Track Enterprises
Congratulations to the State Fair Winners!!
by Track Enterprises on 09/08/11
Pit Notes from the Federated Auto Parts Southern Illinois 100 at DuQuoin
(With Springfield notes included) Labor Day brings out the best fans and competitors to the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds and Monday was no exception as Mother Nature brought out the best temperatures seen in years at DuQuoin with a fall like day at the “Magic Mile”. A strong cold front brought only sprinkles but temps in the 70’s and cloud cover for most of the morning helped keep the mile of dirt relatively moist until the sun came out just before the start. Thirty four machines were on hand with Centralia, Illinois’ Joe Cooksey returning to the ARCA wars and young Sikeston, Missouri driver Austin Retting making his debut. Texan Chris Buescher did something cousin James could not do, get an ARCA machine to victory lane on the dirt as the eighteen year old unseated 2009 Southern Illinois 100 winner Parker Kllgerman as the youngest major race winner in DuQuoin State Fair history. At 18 years, 10 months and 54 days the Prosper, Texas driver found victory lane after finishing second 5 times in the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. It looks like Chris is just the sixth rookie to win the Federated Southern Illinois 100 since 1979 and possibly just the seventh since 1960! Practice began at 9 in the morning with very cool temps, cloud cover and a steady 20 mile an hour win from the north. With a little extra water the track was a little slick and it showed on the stopwatch with lap times in the first half hour or so under the 100 mile an hour mark. Once the groove came in laps dipped under the 36 second barrier. Ty Dillon swept the poles at both Springfield and DuQuoin. His 33.678 lap was about 8 tenths off the track record of Ricky Stenhouse but was about 8 tenths faster than the second fastest qualifier. Dillon lost some points at Springfield but regained them at DuQuoin with a strong second place finish. He graciously shared the podium during the pole award ceremony with the late Dean roper’s brother Dale. Dillon also expressed how much he enjoyed running the dirt at DuQuoin. Frank Kimmel seemed to come to life during the race at DuQuoin. After a sub par qualifying effort of twenty-third the five time Southern Illinois 100 winner moved toward the front and at one point was in or near the top 5. He ended the day a fine sixth and can adct another record Kimmel owns on the Illinois dirt, he has the most consecutive starts at DuQuoin of any ARCA pilot with 21, having made every race at DuQuoin since 1991. Springfield’s Kelly Kovski added to his growing fan base Labor Day as his car was fastest in the one hour practice session and he qualified outside the front row. He looked to have the car to beat early on leading five of the first 17 laps and coming back to the front quickly after an early pitstop. He was able to run second and keep leader Buescher in sight for a while and slipped to fourth at the end. Not bad for a driver who runs just twice a year and is also the crew chief for Gran Enfinger. Canadian Andrew Ranger raised some eyebrows and gained some fans and respect with a tremendous fifth place Monday. It’s doubtful the former Champ Car World Series driver ever drove on the dirt and certainly had not seen the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds before. He wasn’t one of the fastest early on but kept following veterans like Frank Kimmel and ranger came to life the last half of the practice session looking like a dirt track veteran in practice, qualifying and the race. At one point of the 100-miler he appeared to be the fastest car on the track.
For the past ten years drivers with a significant open wheel background have won the pole at DuQuoin. Not this year. While some qualified near the front none were as fast as Ty Dillon. It appears the ARCA dirt events are becoming a way for drivers to get some notice that might not otherwise be available to them as they look to advance in motor sports. Josh Richards was a well known late model driver and his fine third at DuQuoin in 2007 for Tony Stewart led to some opportunities that saw him in Atlanta for the NASCAR weekend. Chris Windom was well known in his home of Canton, Illinois and in Indiana sprint car circles but his stunning third at Springfield has the eyes of some stock car folk on the young driver. Missouri’s Will Vaught also caught some attention with very good runs at Springfield and DuQuoin Three drivers pulled ‘double duty’ over the weekend. Chris Windom, Darren Hagen and A.J. Fike all ran Sunday’s Ted Horn 100 USAC Silver Crown championship dirt car event. Windom opened eyes witrh a strong third in the WinTron Dodge at Springfield and was headed for a top 5 when he got shuffled out of the groove and the freight train went by on the inside but he still managed a thirteenth. Hagen’s maiden voyage in Billy Venturini’s machine started sixth and ended twelfth. Fike had a bad weekend losing the engine in the dirt car in practice and then a battery issue relegated him to twenty eighth on Monday after 14 circuits. Monday’s race was one of the best and most competitive ever seen in stock cars on the DuQuoin dirt. There were eight lead changes (that ties a 100-mile record at DuQuoin) among five drivers including a stint where the lead changed hands four times in four laps early in the going. 2011 was the ninth ‘overtime’ race in DuQuoin history. The nineteen starters completing the distance and twenty five running at the end is not a record but above the average, the seven cautions for thirty two laps just a bit above the average at DuQuoin.
Pit Notes from Spirngfield
Springfield, IL August 24, 2011-by Jay Hardin-Chad McCumbee may have played Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the ESPN movie “3” a few years ago but he looked a lot like Dale Sr. in winning the 49th Allen Crowe 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds on Sunday. It was clear from the grandstand early on that the Supply, North Carolina driver had a strong mount and he proved it by hunting down two time World of Outlaw Late Model champ Josh Richards and taking the lead on lap 17, then pulling away until the first caution came out just prior to the 40th go around. Even with the pit stop shuffle it did not take long for McCumbee to reassert himself and once he took the lead there was little anyone could do with him except try to get by him on a restart then hold him back. Not even a late caution on lap 99 derailed the leader and he was able to give long time ARCA participant Andy Belmont his first ARCA win as a car owner. A wild celebration ensued in the Belmont pit area and in victory lane. This was McCumbee’s third start on the Springfield Mile, the first coming in 2005. Chad has completed all but one lap run in those three races and despite never having dropped out of an Allen Crowe 100, Sunday’s victory was his first top ten finish at Springfield. His 72 laps led now places him 25th on the all-time laps led list in stock cars at the Springfield Mile. Speaking of laps led, in an unusual occurrence the four lap leaders Sunday, Ty Dillon, McCumbee, Josh Richards and Tim George all were first time lap leaders at Springfield. Ty Dillon came to Springfield with a huge point lead and left with one despite a flat right rear tire which sent him two laps down in the early going. The 19 year old became one of the youingest pole sitters in Allen Crowe history (19 years, 5 months 25 days) with the seventh fastest pole speed since 1950. Dillon led the first lap before being overtaken by Josh Richards. By the way Justin Allgaier, 19 years 2 months and 15 days remains the youngest pole winner (2005) in Allen Crowe history. Frank Kimmel continues to climb the Illinois State Fairgrounds statistical ladder with regard to stock car racing. Cemented as the all-time money winner in stock cars at Springfield (we are still working on the exact total) and the all-time lap leader (614) plus having seven Crowe 100 trophies, Kimmel made hisstart on the Springfield mile which ties him for second in Allen Crowe 100 starts with Bay Darnell. His 20th consecutive start is also tied for second with Darnell behind leader Kenny Rowley who retired with 25. With a seventh Sunday Frank has 16 top ten finishes at Springfield in those 20 starts. That is tied for top 10’s in the Allen Crowe 100 with Don White however White has more overall top 10’s at Springfield with 19. Frank has also completed 1897 miles in the Allen Crowe 100 which is tops among all drivers but still behind all time Springfield stock car mileage leader Don White (2191). Several dirt late model standouts ran the Crowe 100 Sunday with mixed success. Two ran for Bill and Billy Venturini. Josh Richards led early on and finished ninth in his Springfield debut while fellow rookie Will Vaught of Missouri made quite an impression. The Lucas Oil late model standout got a lucky dog pass to come from one lap down to finish fifth. Current UMP late model point leader Ryan Unzicker of El Paso, Illinois was strong early but hit the wall in turn three on lap 62 and significantly shortened Bill Hendren’s new Chevy. Former UMP national champ Rodney Melvin’s car overheated on lap 90 putting him on the sideline.
Open wheeler’s AJ. Fike and Chris Windom also had mized results Sunday. Fike finished 12th in Saturday’s Bettenhausen 100 champ car event then qualified his Ford fifth for the Crowe 100. The car dropped out on lap 6 after overheating. Windom ran tenth on Saturday and had picked up the ARCA ride in the Win Tron Dodge only a few days before. In his ARCA debut the youngster was impressive qualifying eighth and finishing a very strong third. Open wheeler Tom Hessert had a strong second for owner Ken Schrader and moved to a tie for fifth in ARCA points. Locals Kelly Kovski (Springfield), Mark Littleton (Arenzville), Joe Mueller (Brighton) and Dale Shearer (Alahambra). Shearer’s car overheated on lap 35, Mueller’s on lap 56. Littleton had his best Springfield finish with a fifteenth. Kovski, the crew chief for ARCA regular Grant Enfinger, turned in yet another top ten at Springfield coming home sixth. It is his fourth top ten finish in seven starts and his third sixth place finish. Centralia native Joe Cooksey was spotted in the pit area and apparently has a car ready for his return to ARCA racing at DuQuoin. James Harvey Hylton added to his legacy as the oldest driver ever to start a Springfield stock car race at age 76 years, 11 months and 26 days. Twelve cars completed the 100 miles with seventeen running at the end. The thirty one starters tied last year’s field for the fewest in an ARCA event at Springfield since 1985 though last year there were cars that were unable to start after practice and qualifying. Such was not the case this year. This was the seventh time the winner came from the third position and the 18th time in the 58 stock car events at Springfield the pole sitter finished out of the top 10. This was the fourth time a car with the number 1 won a stock car race at Springfield, the last was Ramo Stott in an exciting duel with Butch Hartman in August of 1976! There were 6 lead changes among 4 drivers with 5 cautions for 30 miles. This was the tenth time the event exceeded the 100 mile distance with each of the last four going overtime. Sunday’s purse easily pushed the total stock car payout to participants at Springfield over the 3 million dollar mark. Sunday’s attendance means that well over half a million people have filed through the turn styles over the years to watch stock cars on the Springfield dirt. The 49th Crowe 100 was on an unofficial record pace for the first 50 miles. On the watch the first lap was run at 34.76 (103.567), the first 25 in 14:17.24 (104.988) and the first 50 in 31:42.63 (89.882). The first caution did not fly until lap 36 and had the remainder of the race been caution free it’s pretty clear that every recognized race record (Marshman’s 1:03:18.11 in 1964, Don White’s 1:06:30.14 in 1966 or Bowsher’s 1:08:00.00 in 1991) at Springfield would have fallen by the wayside.
DuQuoin State Fair UMP Modified Results
1. Ken Schrader, Fenton, MO
2. Tony Stewart, Columbus, IN
3. Matt Mevert, Massachusetts, IL
4. Shelby Miles, Bloomington, IN
5. Jared Kneemiller, St Perts, MO
6. Nic Bidinger-Kearney, MO
7. Jesse Snyder, Robinson, IL
8. Tim Burdel, DuQuoin, IL
9. Joe Geisler, St. Mary, MO
10. Blake Cook, DuQuoin, IL
11. Christopher Winters, DuQuoin, IL
12. Emmett Groves, Charleston, MO
13. Terry James, Winfield, MO
14. Charles Baker, Labelle, MO
15. Dennis Vandermeersch, Springfield, IL
16. Tommy Scott, Springfield, IL
17. Rick Weitekamp, Springfield, IL
18. Steve Adams, Humboldt, IL
19. Brian Shaw, Robinson, IL
20. Curt Rhodes, Taylorville, IL
21. Jonathan Rowan, Jackson, TN
Tony Stewart Enters DuQuoin UMP Modified Event for Labor Day
by Track Enterprises on 09/02/11
2-Time NASCAR Champ Back After 8 Year Absence DuQuoin, IL
(September 1, 2011)-Tony Stewart likes the race track at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds so much that he took time out of a busy NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule to file an entry today for the 18th Bill Oldani Memorial UMP Modified race on Labor Day at the “Magic Mile”. Barring unforeseen circumstances during the 500-mile event at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday night (weather, accident, etc) the two time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion will make the flight to southern Illinois and be on the grounds for UMP Modified practice Monday morning. Tony’s task of winning the 18th Oldani Memorial will be tough enough with fellow NASCAR driver Ken Schrader in the field. Schrader won the last two Indyana Classic events at the Indiana State Fairgrounds going away and his potent UMP Modified will be one of the cars Stewart will have to pass to take the 20-mile Labor Day race. Schrader has plenty of experience running and winning at DuQuoin. His first USAC stock car start came at DuQuoin in September of 1979 and Schrader finally found victory lane in an ARCA machine and a crate late model in 2006, then repeated the ARCA victory in 2007. Making Stewarts Labor Day at DuQuoin even more interesting is the possibility that he will have to start near the rear of the 20-mile main event and work his way to the front. Stewart will be unable to run the qualifying heat races on Sunday night so it is possible he will have to start near the back of the starting field. DuQuoin has been kind to the 1997 Indy Racing champ over the years. He ran six USAC Silver Crown races between 1992 and 1997 with five top six finishes including a sixth in 1995 which helped him become USAC’’s first Triple Crown champion. Stewart completed 590 of a possible 600 laps in the dirt cars, his lone exit was news worthy as he barrel rolled in turn three in 1993 and walked away uninjured. Tony returned to DuQuoin in 2001, this time in ARCA stock car competition and he set a standard for stock car pilots at DuQuoin that has not been bettered since the stock cars came to the “Magic Mile” in 1950. In three starts from 2001-2003, Stewart won three pole positions, set two new one lap track records, won the 2003 Southern Illinois 100 and led 137 laps while never finishing lower than second! No other stock car driver in DuQuoin history had such a record in their first three events. Stewart returned as an owner in 2007 and his car finished third with 20 year old Josh Richards at the wheel! Tony will have to deal with a strong UMP Modified field on Labor Day that should include former winners Jeff Parks of Marion, Illinois and Brian Shaw of Robinson, Illinois as wellas defending winner Shelby Miles of Bloomington, Indiana. The 20-mile UMP Modified event is slated for around noon prior to the ARCA Southern Illinois 100 on Labor Day at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds.
DuQuoin State Fair Auto Racing Itinerary
by Track Enterprises on 08/31/11
DuQuoin State Fair Auto Racing
INFORMATION SHEET
September 4 & September 5, 2011
Sunday, September 4 USAC Silver Crown & UMP Modified Stock Cars
Admission: $20.00 Adults $10.00 Children
Day of Adult Tickets: $25.00
Grandstand is reserved seating / Bleachers are general admission
Pit gates open: 2:00 p.m.
Ticket office & Grandstands open: 4:00 p.m.
Practice: 5:00 p.m.
Qualifying: 6:30 p.m.
Feature: 8:00 p.m.
Monday, September 5 ARCA Car Series & UMP Modified Stock Cars
Admission: $20.00 Adults $10.00 Children
Day of Adult Tickets: $25.00
Grandstand is reserved seating / Bleachers are general admission
Pit gates open: 6:00 a.m.
Ticket office open: 8:30 a.m.
Practice: 9:00 a.m.
ARCA Qualifying: 11:00 a.m.
Racing Begins at: 12:15 p.m.
ARCA Feature 1:00 p.m.
The UMP Modified feature will be directly before or directly after
ARCA qualifying. All racing participants enter southeast edge of fairgrounds – Gate 8
-No Enclosed Trailers will be admitted into infield-ONLY pickup trucks with open trailers will be admitted.
$30.00 – One Day pit pass
Pit passes may be obtained at driver sign in on back stretch road or at turn 4 credential table.
***A Pit Bracelet entitles holder entrance to pit area and bleacher seating only, not reserved grandstand seating***
Overnight camping available in campgrounds
No Coolers allowed in Grandstands
Rain Dates will be announced
Track Enterprises: (217) 764-3200
Southern Illinois 100 Takes ARCA Racing Series Back to Dirt
by Track Enterprises on 08/31/11
(TOLEDO, Ohio) - One race has been in existence longer than any other on the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards tour, and though ARCA cars have only been a part of the event for half of that era, nearly three decades of history promise another good show on Monday afternoon.
The Southern Illinois 100 presented by Federated Auto Parts at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds has existed since 1950 and been run in consecutive years every year since 1954, meaning that Monday's event will be the 59th over a history that includes winners like Fred Lorenzen, Jack Bowsher, A.J. Foyt, and Rusty Wallace, not to mention recent ARCA stars like Frank Kimmel, Parker Kligerman, and 2010 winner Steve Arpin.
Practice for the 16th race of the 19-event 2011 ARCA Racing Series season will begin at 9 a.m. Monday, with Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell following at 11 a.m. and the 100-lap, 100-mile race going off at 1 p.m. The Southern Illinois 200 is the second of two dirt mile events on this season's schedule. All times are Central Daylight, and ARCARacing.com will feature live timing and scoring coverage and live audio coverage of all on-track events.
ARCA began its affiliation with the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds and the Southern Illinois 100 in 1983, and the event has taken place on Labor Day for each of the past 10 years, dating back to 2001.
Kimmel, driver of the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Ford and a nine-time ARCA champion, is the all-time win leader at the dirt oval with five victories (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008). The Southern Illinois 100 will be his 60th start since his last win, which came at Salem Speedway in September 2008, only days after his most recent DuQuoin win.
In all, Kimmel has 13 dirt victories - including five at DuQuoin - and finished seventh on the similar Springfield, Ill. mile nine days ago. With a series-high 14 top-10 finishes in 15 races, Kimmel is undoubtedly a driver to watch at DuQuoin.
Only two drivers stand above Kimmel in driver points: Ty Dillon (No. 41 Hemelgarn/CIPT Chevrolet) leads Chris Buescher (No. 17 Reliance Tool/David Ragan Ford Ford) by exactly 400 points, and both have reason to believe a trip to Victory Lane could be in store following a rare Monday afternoon event.
Dillon finished a career-worst 13th at Springfield, but will carry a series-high seven wins and a wealth of dirt racing experience into the event. Buescher, meanwhile, finished eighth at Springfield but has five runner-up finishes this season, including one Friday at Madison International Speedway in Wisconsin. A two-time winner last season, Buescher is still looking for a breakthrough victory in 2011.
Chad McCumbee (No. 1 ModSpace Ford) certainly figures to be a contender, having just won at Springfield. Tom Hessert (No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet) will enter DuQuoin with second-place finishes in each of his last two dirt starts.
Will Kimmel (No. 68 Messina Wildlife Management/Menards Ford) is the nephew of Frank Kimmel, and he will aim to improve on a sixth-place finish at DuQuoin in 2010 and a fourth-place run at Springfield earlier this month.
Another dirt specialist entered is Kelly Kovski (No. 39 Central Illinois Security/Schluckebier Farms Chevrolet), who finished ninth last season at DuQuoin and sixth at Springfield this year. Kovski is typically the crew chief at Allgaier Motorsports for top-five contender Grant Enfinger (No. 36 Hoosier Tire Midwest/RaceTires.com Dodge), making his entry as a driver even more appealing.
Other notable entries include two-time World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion Josh Richards (No. 25 Joy Mining Machinery Chevrolet), who is often regarded as one of the world's finest dirt drivers, and Andrew Ranger (No. 53 Van Dyke Baler/Bollegraaf Ford), a road course ace who won at New Jersey Motorsports Park earlier this season.
Thirty-five cars are currently entered.
The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards features 19 events at 16 tracks on its 2011 schedule. The series has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. The series tests the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, annually visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course.
Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.
CONTACT:
Griffin Hickman, ARCA
(419) 574-2685 (mobile)
ghickman@arcaracing.com
Don Radebaugh, ARCA
(419) 450-0611 (mobile)
dradebaugh@arcaracing.com
