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11/27/16 7:33 PM TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR JUNIOR KNEPPER 55 USAC MIDGET RACE IN Du QUOIN

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TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR "JUNIOR KNEPPER 55" USAC MIDGET RACE IN Du QUOIN


Tickets are now on sale for the “Junior Knepper 55” USAC Midget Special Event on Saturday, December 17, 2016 indoors at the Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin, Illinois.

Discounted advance general admission tickets can be purchased now at www.usactickets.com.* No reserved seating will be available for the event.

At checkout, you have the choice of either printing your ticket or having your ticket texted to you.* Please present your ticket at the gate or be ready to present the barcode on your phone.* Look for the “Advance Ticket Holders” entry at the main doors.

This is second annual “Junior Knepper 55” race after last year’s spectacular event.* A star-studded field of midget racers from coast-to-coast as well as stars from across the racing landscape are expected to compete in the race that will take place on the 1/6-mile dirt track located inside the building adjacent to the famed Du Quoin State Fairgrounds one-mile dirt oval.

One year ago, in the “Knepper 55,” 60 midgets were on hand and NASCAR regular/2007 USAC National Midget “Rookie of the Year” Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. scored the victory in a thrilling, classic late-race duel with Bryan Clauson after making the winning pass with just four laps remaining.

The 55-lap event honors the memory of one of USAC’s most accomplished car owners – Walter “Junior” Knepper of Belleville, Illinois – whose famed yellow number 55 midgets and sprint cars raced to 58 career USAC feature victories, including 34 in Sprints and 24 in Midgets, with drivers Bob Wente, Tom Bigelow, Mel Kenyon, George Snider, Dana Carter, Rich Vogler and his son Steve Knepper.

For the second consecutive year, Nick Knepper, grandson of Junior and son of Steve, will promote the event along with Derek LeMaster.

Hot laps for the “Junior Knepper 55” are set for 4pm with the evening’s events getting underway at an earlier start time to get race fans back on the road after the conclusion of the racing events at a sufficient time.

*

[Charles Nungester]

So is this going to have the outlaw karts too or not?

[miledirt]

good question about the karts.... long night last year

[motorhead748]

Is this race worth the ride from Cincinnati? Or is it like the indoor fiasco in Indy last year?

[red70racer]

I went to both
Trust me, this is nothing like the Indy deal
This race has all the makings of a classic
Although it's a tight track there's plenty of passing going on
It's worth the trip
Jeff Palazzolo

[Nate]

Originally Posted by motorhead748 Is this race worth the ride from Cincinnati? Or is it like the indoor fiasco in Indy last year?

Not even close to Indy Indoors. It's actually a pretty racey track, A LOT more room than at Bankers Life. Check out Ross Wece's video on YouTube from last year's event. I'm making the trip over from Louisville.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ICP_FUapTU

[ISF]

The Knepper 55 in December of 2015 was a very good show last year and definitely worth the effort to attend. Unfortunately, the Shamrock Classic that was run at Du Quoin in March of this year was a marathon over 8 hours long.

We've got our tickets and rooms for the Knepper 55 in a few weeks but we sincerely hope the midgets are the only class racing and USAC finds a way to get the racing completed in less than 8 hours. About half would be good.

We have attended all but one of the indoor races at Du Quoin and when POWRi was sanctioning the December race it never was a marathon.

It wasn't all the fault of the outlaw carts that the March show was so long and tiresome but they sure didn't help.

[Charles Nungester]

Originally Posted by motorhead748 Is this race worth the ride from Cincinnati? Or is it like the indoor fiasco in Indy last year?

I went to the 2012 race and have been wanting to get back bad. This track is pretty awesome as far as indoor racing goes. And yeah, Im from around Kings Island. I stayed two nights last time but I'll drive down leaving about ten am this time, get a room in Carbondale or some place and hit the track for the evening. a good nights sleep and drive home sunday.

They raced side by side when the track widened out, split cars for three wide and also had slider fest sometimes swapping twice on each end with the crossovers.

Smoke won the year I went and it wouldn't surprise me if he isn't back for a chili bowl tuneup.

Here's some 11 footage just to prove it isn't one groove and it's racy
Only reason I asked if the Outlaws were part of it is Im not in the mood for marathon nights. They had 67 midgets alone when I went, The show ran off in about 4.5hrs and it was perfect. No need for another class.

You Tube Video

[knepp55]

The December 17th race will be midgets only.

Thanks,
Nick

[ronmil]

There was a poster displayed earlier on here that showed starting times, etc. Can someone show the link for that? Thanks!