Youngest DuQuoin Winner Returns Searching for Horn 100 Victory

By Jay Hardin
Track Enterprises Staff

DuQuoin, IL-(August 29, 2019)-In the year 2000 the Magic Mile at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds had just been remodeled with a new concrete wall and lighting system. The ARCA stock car race was still held on Sunday afternoon, with the Ted Horn 100 USAC Silver Crown event on Monday afternoon. The UMP Modified Bill Oldani Memorial was in year seven and a fresh faced teenager from St. Charles, Missouri was in the mix in the Oldani field and an interested spectator for the Ted Horn 100. That teenager would become the youngest winner ever on the Magic Mile and he returns this weekend in search of Silver Crown success in Sunday’s Ted Horn 100.

It is hard to realize that Kyle Steffens is now in his mid-thirties and a veteran of over 20 years of competition. In 2000, he was 16 years, 1 month and 5 days when he took the lead of the UMP Modified event on Monday afternoon and sailed to victory beating veterans Jeff Leka, Kevin Gundaker and Jeff Parks to the finish line. A joyous victory lane celebration followed which included a bear hug to announcer Jim Childers that nearly lifted him off the ground.

The victory led Steffens to purchase his own Silver Crown car for 2001 but he missed the show in qualifying and the semi. Steffens returned in 2002 and just missed the show again. In 2005 Steffens was able to secure a ride in the seat of the famous orange and while number 12 Silver Crown championship dirt car fielded by O’Fallon, Illinois car owner and crew chief Bob Galas. The seat had been occupied by luminaries such as Jim Hurtubise, Chuck Gurney, Gary Bettenhausen, Jeff Swindell and Kevin Thomas, all winners of 100-mile dirt track championship races at some point in their careers. Steffens finally made the field finishing 26th. He tried again in 2007 for owner Chuck Hartenstein but was unable to qualify.

Since 2001 Kyle Steffens has made sporadic appearances in the Silver Crown series while driving late models and modifieds on area short tracks. He has always had an eye on the Silver Crown series and this year returns to the series and DuQuoin with a new car and a new paint scheme hoping to repeat the success found in 2000 at DuQuoin. If Steffens were able to win the Ted Horn 100 at DuQuoin he would become the first driver ever to lay claim to victory in the Silver Crown and Modified events on the Magic Mile. It is almost certain a wild victory lane celebration would follow that might include a dip in the infield lake.

Kyle Steffens and 37 other competitors roll into the Magic Mile on Sunday. Practice for the 71st Ted Horn 100 begins at 5 p.m. with the 100-miler taking the green flag around 8 p.m.