[petey]

Just hope Du Quoin doesn't get rained out again, but I keep saying that I'd like for it to be a little tackier than the past few years. Either way we'll be there.

[GregD]

I do love Du Quoin, but the silver crown is all about the hundred miles. It take a fast car and a good driver to make the tires last that long.
For twin 50's I would rather go watch the sprints.

[ISF]

Originally Posted by miledirt I think the mods will help the crowd at Springfield

You're probably right. Whatever they call the cars (sportsman?) that preceed the ARCA race at Springfield seems to bolster the crowd somewhat for that show. The e-mods may enhance the local interest to some degee as well but I'm not sure if that was the case at the Hoosier Hundred. No way of knowing for sure, though.

I worry about the short dirt track cars on the Miles. Not knocking them at all, just concerned that the speeds are higher than what the drivers are used to and if the cars are capable of adaquately protecting the drivers running at those faster speeds.

In regards to Du Quoin, the first 2 or 3 years that they ran the Ted Horn Memorial on Sunday night it was a great show with there being 2 distinct grooves, one right up by the wall along with the traditional low line. Don't know what happened to the high line but no one has tried using it since Rich Tobias and Tyler Walker used it to win. Wonder why?

I'm not real thrilled with the two segment Silver Crown races, either, but I'll still make the 5 hour trip with the camper down to the Magic Mile. Labor Day weekend wouldn't seem right if we didn't!

[onthegas7j]

Shane Cottle Used it in 06 and 08 those are the last 2 years ive gone was at bootcamp in 07 and deployed last year... JP put on a show in the 43 on the high side in 08 went from like 23rd to 8th in like 30 laps up there... some people still run it.. wouldn't be surprised to see that 37 up there

[ISF]

Originally Posted by onthegas7j Shane Cottle Used it in 06 and 08 those are the last 2 years ive gone was at bootcamp in 07 and deployed last year... JP put on a show in the 43 on the high side in 08 went from like 23rd to 8th in like 30 laps up there... some people still run it.. wouldn't be surprised to see that 37 up there

I don't recall anyone running up by the wall for a while but I'd bet on your memory over mine any day. LOL!

I hope they are able to make the high side work. I think it was Ol' Jack that said "running the bottom is like a havin' a job", or something to that effect.

[onthegas7j]

sounds like somethin mr hewitt would say... hell id give er a shot on the high side if i could find a damned ride... last couple of years the winners have come from the bottom but if you watch a little farther back you'll find somebody runnin balls to the wall... literally

[DanGitt]

I also love Du Quoin, been going there since I was a kid. I remember standing at gate by the old coke building west side of the fairgrounds, and watch the cars of Foyt, Hurtubise,Andretti, and Branson come through in open trailers to get check in. I don't know if it was the narrower tires or track prep, but there was three groves to run in.

[RGraves]

Seems like 04-05 was when they first started rim riding the magic mile. I had quit going for several years because the racing was boring. Tyler Walker, Shane Cottle, and Jerry Coons were a few of the first that I saw do it well.

[miledirt]

The Richie Tobias year of 2003, self built car, that rode up on the wall, all night under the lights... was one of the best automobile races I have ever seen.

Check out this article...

News from the 53rd Horn Memorial at DuQuoin

News and Notes from the 53rd Ted Horn Memorial at DuQuoin

Rich Tobias finally shed the bridesmaid label Satruday night in what may have been the finest USAC Weld Racing Silver Crown championship dirt car race of the year, and perhaps the best DuQuoin race in many years. The second generation shoe from Annville, Pennsylvania had been second many times, including on the miles at Syracuse and the Indiana State Fairgrounds. It seemed only a matter of time before he found victory lane in one of the big cars, a division his father the late Dick Tobias competed in but never won one of the coveted dirt car races. Tobias' task took on a new meaning after the Springfield event three weeks ago, when he destroyed the car he designed and built in a barrell roll near the end of the Tony Bettenhausen 100. Tobias had to convert the sprint car he intended to take to the MoPar Million at Eldora into a dirt car, and the rain out on Labor Day weekend allowed additional time to prepare the unique looking creation.

However, Saturday night Tobias was not able to take a qualifying time, and started shotgun on the field in the last chance race. Tobias was able to climb to fifth in the fifteen lap affair, meaning he would start 25th in the 100-mile Horn Memorial. It became a treat for the fans to watch the progress of the blue and yellow 17, as he picked off cars lap after lap, finally taking the lead at the three quarter mark from J.J. Yeley, who began to fade. But Tobias couldn't cruise, as a fast closing Dave Darland was on a mission to take his first DuQuoin win. A caution for Tyler Walker's stopped car allowed Darland to close, and he looked inside of the leader, but a drying fuel tank left the Lincoln, Indiana driver fading in the pack. Donnie Beechler stepped up to pressure Tobias, but ran out of time as Tobias captured his first 100-miler in the big cars.

Tobias became the ninth driver to capture his first USAC Silver Crown win on the "Magic Mile" at DuQuoin, the last being young Kasey Kahne in 2000. Tobias became the 32nd different winner of the Ted Horn Memorial, and the 35th different winner in the 58 championship dirt car races held at DuQuoin since 1948. By starting 25th, Tobias became the first driver in DuQuoin history to win the Ted Horn Memorial after making the race through the semi-feature since the semi was instituted by USAC in 1977. The 25th starting slot marks the furthest back any Horn winner has ever started, and the only time the race winner posted no qualification time when qualifications for the race were held.

Tobias victory also broke a stranglehold that the Bob East Beast chassis had on the Horn Memorial, Beast cars had won the last three Horn Memorials and five out of the last seven. It appears from reords available, that Tobias is the first driver who actually designed and built his own winning car in the 55 year history of championship racing at DuQuoin!

[ISF]

I still kick myself for not going back to Du Quoin for the rescheduled Silver Crown show of 2003.

The Horn Memorial had been rained out over Labor Day weekend and they rescheduled it the following weekend. We've had tickets to the
World 100 since 1988 (still have them) and we decided to go there instead of going back to Du Quoin. Big mistake! I could have easily sold our World 100 tickets and it is about the same distance from our house to Eldora as it is to Du Quoin. We sat through a real snoozer of a World 100 won by Dan Schleiper and we could have been at Du Quoin watching a great race and I'd have saved over 80 bucks to boot by doing so. Live and learn I reckon.

Haven't been back to the World 100 since and got no urge to ever go back. Half the time that race is a bore and the drunks ruin it the other half.