9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

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)

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Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

The Facebook event for this race is https://www.facebook.com/events/330172094499984/

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

Take everyone you know! If we can show a non fair race can be profitable maybe more non fair dates will come in the future! This series needs more exposure. It's the best kept secret in racing.

Anyone know if there is free parking in the infield since fair isn’t going on

We won't miss this one!

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

A substantial mindset exists that is predicated upon a myth that exciting racing only exists on dirt tracks of 1/3 mile or shorter held at night. The past 2 or 3 races at Springfield (and Du Quoin) quite successfully debunk that prejudice. All of those half dozen mile dirt races were every bit as exciting, and in many cases, more exciting. The product is plentiful and exceptional!

The car count is of high quality and at numbers we all want to see. A competent, dedicated promoter is doing his part. As spectators let's insure the interest equals the overall quality of the event!

Hope to see ya'll at Springfield on the 22nd!!

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

A Friend told me today, that Phil Westfall purchased a dirt car, Not sure what car, but had not been running. They are going to try and make Springfield. I would think Matt would be very competitive, once they get the bugs worked out.

They may charge for the infield separately. However there is ample free parking on the grounds since the fair is not going on.

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

Modified Illini Dash Returns to Springfield Mile September 22
“ Everything Dirt Racing 20 ” Pays $2,000 To Winner

By Jay Hardin
Track Enterprises Staff

Springfield, IL (September 12, 2019)-The postponement of the USAC Bettenhausen 100 in August to September 22 generated a bonus event for those returning to the Springfield Mile as the UMP DirtCar Modifieds will be joining the card for a Sunday afternoon doubleheader. Modifieds competed at the Illinois State Fairgrounds as far back as 1992. The first event as part of the Illinois State Fair lineup was in 2011 and coined the “Illini Dash”. The Dash returns for edition number 3 on September 22.

Shelby Miles of Bloomington, Indiana captured the first Illini Dash on August 20, 2011 in a Saturday doubleheader with the Silver Crown machines. Miles bested fellow Hoosier Joey Kramer (a multi-time winner of the Indyana Classic on the Hoosier mile), Jesse Snyder, Jeff Leka and Bobby Regot leading all 20 miles in the process.

Veteran Terry Messenger captured the second running in August of 2012 with Kramer again playing bridesmaid after leading the first 11 laps. Snyder again was third with Ken Schrader fourth and fellow NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace fifth. Schrader also set a one-lap track record in qualifications of nearly 115 miles an hour.

Schrader, Leka and Messenger are past winners of modified events on the Springfield Mile held in conjunction with the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and as part of the Illinois Fall Nationals.

The mighty Modifieds return Sunday September 22 with a 20-mile feature on tap. Practice for the Silver Crown Bettenhausen 100 begins at 10 a.m., with DIRTcar Modified practice following. The 20-mile Illini Dash is slated immediately prior to the Bettenhausen 100. The event will pay $2,000 to the winner and $200 to start.

“Everything Dirt Racing” a racing group on Facebook, has gathered lap sponsorships for the event at $25 each. Each lap leader of the 20-lap affair will receive cash bonuses that could add up to $500.

Modified car pre-entry is available at no cost. Any Modified that enters after the deadline will cost $75.

Entry forms and more information on the event are available at www.trackenterprises.com.

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Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

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 Cockrum (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 Dickson & 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

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

HARD-CHARGERS HAVE DICED IT UP AT THE BETTENHAUSEN 100

By: Richie Murray – USAC Media

Springfield, Illinois (September 16, 2019)………Over the course of 100 miles, there’s seemingly ample time for a driver to make a charge to the front even if he didn’t quite qualify where he necessarily wanted to, especially at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, host of this Sunday afternoon’s Bettenhausen 100 on September 22.

However, starting in front of the field gives that driver a theoretical head start on those in the thick of the pack – those who are trying to meet the pace instead of setting the pace themselves.

That scenario makes it a strain on driver, crew and equipment alike. Having to be in a constant chase mode requires running a race that is not wholly dictated by yourself compared to being the front runner. Many a Silver Crown driver will play it conservatively, only turning up the wick in the last 30 laps or so to make it a spring race.

Nonetheless, even at a conservative pace, tires can be used up throughout the course of 100 miles under the daylight if you’re not careful.

One year ago at the Bettenhausen 100, Chris Windom feathered the limits of aggressiveness and restraint by working his way from the 13th starting spot in the 31-car field to win on the Springfield Mile, making the winning pass with just nine laps remaining.

It marked the tenth time in the 57 runnings of the Bettenhausen that a winning driver started outside the top-ten – 1964: A.J. Foyt (16), 1979: Bobby Olivero (13), 1987: Jack Hewitt (16), 1988: Steve Chassey (20), 1995: Kenny Irwin, Jr. (28), 2004: Brian Tyler (21), 2005: Brian Tyler (16), 2011: Brian Tyler (14) and 2015: Kody Swanson (16).

Irwin’s impressive charge from 28th to 1st is the furthest back any winning driver has started in the 49-year history of the USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series.

That means only one less winning driver has started outside the top-ten (10) than has a driver starting from the pole (11) in the history of the Bettenhausen 100 – a pole winner hasn’t won at Springfield since Kody Swanson in 2014. Swanson won again in 2015 after setting fast qualifying time but was forced to start from 16th due to missing his place in the qualifying line.

It took until the sixth running of the Bettenhausen 100 before a driver won from the pole at Springfield – Don Branson in 1966, followed by 1976: Tom Bigelow, 1989: Chuck Gurney, 1990: Chuck Gurney, 1992: Jimmy Sills, 1998: Russ Gamester, 2002: J.J. Yeley, 2003: Dave Darland, 2006: Tracy Hines, 2013: A.J. Fike and 2014: Kody Swanson.

Hines was untouchable in 2006, setting the still-standing track record mark of 29.305 sec. around the mile, which translates to a 122.846 mph average lap. He proceeded to lead all 100 laps that afternoon according to the record books, notching the victory following a failed post-race technical inspection of Dave Steele’s car after he led the final 36 laps.

Is it better to start from the pole or to play the role of the chaser? It depends on the situation and the comfort level of the driver. On the dirt, Silver Crown winners this year have started 3rd (Tyler Courtney at the Indy Mile), 3rd (Brady Bacon at Williams Grove) and 6th (Jacob Wilson at Du Quoin). In fact, on dirt, a driver hasn’t won from the pole since Swanson at the May 2018 Hoosier Hundred.

In that span, pole sitters have finished 5th (Jerry Coons, Jr. at Springfield 2018), 17th (Jacob Wilson at Du Quoin 2018), 3rd (Shane Cottle at Eldora 2018), 2nd (Kevin Thomas, Jr. at the Indy Mile 2019), 3rd (Justin Grant at Williams Grove 2019) and 3rd (Tyler Courtney at Du Quoin 2019).

Being on the pole is great and all with a nice clean start waiting for you without any traffic stacked in your path. But even, say starting from 28th, doesn’t necessarily put you out of the game. That’s what makes it entertaining, as the Springfield Mile has been resurgent in the last several years, producing unpredictability and a allotment of hard-chargers storming their way to the front to dice it up.

That unpredictability is what keeps us coming back and it’s something you can predict come 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.



BETTENHAUSEN 100 FAST QUALIFIERS:

1961: Parnelli Jones - 34.17

1962: Roger McCluskey - 36.53

1963: A.J. Foyt - 33.75

1964: Rodger Ward - 33.82

1965: Jim McElreath - 32.89

1966: Don Branson - 33.04

1967: Larry Dickson - 33.82

1968: Al Unser - 34.96

1969: Greg Weld - 34.11

1971: Greg Weld - 34.86

1972: Lee Kunzman - 33.91

1973: Al Unser - 33.31

1974: Greg Weld - 34.20

1975: Johnny Parsons - 33.324

1976: Tom Bigelow - 34.798

1977: Thad Dosher - 34.847

1978: Bubby Jones - 35.570

1979: Steve Chassey - 33.773

1980: Larry Rice - 32.828

1981: Tom Bigelow - 32.660

1982: Sheldon Kinser - 32.449

1983: Steve Chassey - 31.932

1985: Joe Saldana - 31.144

1986: George Snider - 31.894

1987: Jeff Swindell - 30.919

1988: George Snider - 32.044

1989: Chuck Gurney - 31.711

1990: Chuck Gurney - 32.457

1991: Stan Fox - 31.559

1992: Jimmy Sills - 31.523

1993: Larry Dickson - 30.767

1995: Johnny Parsons - 31.936

1996: Robby Flock - 29.988

1997: Russ Gamester - 31.287

1998: Russ Gamester - 112.757

1999: Bill Rose - 31.768

2000: Tony Elliot - 30.221

2001: J.J. Yeley - 31.363

2002: J.J. Yeley - 30.534

2003: Dave Darland - 30.240

2004: Jerry Coons, Jr. - 30.362

2005: Josh Wise - 29.776

2006: Tracy Hines - 29.305

2007: Levi Jones - 30.316 (A)

2008: Shane Hollingsworth - 30.286

2009: A.J. Fike - 29.618 (B)

2011: Tracy Hines - 31.373

2012: Brian Tyler - 30.948 (C)

2013: A.J. Fike - 32.125

2014: Kody Swanson - 31.999

2015: Kody Swanson - 30.532 (D)

2017: Jerry Coons, Jr. - 29.988

2018: Jerry Coons, Jr. - 30.875

(A) Time set during practice, field lined up from practice times due to rain.

(B) A.J. Fike set fast time, but due to an invert procedure, Cole Whitt started in the first position.

(C) Brian Tyler set fast time, but due to an invert procedure, Kody Swanson started in the first position.

(D) Kody Swanson set fast time, but due to penalty, started 16th.



BETTENHAUSEN 100 WINNERS (Starting Position in Parentheses)

1961: Jim Hurtubise (4)

1962: Jim Hurtubise (2)

1963: Rodger Ward (4)

1964: A.J. Foyt (16)

1965: A.J. Foyt (5)

1966: Don Branson (1)

1967: A.J. Foyt (2)

1968: Roger McCluskey (4)

1969: Mario Andretti (2)

1970: Al Unser (6)

1971: A.J. Foyt (10)

1972: Al Unser (7)

1973: Mario Andretti (4)

1974: Mario Andretti (2)

1975: Al Unser (6)

1976: Tom Bigelow (1)

1977: Larry Rice (7)

1978: Gary Bettenhausen (5)

1979: Bobby Olivero (13)

1980: Pancho Carter (4)

1981: George Snider (9)

1982: Bobby Olivero (12)

1983: Gary Bettenhausen (2)

1984: Chuck Gurney (1)

1985: Chuck Gurney (3)

1986: Jack Hewitt (10)

1987: Jack Hewitt (16)

1988: Steve Chassey (20)

1989: Chuck Gurney (1)

1990: Chuck Gurney (1)

1991: Chuck Gurney (3)

1992: Jimmy Sills (1)

1993: Jack Hewitt (7)

1994: Chuck Gurney (7)

1995: Kenny Irwin, Jr. (28)

1996: Chuck Gurney (3)

1997: Dave Darland (3)

1998: Russ Gamester (1)

1999: Dave Darland (3)

2000: Jack Hewitt (8)

2001: Paul White (2)

2002: J.J. Yeley (1)

2003: Dave Darland (1)

2004: Brian Tyler (21)

2005: Brian Tyler (16)

2006: Tracy Hines (1)

2007: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (3)

2008: Brian Tyler (2)

2009: Cole Whitt (1)

2011: Brian Tyler (14)

2012: A.J. Fike (5)

2013: A.J. Fike (1)

2014: Kody Swanson (1)

2015: Kody Swanson (16)

2017: Justin Grant (2)

2018: Chris Windom (13)



BETTENHAUSEN 100 WINNERS BY STARTING POSITION:

1ST: (11 Times) 1966: Don Branson, 1976: Tom Bigelow, 1984: Chuck Gurney, 1989: Chuck Gurney, 1990: Chuck Gurney, 1992: Jimmy Sills, 1998: Russ Gamester, 2002: J.J. Yeley, 2003: Dave Darland, 2006: Tracy Hines, 2009: Cole Whitt, 2013: A.J. Fike & 2014: Kody Swanson.

2ND: (8 Times) 1962: Jim Hurtubise, 1967: A.J. Foyt, 1969: Mario Andretti, 1974: Mario Andretti, 1983: Gary Bettenhausen, 2001: Paul White, 2008: Brian Tyler & 2017: Justin Grant

3RD: (6 Times) 1985: Chuck Gurney, 1991: Chuck Gurney, 1996: Chuck Gurney, 1997: Dave Darland, 1999: Dave Darland & 2007: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

4TH: (5 Times) 1961: Jim Hurtubise, 1963: Rodger Ward, 1968: Roger McCluskey, 1973: Mario Andretti & 1980: Pancho Carter

5TH: (3 Times) 1965: A.J. Foyt, 1978: Gary Bettenhausen & 2012: A.J. Fike

6TH: (6 Times) 1970: Al Unser & 1975: Al Unser

7TH: (4 Times) 1972: Al Unser, 1977: Larry Rice, 1993: Jack Hewitt & 1994: Chuck Gurney

8TH: (1 Time) 2000: Jack Hewitt

9TH: (1 Time) 1981: George Snider

10TH: (2 Times) 1971: A.J. Foyt & 1986: Jack Hewitt

12TH: (1 Time) 1982: Bobby Olivero

13TH: (2 Times) 1979: Bobby Olivero & 2018: Chris Windom

14TH: (1 Time) 2011: Brian Tyler

16TH: (4 Times) 1964: A.J. Foyt, 1987: Jack Hewitt, 2005: Brian Tyler & 2015: Kody Swanson

20TH (1 Time) 1988: Steve Chassey

21ST: (1 Time) 2004: Brian Tyler

28TH: (1 Time) 1995: Kenny Irwin, Jr.

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

This Week's Newsletter...
Macon Speedway Saturday & USAC Sunday At Springfield Mile - https://mailchi.mp/cb8caf684510/maco...ringfield-mile

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

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

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

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 Cockrum (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 COCKRUM/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

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

A BIG thanks to USAC and TEI for rescheduling this great race.
I sure hope the forecast improves by the weekend and the fans support it.
:8::22:

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

Forecast looks positively dreadful for the weekend as of now. Maybe it will change.

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

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 COCKRUM/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

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

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.

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

USAC STAT BOOK: SILVER CROWN - 9/17/2019 http://usacracing.com/news/silver-cr...8MAmJkQpq5YwbI

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

Sunday will mark the return of the UMP Modifieds to the famed Springfield Mile with the running of the Everything Dirt Racing 20!! The 20 lap feature event will pay $2,000 to win and $200 to start, along with a $25 per lap led bonus which could result in a driver taking home an additional $500! On top of that Penske Racing Shocks has donated three product certificates that are valued at $250, $125, and $50 to the top three finishers, we also have Swift Springs who have pitched in two product certificates good for one spring, these will be given out to the 5th and 7th place finishers! Our friends at 357’s World of Dirt have also pitched in $100 to the hard charger of the event!!

If you would like to pitch in more contingency prizes for Sunday please contact Olin Sparks by PM on Facebook.

Here is the current entry list for Sunday!

#4 Brian Heizer , Okawville, IL

#15 Tim Luttrell, Riverton, IL

#7h Brian Higgerson, Oakdale, IL

#95 Josh Sissom, Cape Girirdaeu, MO

#71 Rayce Baker, Pinckneyville, IL

#9z Bobby Regot, St. Peters, MO

#85 Joe Geisler, St. Mary, MO

#7s Ethan Schnapp, Springfield, IL

#82 Jeff Parks, Marion, IL

#MB4 Marty Lindeman, Clay City, IL

#10 Curt Rhodes , Taylorville, IL

#11 Zach Rhodes, Taylorville, IL

#3 Wade Erhart, Taylorville, IL

#89w Rick Weitekamp, Springfield, IL

#87 David Shain, Sullivan, IL

#44 Rich Lentz, Carterville, IL

#84L Jim Farley, Springfield, IL

#1S Brian Shaw, Robinson, IL

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

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 COCKRUM/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

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

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 Dick “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

Dick & Rich Tobias, Jr.

Bill & Billy Vukovich

Chuck & Tony Weyant

*

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

Pulled the plug again.

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

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.

Re: 9/22/19 Bettenhausen 100 USAC Silver Crown @ Springfield
 

For those with tickets from the Bettenhausen 100 rainout, please fill out this form and send with your tickets to Track Enterprises for refund.

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