ILLINOIS STATE FAIR SET FOR USAC & ARCA RACING SATURDAY, AUGUST 17st & SUNDAY, AUGUST 18th

Springfield, Illinois (July 31, 2013) – On Saturday, August 17, 2013 the USAC Silver Crown cars will run the Tony Bettenhausen 100 on the famous one-mile dirt oval during the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, Illinois.  The day will consist of practice at 9:00 a.m., Silver Crown qualifying at 10:25 a.m. and the races will begin at 2:00 p.m.  Last year’s historic race was claimed by A.J. Fike of Galesburg, Ill. becoming the first Illinois driver in 29 years to capture the “Tony Bettenhausen 100” USAC Traxxas Silver Crown race at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, leading the final 65 laps of the 100-mile race at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in his Liberty Village/McGladrey & Pullen Beast/Foxco. Gary Bettenhausen was the last Illinois driver to win the race, in 1983. Defending race winner Brian Tyler finished second ahead of Tanner Swanson, Levi Jones and Bryan Clauson. Kody Swanson led the first 19 laps but encountered mechanical problems and failed to finish. Jones then led 16 laps before Fike went to the front on a restart. The UMP Sportsman division will practice at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 17th for their feature on Sunday, August 18th.

The ARCA Allen Crowe Memorial will be held once again on Sunday, August 18, 2013 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. The Allen Crowe Memorial will consist of drivers in the ARCA division running 100 laps on the one-mile dirt oval; last year’s winner ARCA champion Frank Kimmel continues to re-write the ARCA Racing Series record book and he is doing the same thing for stock car racing at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Kimmel won an unprecedented eighth Allen Crowe 100 in 2012, breaking the all-time stock car record for wins on the Springfield Mile held by himself and the late Dean Roper. In doing so Kimmel broke a 46 year old 100-mile standard held by Don White and the ARCA race record that had stood for twenty years, and nearly set a world record for 100-miles on dirt in a stock car. And, if Frank can win on August 18, he will tie Chuck Gurney for the most wins by any driver in a four wheel vehicle on the Illinois State Fair mile at nine!

USAC driver Shane Cockrum of Benton is expected to be the other ‘double duty’ shoe at the Illinois State Fair, having signed on to pilot the stock car owned by West Frankfort’s Brad Hill. Indiana veteran Darrell Basham, despite a tornado and fire at the shop, looks for start number 14 in the Allen Crowe 100 Sunday will consist of practice at 9:00 a.m., the ARCA Cars will be qualifying for the Allen Crowe Memorial at 11:15 a.m. and the races are scheduled to begin at 1:35 p.m.

The Sportsman Nationals will also be held on Sunday, August 18th. The Sportsman division will run a last chance-qualifying race along with their feature event. The 20th running of the Sportsman Nationals coincides with the 51st Allen Crowe 100 on Sunday, however the Sportsman event returns to its roots as a two-day event for 2013 with practice and heat races Saturday along with the USAC Silver Crown Tony Bettenhausen 100, and the finale on Sunday immediately prior to the ARCA event.

Flanagan’s Ben Hulse had been an entrant in the Sportsman Nationals for a number of years first appearing in the 2001 feature lineup. Hulse had two top ten finishes through 2007 and has been absent from the entry list since the 2007 race. His luck changed dramatically in 2012 as he started from the pole and led all but two laps en route to victory after former champion Steve Sheppard, Jr. dropped out after the 14 mile mark.

Hulse is expected to defend his crown against a large contingent of central Illinois sportsman drivers this year.

NBC Sports Network will air four ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards races in August, giving the national stock car racing series an even greater television presence, including the ARCA race on Sunday, August 18 from the one-mile dirt oval at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. The race will air on Friday, August 23 at 11 p.m. ET.

Grandstand ticket prices for the Saturday, August 17, 2013 Tony Bettenhausen 100 and the Sunday, August 18, ARCA Allen Crowe Memorial are as follows: Advance Adults: $25.00 and Children 11 and under: $10.00 and Day of Adult Admission will be $30.00.

Tickets may be purchased at the Illinois State Fair ticket office 217-782-1979 or at Track Enterprises at 217-764-3200.  Infield tickets will only be sold the day of the scheduled event, race admission to the infield is $20.00 plus $5.00 fair admission fee for adults and children 11 & under are $10.00.

Information on the Illinois State Fair Auto races or other Track Enterprises, Inc. events can be found at www.trackenterprises.com.

Category: Illinois