Springfield Mile Produces and Hosts Champions
By jay Hardin Track Enterprises Staff

Since the turn of the twentieth century Springfield, Illinois has had a love affair with fast racing cars. When the original Illinois State Fair mile was constructed it was originally intended for horses, but soon after 1900 cars and motorcycles became part of the grandstand lineup. In the 100 plus years since Barney Oldfield circled the fairgrounds mile the Illinois State Fairgrounds has played host to and helped develop some of the most famous racing drivers in the United States and around the globe.

Don’t let some of the promotional hype lead you astray, the big dirt mile on 336 acres in north Springfield is hardly a “minor” league venue. Since 1934 the Springfield Mile has been host to a prestigious 100-mile national championship dirt track event, a race now known as the Bettenhausen 100. Since the two-man Indianapolis machines appeared in August of 1934, 563 drivers have started a 100-mile national championship race in the capitol city. Of those 563, 185 made at least one Indianapolis 500 start with 23 drivers actually winning the 500-mile race. The Illinois State Fairgrounds has been host to 73 national championship race winners, 21 national champions, 76 USAC Silver Crown race winners, 32 Silver Crown champions and 39 USAC/AAA Sprint Car champions, 20 USAC/AAA Midget champions and even 5 USAC Stock Car champs have started at least one Springfield championship event.

Stock cars made their first appearance in 1950 under the AAA banner with USAC and ARCA sanction to follow in later years. There were only two events during the 1950’s before stock cars made the Illinois State Fairgrounds a permanent home in 1961. Since 1950, 4 AAA, 13 USAC and 21 ARCA drivers who were or would be champions of their respective series made at least one stock car start on the Springfield Mile. 6 AAA stock car race winners, 45 USAC and 118 ARCA main event winners were also in a stock car lineup at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Add 5 champs of the various NASCAR series and 24 NASCAR race winners including three who would count a Daytona 500 trophy among their collection.

Fans probably know the names of many of the championship and stock car drivers by heart. However, it may not be well known that before and after the first World War Hall of Famers such as Lewis Strang, Louis Chevrolet, Tommy Milton and Fred Horey ran their big cars on the Springfield Mile. During the 1920’s Lou Schneider and Bill Cummings thrilled Illinois State Fair crowds before they won the Indianapolis 500.

Sprint cars ran during the late 1930’s, 1940’s and again in the 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s bringing Gus Schrader, Joie Chitwood, Jimmy Wilburn, Dick Gaines, Bill Utz, Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell and Doug Wolfgang among others who were greats in the sprint car world. Midget standouts Mel Kenyon, Arnie Knepper, Danny and Jimmy Caruthers, Kevin Olson and even Jeff Gordon wheeled one of the little cars on the big track. Late model stock car titans from Scott Bloomquist to Billy Moyer rmoved Springfield dirt, as have Modified and Sportsman standouts Jeff Leka, Scott Orr, Jim Shereck, Brian Shirley, Wes O’Dell, Dennis Vandermeersch and Steve Sheppard Jr.

Who will be the next legend who visits or is created by a run on the Springfield Mile? We find out in less than two weeks when the action begins Saturday August 17 with practice for the USAC Silver Crown Bettenhausen 100 at 10 a.m. and the 100-mile event slated for 2 p.m. On Sunday August 18 practice for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menard’s Allen Crowe 100 begins at 9 a.m. with the Crowe 100 taking the green flag at approximately 1:40 p.m. Heat races for the Sportsman Nationals are slated for Saturday prior to the Bettenhausen 100 with the 20 mile main event Sunday prior to the Allen Crowe 100.