Shamrock Classic?
 

I haven’t seen any mention of The Shamrock Classic for 2021. Is it going to happen?

Re: Shamrock Classic?
 

Not this year. Hopefully they will bring it back in the future. Kinda makes the off season a little longer around here. Hate to see it, we hadn’t missed one.

I sent Lauren a Twitter message a few days ago. She does intend to come back in 2022. IL is just so locked down at the moment no way to plan an event with thought of very minimal fan attendance if any. If it is back in 22 I will be there.

Re: Shamrock Classic?
 

I haven't missed any either. I attended the first events ever held there. They ran on Jan. 21, Feb. 18, and March 18 in 2007 with programs featuring 600 and 1200 mini sprints. In 2008 I attended programs on Jan. 19 and March 29 featuring 600 micros and POWRi midgets, apparently the first ever appearance for midgets. I have nothing in my records for 2009. In 2010 the 600 micros and POWRi midgets returned on March 27. On Dec.18 the POWRi midgets ran in the first Battle at the Center. In 2011, the POWRi midgets ran the Battle at the Center on Dec. 17. There was no spring race. In 2012, once again only the Battle at the Center was run on Dec. 15 with the POWRi midgets.
I show no events at all in 2013.In 2014, the Battle at the Center ran on Dec. 20. 2015 shows the Junior Knepper 55 on Dec. 19 which featured USAC midgets for the first time.
The first Shamrock Classic was March 19, 2016. The Junior Knepper 55 ran on Dec. 17.
2017 through 2020 shows the Shamrock Classic continuing in March, while the Junior Knepper 55 last appeared in Dec. 2018.
I recall the March race was snowed out just a few years ago. Maybe someone has more detailed records than mine.
Feel free to chime in!

Re: Shamrock Classic?
 

Dang Ron, you should create a Wikipedia page. Brian Clauson promoted the very first shamrock classic. Was this the only race he ever promoted before his death later that year?

Re: Shamrock Classic?
 

I believe that was his first venture.

2005 USAC Ford Focus midgets had a race there and wing micro 600 race the day before

Ran the 2005 winged 600 show and we had a ton of cars and great racing, definitely enjoyed it.

Re: Shamrock Classic?
 

POWRi National Midgets raced inside the SIC during the Du Quoin State Fair. One of the last times they raced during the fair the remnants of a hurricane dumped copious amounts of rain all Labor Day Weekend. All the racing activity on the mile was washed out and all the racing we got to see was the POWRi midgets. POWRi also ran in the SIC during the fair way back not long after it was built.

Really hope Lauren see's fit to do the Shamrock in 2022! We really miss the pre-Christmas race, as well.

Re: Shamrock Classic?
 

I am about certain there was also a midget race there in March 2009...it snowed BIG TIME on the way back north up thru the state of IL...

Re: Shamrock Classic?
 

Can:t remember the year but they cancelled a couple of days before because a big snow was being called for they were calling for 6 to 8 inched and wind up with a foot on race day

Re: Shamrock Classic?
 

I'd say that was either 2011 or 2012...they ran the full event in 2009 (I'm about certain), and it snowed that night (like about 8inches in the 815 area code; honestly I guess I don't recall how bad it was around the track)...was a white knuckle trip home...I never had any money when I raced, but offered to buy a hotel room for my crew (so thats how bad it was!); but we toughed it out and made it back with no issue...

Re: Shamrock Classic?
 

Ill bet RONMIL knows :9:

Re: Shamrock Classic?
 

C"mon Ron, Inquiring minds want to know, so crack open your notebooks. ;) :D

Re: Shamrock Classic?
 

Ooops!
I overlooked the January 16, 2005 race featuring 600cc mini sprints and USAC Ford Focus midgets. I still show nothing in 2009.

Re: Shamrock Classic?
 

Possibly the weather conditions were really bad and my buddies and I had didn't attend the 2009 event and that is why I have nothing for that year.

Re: Shamrock Classic?
 

Jim, yes, DuQuoin got a huge snow and we got nothing in Evansville.

Re: Shamrock Classic?
 

March 28th 2009 -

https://thethirdturn.com/wiki/2009_Dean_King_Memorial

& this appears to be about ALL of them!? (although I don't see at least the Jan 19, 2008 one on there...which I know did happen...video on ubtube, the one I always watch wasn't dated correctly tho...)

https://thethirdturn.com/wiki/Southern_Illinois_Center

At a quick glance, it does look like 2012 was the one that was cancelled because of the snow

I listed the January 19 and March 29 2008 races.

Re: Shamrock Classic?
 

I wonder what it takes to get them on this list tho (the one on the link that you can click on and get full results for many of the races...pretty neat!)?

https://thethirdturn.com/wiki/Southern_Illinois_Center

Southern Illinois Center ThirdTurnLogo.png
0.166 mi./0.267 km. Dirt Oval located in DuQuoin, IL
Track Status: Still In Operation (Opened: 2005 )

TOURING SERIES & MAJOR EVENTS
Date Sanction Winner Laps
2 September 2005 Gateway Racing Midget Series Jerry Coons, Jr.
3 September 2005 Gateway Racing Midget Series Tim Siner 30
2 September 2006 O'Reilly POWRi National Midget Series Brad Loyet
1 September 2007 O'Reilly POWRi National Midget Series Steve Knepper
1 September 2007 O'Reilly POWRi 600cc Outlaw Micro Series Dereck King

30 August 2008 O'Reilly POWRi National Midget Series presented by Lucas Oil Justin Allgaier
30 August 2008 O'Reilly POWRi 600cc Outlaw Micro Series Dereck King
28 March 2009 O'Reilly POWRi 600cc Outlaw Micro Series Greg Dillon
28 March 2009 O'Reilly POWRi National Midget Series presented by Lucas Oil Brad Kuhn
27 March 2010 POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series Jeremy Camp
27 March 2010 POWRi National Midget Series Casey Shuman
26 March 2011 POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series Ryan Langston
26 March 2011 POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series Tony Roney
31 August 2012 POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series Andrew Felker
31 August 2012 POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series Tyler Thomas (OK) 30
1 September 2012 POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series Jake Neuman
1 September 2012 POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series Bryan Clauson 30
19 December 2015 Junior Knepper 55 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. 55
19 March 2016 USAC National Midget Series Shane Golobic 50
17 December 2016 Junior Knepper 55 Tyler Courtney 55
18 February 2017 Open Wheel Extravaganza
USAC Speed2 IMRA Midget Championship
USAC Midwest Thunder Midget Series Andrew Malpocker 30
18 March 2017 USAC National Midget Series Justin Grant 50
16 December 2017 Junior Knepper 55 Christopher Bell 55
10 March 2018 USAC P1 Insurance Midget National Championship Logan Seavey 50
10 March 2018 Shamrock Classic (Micro Sprint) Tyler Thomas (OK) 30
15 December 2018 Junior Knepper 55 Thomas Meseraull 55
9 March 2019 USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship Cannon McIntosh 50
28 February 2020 USAC Midwest Thunder Midget Series Special Event Aaron Leffel 14
28 February 2020 PuremaX HART Non-Wing Micro Series presented by EMi Koert Mehler
29 February 2020 USAC Midwest Thunder Midget Series Special Event Aaron Leffel 20
29 February 2020 PuremaX HART Non-Wing Micro Series presented by EMi Jake Cheatham
7 March 2020 USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship Tanner Thorson 50

Re: Shamrock Classic?
 

Winged Micros at SIC on Feb.27th....Midwest Winter Nationals....Not the Shamrock,but it is something to go see....;)

The Dean King Memorial on March 28, 2009 sounds so familiar, but I don’t show any races that year until Bloomington on April 17th. Could I have possibly attended and not recorded it?!

Re: Shamrock Classic?
 

It was very cold pitting outside. Fun times though....

Ray Takes DuQuoin Indoor Focus Debut Former Midwest Ford Focus Midget Car Series champion Robbie Ray of Davenport, Iowa held off a resilient Brad Loyet in Sunday afternoon's 40-lap "Pepsi Mid America Ford Focus Midget Nationals" ...

Former Midwest Ford Focus Midget Car Series champion Robbie Ray of Davenport, Iowa held off a resilient Brad Loyet in Sunday afternoon's 40-lap "Pepsi Mid America Ford Focus Midget Nationals" feature at the Southern Illinois Center on the grounds of the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds.

Ray, who returned to his father Mark's No. 3 Calico Coatings/Simpson Beast/Ford Focus after running another car in the Carolina/Virginia Ford Focus Midget Car Series in 2004, led all 40 laps in USAC's first Ford Focus race of 2005.

It wasn't easy for the former Midwest series champion though. Despite starting on the pole and moving to the front in Turn 1 of the opening lap, Ray endured Loyet's consistent pestering for more than half the feature.

"It's hard to do," Ray said of his flag-to-flag win. "I never knew how close third was to Brad and myself, so I didn't know how hard to run it. I know I made some mistakes, but we were able to pull it off."

As Ray stepped to the front, Loyet sliced through the field. Starting sixth, he gained three spots in the first six laps and took advantage of an error by Tony Main. A first-timer in USAC Ford Focus competition, Main was battling for the point on lap seven but spun in Turn 2.

From there, Loyet could only bang on the back of Ray's car, with Ray gaining minimal track space following several cautions. The lead duo hugged the bottom groove and stretched its lead over the rest of the pack, with Ray rarely giving Loyet an inch.

Ray, who admitted he made mistakes during the event, slid just high enough in Turn Two on lap 49, allowing Loyet a final chance. But Ray closed the door as they entered the backstretch of the 1/6-mile temporary dirt oval, and held on to pass underneath the twin checkered flags about a car length ahead of Loyet.

Ray credited Loyet with his clean driving style on the slick track, admitting Loyet, in a faster car, could have taken him out at any time.

"Brad drove one darn good race," Ray said. "He had every chance in the world to take me out. He got into me a few times, and that happens indoors. You've got to expect that. But he let off; he didn't keep shoving and spin me out. My hat's off to him."

Stephanie Mockler, Ryan Litt and Ronnie Wuerdeman rounded out the top five.

Jimmy Light and Kyle Robbins each flipped on the front straightaway, but both drivers emerged from their cars unscathed. Heat winners included Loyet, Mockler and Adam Kramer. The second of the two events in the indoor series championship is scheduled for Feb. 19.

--USAC--

USAC FORD FOCUS MIDGET CAR RACE RESULTS: January 16, 2005 -- DuQuoin, Illinois -- Southern Illinois Center -- Pepsi Mid America Ford Focus Midget Championships

FIRST HEAT: (8 laps)
1. Brad Loyet (#5 Loyet)
2. Jasiel Randolph (#22J Randolph)
3. Kevin Studley (#57 Studley)
4. Mark Bush (#7 Bush)
5. Ronnie Wuerdeman (#33 Wuerdeman)
6. Mike Nigh (#51 Nigh). NT

SECOND HEAT: (8 laps)
1. Stephanie Mockler (#16 Frew)
2. Tony Main (#03 Main)
3. Danny Foster (#2B Eubanks)
4. Kyle Robbins (#77 Robbins)
5. Josh Clemons (#71 Clemons)
6. Kevin Thomas (#8 Thomas). NT

THIRD HEAT: (8 laps)
1. Adam Kramer (#32 Kramer)
2. Robbie Ray (#3 Ray)
3. Jimmy Light (#22 Gibens)
4. Ryan Litt (#41 Griffin)
5. Brandon Hartsell (#11 Hartsell)
6. Jim Mills (#45 Mills).

FEATURE: (40 laps)
1. Robbie Ray
2. Brad Loyet
3. Stephanie Mockler
4. Ryan Litt
5. Ronnie Wuerdeman
6. Adam Kramer
7. Jim Mills
8. Mark Bush
9. Jasiel Randolph
10. Kevin Studley
11. Kevin Thomas
12. Mike Nigh
13. Danny Foster
14. Brandon Hartsell
15. Tony Main
16. Kyle Robbins
17. Jimmy Light. NT

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-40 Ray.

I checked my calendar for 2009 and it showed I had meeting scheduled with my racing buddy at 1:30 on the 28th, so I must have been at that race and I simply didn’t record it.