Racing) 57 ®DALLAS HEWITT/Troy, OH (Dallas Hewitt) 66 BILL ROSE/Plainfield, IN (Bill Rose Racing) 71 SHANE (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)RUM/Benton, IL (Hardy Boys Motorsports) 77 CHRIS URISH/Elkhart, IL (Chris Urish) 78 ERIC GORDON/Fortville, IN (Armstrong/Slinkard Racing) 81 SHANE COTTLE/Kansas, IL (Curtis Williams) 91 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (Hemelgarn Racing) 97 TYLER COURTNEY/Indianapolis, IN (Hans Lein) 99 ®KOREY WEYANT/Springfield, IL (Scott Weyant) 123 ®JIMMY LIGHT/West Springfield, PA (Two-Three Motorsports) ® = USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year contender
-
FATHERS AND SONS PART OF THE FABRIC OF SPRINGFIELD HISTORY By: Richie Murray – USAC Media Springfield, Illinois (September 19, 2019)………The lineage of father/son duos who’ve competed in AAA/USAC Championship Dirt Car racing at the Illinois State Fairgrounds for the past eight decades is right there in the name of this Sunday’s race, the Bettenhausen 100. The family patriarch, 1951 AAA and 1958 USAC National Champion Tony Bettenhausen, won the pole twice at the Springfield Mile, both in 1950, and won three times in 10 starts in 1947-50-51.* Tony’s son Gary followed in a similar path, winning the race named for his father twice, in 1978 and 1983, in 19 starts at the one-mile dirt oval. Racing is an endeavor with names and venues that connect the past to the current; not many places still in existence have as much overflowing history as does the Springfield Mile. On this Sunday's driver entry list, Greenfield, Indiana’s C.J. Leary is the lone son of a father who competed in a USAC Silver Crown car at Springfield.* His father Chuck, the 1995 series Rookie of the Year, made three starts, finishing a best of 7th in 1999.* C.J., a 2015 series Rookie of the Year himself, has a best finish of 6th in the first of his three Springfield starts in 2015.* They remain the only father/son to date to both win at least one Silver Crown main event. After a glace at the history of AAA/USAC Champ Car racing at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, which dates back to 1934, we’ve found no less than 21 sons who’ve joined their fathers as Champ Car starters at Springfield. Johnnie Parsons, the 1950 Indianapolis 500 winner, was impressive at Springfield where he finished in the top-five on four occasions, winning the 1949 100-miler en route to the AAA title.* Son Johnny made 27 starts at Springfield in a Champ Car, second only to George Snider.* While Johnny never won, he was a three-time pole starter in 1975-94-95 and finished in the runner-up position behind Tom Bigelow. The Carter family is the only three consecutive generation family of racers at Springfield in a Champ Car.* Duane Carter started six, finishing a best of 7th in 1949.* Duane’s son Pancho made nine starts at Springfield, winning in his final appearance in 1980.* Pancho’s brother Dana was 12th in 1982, tops among his three starts.* Pancho’s two sons Dane and Cole each notched starts at Springfield.* Dane made four with a 14th place result in 2003 while Cole started 3rd and finished 30th in his only appearance in 2005, his day ending early following a hard crash early on. Two-time Indianapolis winner Bill Vukovich started 6th and finished 15th in his one Springfield start in 1951.* Son Billy was a more frequent visitor, carving out 14 starts and a 3rd place finish in 1969. Chuck Weyant was an 11th place finisher in both of his Springfield starts in 1954-59.* Chuck’s son Tony Weyant made a pair of starts, topping out with a 13th in 1980.* Chuck is the great uncle of Springfield native Korey Weyant who will be in competition in his green/white No. 99 this Sunday at Springfield. Eddie Sachs, a two-time Indianapolis 500 pole winner and the 1958 USAC Midwest Sprint Car champion, finished as the runner-up at Springfield in 1960, was 3rd in 1956 and 7th in 1959.* Son Eddie Sachs, Jr., made a single appearance in 1991, finishing 35th in the Bettenhausen 100. Parnelli Jones, the 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner, won the pole at Springfield in 1961 and finished in the runner-up spot in 1962.* Son Page’s career was tragically cut short due to injury, but he did make one start at Springfield in 1994, starting 19th and finishing 28th, bowing out with an oil tank issue just 16 laps into the 100-lap race. Texan Jim McElreath made 18 Springfield starts between 1962 and 1992.* He won the pole for the race in 1965 and finished inside the top-five on six occasions with a best of 2nd in 1978.* Son James made just three starts, starting 6th and finishing 4th during his best performance less than two months before his death in a sprint car crash at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway.* Jim and James remain the only father/son to compete in the same Champ Car race at Springfield, something they did twice in 1976-77. In 11 Springfield starts, 1975 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Bill Puterbaugh finished in the top-five twice, 5th in 1972 followed up by a best of 3rd in 1973.* Son Billy Puterbaugh, Jr. was a top-five runner himself in 1998, finishing 5th, the best performance in his three starts. Mike Mosely, a three-time Milwaukee Indy Car winner, started in the top-ten in both of his Springfield appearances with a best finish of 10th in 1970.* His son, Mike Mosley, Jr. took home a 27th place result in his first and only Bettenhausen 100 run in 1998. Eastern superstar (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) “Toby” Tobias came west to Springfield twice in the early 1970s, finishing 12th in 1972.* His son, Rich Tobias, Jr., started the 100-miler seven times, finishing in the runner-up spot in 2004. Arizonian Ron Shuman had three top-fives in his Springfield career, including a second-place result in 1983.* Son Casey Shuman, the 2016 USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year, has made two starts with a best result of 7th in 2015. Shorty Templeman, who won the first three National Midget driving titles under the USAC banner in 1956-57-58, appeared twice at Springfield in a Champ Car, taking a 5th in 1961.* Shorty’s son Clark Templeman crossed the stripe in 8th in 1978 for his best run at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. USAC Hall of Famer Bob East made a pair of starts during his driving career with a 15th in 1978 as his top result.* Son Bobby East went on to become a USAC National Midget champ in 2004 and twice a Silver Crown titlist in 2012-13.* In four Springfield Champ Car starts, Bobby was at his best in his final start there, a 3rd, in 2014. An 8th was Illinoisan Jerry Russell’s best in eight Springfield starts, which came in his first try in 1984.* Son Steven Russell took his shot at the Mile twice, earning a 14th in 2014. Indy Car, NASCAR and drag racing veteran John Andretti had a solid debut in his lone Springfield start in 1985, scoring a 7th place finish.* Jarett Andretti joined his father as a Springfield starter in 2013, racing home to a 12th place result. West Coast Sprint Car racing legend Brent Kaeding came to the Midwest to tackle the Springfield Mile on three different occasions, taking 7th in 1986.* His son, Bud Kaeding, was excellent in the Crown cars during his career, winning the series title in 2007.* The Californian’s best afternoon at Springfield came in the first of his nine starts, starting 4th and finishing 2nd in 2000. Blake Hollingsworth made a pair of starts at Springfield, his 12th place start and 22nd place finish in 1993 was the better of the two.* Son Shane Hollingsworth, the 2009 Hoosier Hundred victor, entered his name into the Bettenhausen 100 record book, winning the pole for the 2008 race and finishing 3rd. Not often does the son make his debut at a racetrack before his father, but that’s just the case with three-time NASCAR champ and four-time USAC National titlist Tony Stewart.* Tony made four Springfield Silver Crown starts with a finish of 10th serving as his best, which came during his 1995 Triple Crown season.* Tony’s father Nelson Stewart dabbled in Silver Crown racing beginning in 2004, failing to qualify for the big show after missing the transfer in the qualifying race. Sunday’s Bettenhausen 100 in Springfield gets underway with pits opening and registration starting at 7am (Central), the ticket office and grandstands opening at 9am, the drivers meeting at 9:30am, Silver Crown practice from 10am to 11:10am, DIRTcar Modified hot laps at 11:15am, Fatheadz Silver Crown Qualifying at 11:35am, Silver Crown Qualifying Race at 12:30pm, Modified feature at 1pm, pre-race ceremonies at 1:30pm and the Bettenhausen 100-mile race at 2pm. 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.* Advance Tickets (Presale) are $25 for adults and $10 for children 11 and under.* On race day, tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for children 11 and under.* Infield tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for children 11 and under.* Pit passes are $35 for adults and $20 for children 11 and under. This Sunday’s Springfield race can be watched LIVE and on-demand on FloRacing, listened to via live audio on the USAC app as well as live timing and scoring on both the USAC app and the Race-Monitor app. * FATHER AND SONS TO COMPETE IN A AAA/USAC CHAMP CAR EVENT AT THE ILLINOIS STATE FAIRGROUNDS: John & Jarett Andretti Tony & Gary Bettenhausen Duane & Pancho/Dana Carter Pancho Carter & Dane/Cole Carter Bob & Bobby East Blake & Shane Hollingsworth Parnelli & Page Jones Brent & Bud Kaeding Chuck & C.J. Leary Jim & James McElreath Mike Sr. & Mike Mosley, Jr. Johnnie & Johnny Parsons Bill Sr. & Billy Puterbaugh, Jr. Jerry & Steven Russell Eddie & Eddie Sachs, Jr. Ron & Casey Shuman Nelson & Tony Stewart Shorty & Clark Templeman (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) & Rich Tobias, Jr. Bill & Billy Vukovich Chuck & Tony Weyant *
-
-
-
September 22 Bettenhausen 100 At Springfield Mile Canceled (Springfield, IL) For the second time, the Bettenhausen 100 presented by BRANDT, has been canceled due to weather. The USAC Silver Crown Series and the DIRTcar Modifieds were scheduled to race Sunday afternoon, September 22. After consulting with USAC, a number of team owners and drivers, weather forecasters, and with the rain the Springfield area received on Saturday, many felt it would be best to cancel a day in advance. Sunday’s forecast is unfavorable with a number of models showing a near 100% chance of rain. The cancellation marks the second time the event has been scratched due to weather. It was originally scheduled to be part of the Illinois State Fair on Saturday, August 17. For any questions or concerns, feel free to contact the office of Track Enterprises at 217-764-3200.
Posting Permissions
- You may not post new threads
- You may not post replies
- You may not post attachments
- You may not edit your posts
-
Forum Rules
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:43 AM.
|
|
Senior Member
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks