By Richie Murray – USAC Media
DUQUOIN – Seven past Ted Horn 100 winners are represented in this Saturday’s 69th running of the Ted Horn 100 at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in southern Illinois on September 2.
Defending Ted Horn 100 winner Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.) leads the cast of 36 USAC Silver Crown entries this weekend at the one-mile dirt oval. Seavey, who won just two weeks ago at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, leads the series point standings entering the event as he pursues his first series title.
Seavey’s main nemesis in the championship fight is Kody Swanson (Kingsburg, Calif.), a two-time winner of the event in 2010 and 2017, the first of which was his first career USAC Silver Crown victory. Swanson, a seven-time Silver Crown champion, trails Seavey by a mere seven points in the 2023 title race.
Two-time Ted Horn 100 winner Shane Cockrum (Benton, Ill.) grew up and resides just down the road from the Magic Mile where he won back-to-back in 2014-15. Further Ted Horn 100 winners in Saturday’s lineup include Peru, Indiana’s Russ Gamester (1997); Kansas, Illinois’ Shane Cottle (2007); Elkhart, Illinois’ Chris Urish (2013) and Crawfordsville, Indiana’s Jacob Wilson (2019).
Cockrum won the pole for last year’s Du Quoin event at a time of 30.417 seconds, translating to 118.355 mph. Swanson captured the pole position in 2015-16-21 while Cottle earned the top qualifying spot in 2007-08. Wilson scored top qualifying honors in 2018 while Jerry Coons Jr. (Tucson, Ariz.) aims for his first win in the event after winning the pole four previous times in his career at Du Quoin in 2001-10-13-17.
USAC national champions Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) and C.J. Leary (Greenfield, Ind.) will be seeking their first Du Quoin victories this Saturday as will USAC national winners Davey Ray (Davenport, Iowa), A.J. Fike (Galesburg, Ill.), Chase Stockon (Fort Branch, Ind.) and Matt Westfall (Pleasant Hill, Ohio).
Two women will be in Saturday’s USAC lineup with Taylor Ferns (Shelby Township, Mich.) making her return to Du Quoin for the first time in a decade when she finished 5th in 2013. Meanwhile, Kaylee Bryson (Muskogee, Okla.) will make her Du Quoin debut.
Bryson is one of 10 USAC Silver Crown Rookies in the field along with USAC National Sprint Car and Midget star Emerson Axsom (Franklin, Ind.), 360 Sprint Car legend Wayne Johnson (Tuttle, Okla.) plus longtime sprint car veteran and USAC winner Dave Peperak (Clinton, Ind.).
Trey Osborne (Columbus, Ohio) takes his first try at a Silver Crown car this weekend, and he’s joined by series newcomers John Tosti (High Ridge, Mo.), Tim Simmons (Cabot, Ark.), Trey Burke (Alvin, Texas), Ryan Thomas (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Cary Oliver (Buncombe, Ill.) who made his first Du Quoin start in 2022.
USAC Silver Crown vets all across the field, including Mario Clouser (Auburn, Ill.), Du Quoin modified winner Kyle Steffens (St. Charles, Mo.), Patrick Lawson (Edwardsville, Ill.), Chris Fetter (Troy, Mo.), Travis Welpott (Pendleton, Ind.), Casey Buckman (Chandler, Ariz.), Dave Berkheimer (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), Danny Long (Bonne Terre, Mo.), Patrick Bruns (Champaign, Ill.), Korey Weyant (Springfield, Ill.) and Tom Paterson (Argos, Ind.).
RACE DETAILS:
The 69th running of the Ted Horn 100 features the USAC Silver Crown National Championship along with the 29th Annual Bill Oldani Memorial Prelims for DIRTcar Modifieds.
Registration and pit gates open at 7am Central. Grandstands and ticket office open at 9am. USAC Silver Crown practice is slated to run from 10-11:10am. USAC Silver Crown qualifying is scheduled for 11:30am followed by DIRTcar Modified hot laps and qualifying at 12:15pm and the USAC Silver Crown qualifying race at 12:30pm. DIRTcar Modified heats are on tap at 1pm followed by the USAC Ted Horn 100 feature at 2pm.
Tickets will be available on race day or by calling the Du Quoin Fair office at 618-542-1535. Info and tickets can also be obtained by calling the Track Enterprises office at 217-764-3200. Advance tickets are $25 for ages 12 and up and $10 for children age 11 and under. Race day tickets at the gate are $30 for ages 12 and up and $10 for children 11 and under. Pit passes are $35 for members and $40 for non-members ages 12 and up. Pit passes for children age 11 and under are $20.
It’s all part of a Labor Day weekend doubleheader of racing that also features ARCA and Modifieds on Sunday night, September 3.