[SC12]

This "Weekend" in Illinois State Fair Championship Race History

By Jay Hardin Track Enterprises

August 24, 1935-A large crowd returned for the second 100-mile national championship race in Springfield history. Wilbur Shaw, Bill Cummings, Lou Moore and Fred Frame demanded a $7500 purse from promoter Ralph Hankinson and when he refused they sat out the event. Chicago’s Emil Andres came out of the grandstand to take over Chet Miller’s ride when the latter failed to show up. Indy 500 winner Kelly Petillo set a new track record (along with riding mechanic Alfonso Cassella) of over 91 miles an hour in qualifications and led the 14 car field to the flag. Petillo suffered a mechanical issue on lap 9 which set him back and allowed 1934 race winner Billy Winn to inherit the lead. Winn was never headed and won by three minutes over second place George Barringer.

August 20, 1955-The American Automobile Association, reeling from the deaths of Bill Vukovich at Indianapolis and the deaths at LeMans, announced August 6 they would no longer sanction automobile racing. However, within a week IMS owner Tony Hulman had met with a number of interested parties about forming a new sanctioning group. It had no name, but the foundations for the future United States Auto Club were laid just before the 19th 100-mile race in Springfield history.
Arizona Cowboy Jimy Bryan was chasing Indy winner Bob Sweikert in his quest for a second straight national title when the 34 cars rolled into Springfield. Andy Linden took a brand new D-A Lubricant car and put it on the pole with a lap just under 35 seconds. A sold out crowd watched as George AMick grabbed the lead with Sweikert fourth and Bryan fifth. Linden got around Amick after 15 laps, Bryan took the lead on lap 30 and the Dean Van Lines driver never looked back, joining Winn and Tony Bettenhausen as the only drivers to win more than once at Springfield.

August 21, 1965-Some thought the death of championship dirt car racing was near with Langhorne receiving pavement and some drivers retiring from the dirt. Just 18 cars entered the pit area, one of those 15 years old and belonging to Joe Shaheen. It failed to pass tech and left driver Wib Spaulding on the sidelines. The track was fast due to cloud cover and a light rain for the 5th Tony Bettenhausen 100.
Over half the field shattered the 1957 mark of George Amick with Jim McElreath setting a new track record of 32.89 in his John Zink dirt car, a mark that would stand for fifteen years. Defending national champ A.J. Foyt brought a new Goodyear tire to Springfield but was mired in 6th as Johnny Rutherford took the lead. After an hour rain delay, Foyt began moving up through the pack and took the lead on lap 11 from his fellow Texan. A.J. led the rest of the way for his second win of 1965 while buddy George Snider took second and another driver named Andretti took third.

August 16, 1975-Mario was gone from the dirt chasing a Formula One dream and A.J. was limiting his dirt appearances to the Hoosier Hundred. However, the Viceroy sponsored Vel’s Parnelli-Jones team still had Al Unser as the USAC Dirt Track division, now in year five removed from the championship trail, came to town. The 15th Bettenhausen 100 drew 34 cars and a large grandstand crowd for what would be the second race on the schedule. The dirt cars were back on their familiar Saturday date, having run on Sunday for 4 years swapping dates with the stock cars.
Johnny Parsons grabbed the pole for Tassi Vatis in time trials but was a half second off the track record with Bill Vukovich alongside. Jim Hurtubise made his return to Springfield a good one driving for Tim Delrose. Unser would start 6th alongside 1974 Hoosier 100 winner Jackie Howerton. Parsons, then Vukovich led before Howerton seized the top slot. Jackie could only watch however as Unser shot into the lead on lap 62 and took the checker to become the 5th driver to win three Springfield events. Jimmy Caruthers finished second on his way to the Dirt title.

August 17, 1985-The largest purse to date, buoyed by a $10,000 lap prize fund from Coors, awaited the now named USAC Silver Crown Series as the big cars returned to Springfield. Revitalized by dates on half miles and pavement, the dirt cars were showing surprising resilience after being thought headed for demise numerous times. Rick Hood led the championship standings by virtue of a win on the pavement at IRP and on the dirt at Oklahoma City, with Sheldon Kinser and Larry Rice chasing. Defending Springfield winner Chuck Gurney was 17th after a 27th place finish in the Hulman 100 in May. Forty-four entries were filed with forty-two taking times in qualifications.
Last year’s rain delayed event produced a tall cushion and wiped out qualifying yet the 1985 version was fast and smooth for time trials. Hood was the first to smash Chassey’s 1983 standard (31.932) with a 31.458 second lap as the 5th qualifier. Gurney went out 8th and lowered the mark to 31.348, followed by Chassey himself in the Genessee who reclaimed the record with a 31.293. Joe Saldana, the 21st qualifier, rocked the house in Mauri Amerling’s machine with a first lap 31.194, then a 31.144 bettering the 1983 mark by over .8 of a second! All in all, ten drivers bettered the 1983 track record in qualifications.
Chassey led the first lap while Saldana led the next 19. Hood took over for four laps on the 21st circuit and Joe took the lead back on lap 26 as the race was shaping up to be a barnburner. Gurney, lurking behind Hood and Saldana, shot into the lead on lap 56 on the way to a $13,500 payday.

August 19, 1995-Lots of changes had occurred in the last ten years. Illinois State Fair motorsports director Bill Oldani passed suddenly in 1993 and the state got out of the promotion business, turning the events over to Bob Sargent. USAC also experienced changes as well, competition director Roger McCluskey passed away from cancer and the names of Saldana, Vukovich, Engelhart, Kinser, and Gary Bettenhausen were replaced by Steele, Darland, Sills, Stanbrough and Irwin. Still, the series had veterans such as Johnny Parsons, George Snider and six-time Springfield winner Chuck Gurney. Forty-seven cars were entered as the dirt cars were paired with the USAC midgets, the little cars returning for the first time since Dan Drinan’s wreck in 1992.
Johnny Parsons went out late and thrilled the partisan crowd by putting Springfield owner Dennis McQuinn’s orange 39 on the pole with a 31.936. Gurney would start second. Young Kenny Irwin Jr., winner of the midget feature, occupied the 28th slot having come through the semi. At the start Parsons sailed into the lead as the locals envision a McQuinn upset. Johnny fell victim to Sills at halfway while the crowd noticed the flame painted 23 of Irwin moving up in the standings. By lap 96 he was chasing Sills and two circuits later brought the crowd to its feet as the youngster took the lead, setting a record for the worst starting position of a Springfield championship race winner.

August 20, 2005-USAC’s Silver Crown series had long ago been entrenched as USAC’s top tier division and was running along rather smoothly in 2005, even with another changing of the guard. The influx of new talent and new teams certainly didn’t hurt the series and there were enough veterans to keep the older fans happy as well. Car counts were healthy as evidenced by the 49 pre-entries at Springfield.
Pavement ace Dave Steele had won four races coming into the Bettenhausen 100 and led the points while Tony Stewart driver Josh Wise won at Terre Haute and young Teddy Beach took the Hoosier Hundred.
The World’s Fastest Mile Dirt Track lived up to its reputation in qualifications as Josh Wise became the second driver to post a sub 30-second qualifying lap at Springfield, erasing Robby Flock’s 11 year old record with a 29.776. Tyler Walker also broke the old record and would start second. Wise led until Walker took over on lap 5 while 16th starting Brian Tyler, the 2004 Bettenhausen winner made a quick charge to the front. Brian Tyler took the lead on lap 56 from Tyler Walker and pulled away to take the victory.

[CCI]

Great Post Thank You for the history lesson

[chathamracefan]

I was at the 1995 race when Kenny Irwin won both the midgets and Silver Crown. Impressive feat especially considering it was pushing 100 degrees that day

[John P Huss]

SC 12- Awesome post!
Best Regards,
John