Powri midgets at a great little midget track in Macon, Il. on Friday night...

Then the USAC Silver Crown cars on the dirt mile in Springfield during the Illinois State Fair.

Can't beat it!

Yep, at this moment we're loadin' up the camper and headin' for the State Fair tomorrow. We haven't missed State Fair racing weekend in a very long time. Lookin' forward to going over to Mighty Macon for the POWERi show, too. Got our reservations for the Fairgrounds Campground, race tickets and plenty of food and beverage packed away. Gonna' do some white bass fishin' (among other things) on Lake Springfield as well. Oh yea, I look forward to this week all year.

On a different note, a very close friend of our family was 86 years old on August 4th and he hasn't missed a Champ Car race during the State Fair at Springfield since 1946. There have been a couple that were cancelled and a few that were rescheduled at a later date due to weather, I believe, but he's been in the grandstand for every one that they've run. If my math is correct this will be 65 years running.

Here's to hopin' all who make the trip to The Hallowed Ground of the Springfield Mile enjoy it as much as we always do!!

Springfield Illinois State Fair
Auto Racing Itinerary

August 21-22, 2010
Springfield, Illinois

Saturday, August 21, 2010 - USAC Tony Bettenhausen 100

6:00 a.m. Registration and pit gates open
8:30 a.m. Grandstands and ticket office open
9:00 a.m. Silver Crown Practice
10:25 a.m. Silver Crown Qualifying
11:00 a.m. UMP Modified Practice/Qualifying
12:00 p.m. Silver Crown Last Chance Race
1:00 p.m. UMP Modified Feature
1:45 p.m. National Anthem Ceremonies
2:00 p.m. Silver Crown Feature Event


Sunday, August 22, 2010 - ARCA Cars & Sportsman Nationals

6:00 a.m. Registration and pit gates open
8:30 a.m. Grandstands and ticket office open
9:00 a.m. Practice
10:15 a.m. Last Chance Race
11:00 a.m. ARCA Qualifying
12:00 Noon National Anthem Ceremonies
12:15 p.m. Racing begins
1:00 p.m. ARCA Feature begins

DAY OF ADULT ADMISSION: $25.00

Tickets are on sale at the Illinois State Fair ticket office at (217) 782-1979
or by calling Track Enterprises at (217) 764-3200.

Pit passes sold race day only - $30.00
Infield tickets sold race day only - $20.00 (Includes $5 fair entrance fee)

Infield Parking is $7.00(CHARGE EVERYONE NOT PURCHASING AN INFIELD OR PIT PASS(GRANDSTAND TICKET HOLDERS)

All drivers / pit crews should enter at Gate 6 or 7

wish i could be there... love springfield... but I will be at Duquoin... who all's goin down 57

This is always a must attend event. I look forward to it every year.
There is nothing better than watching Silver Crown Cars on a sunny afternoon with a fair in the background. I also get in my yearly "Whack A Mole" fix.

Any surprise entries?

Can you find a good breaded tenderloin at the Illinois State Fairground?

We'll be makin' the trip to Du Quoin. It's over twice as far as Springfield but worth it. Gonna' drag the camper down there, too. Leavin' for DQ Tuesday the 31st of August. Campin' out in the non-hookup area away from it all and gonna' try our hand at catchin' some catfish over at Rend Lake in addition to the fair and the SC and ARCA racin'.

Du Quoin is kinda' bittersweet 'cause it is usually the last trip of the summer before harvest. I kinda' get depressed knowin' we got all that crappy weather to suffer through before we can start all over next May.

Don't forget. If you have a open wheel vintage racer. Call JACK BALL at 765-649-2198 to register your car for the display and possible track time on SATURDAY 8-21-2010. You may get two pit passes per car and enjoy the day with other vintage racers at the fairgrounds. Get to the track before 9 AM. Call JACK to get registered. ALWAYS a great racing week end. Share the USAC pits.

Don't forget to sign up for DuQuoin at th same time. Nothing like the fairgrounds at night. Show off your car, talk open wheel racing, get some track time.

These are two of the best dates.

DJK St. Louis, Mo.

My weekend is a little different. Bloomington Friday night, Springfield Saturday, Lawrenceburg saturday night. The Champ cars on the mile are what racing is all about. Nothing better than watching the Cadillacs of open wheel racing.

Question - Are they selling pit passes at the Gate 6 tunnel into the infield? If not, it would appear that I would have to purchase an infield ticket to get into the infield to get to the pit entrance to purchase a pit pass. I haven't parked in the infield for years, so don't know how this works. I do know that you can sit in the grandstand for an additional $5 with a pit pass. Since we are bringing two people who are going to the fair, not the races, it looks like they should get out before we drive into the infield or they have to purchase infield tickets, right? Thanks for any information you can give on this process.

Frank,
The way it usually works is when you park in the infield what you pay to get in goes to your pitpass or you can try telling them that you are getting pitpasses and they may let you by. Regardless you will still have to pay to park in the infield.

Chad Branson
#71