By Jay Hardin Track Enterprises
DUQUOIN, Ill.-Two-time Ted Horn 100 winner Shane Cockrum was beside himself after the Hans Lein #97 Silver Crown championship car was hauled away on a hook during practice for the August 16 Bettenhausen 100 at Springfield. Cockrum had entered turn one at speed when the front end washed out and the car slid into the outside concrete and a series of flips ensued. Fortunately, the “Chief” wasn’t hurt but the car, a potential winner, was done for the day. Cockrum and the Lein team will be one of the contenders in the upcoming Ted Horn 100 at DuQuoin, joined on the team by veteran Ken Schrader.
Cockrum lives in Franklin County, Illinois where he is the chief of the local fire department and about 15 minutes from the Magic Mile in the middle of the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds. His father Cliff Cockrum was a legend in supermodified and sprint car competition throughout the Midwest. Shane followed suit climbing behind the wheel and ran his first race on the Magic Mile in 1998 as part of the UMP Modified Bill Oldani Memorial. Shane, however, had bigger things on his mind.
After running various cars, he paired with Decatur car owner Dave Hardy and ran his first Ted Horn 100 champ car race in 2011 finishing 17th completing 89 miles. A newer car in 2013 put him in the lead late in the going but a lack of fuel relegated him to fourth at the end. But there was a light of hope that Cockrum could break into DuQuoin’s victory lane.
The next year the Chief led 41 miles and the wild victory lane celebration led the driver and crew to jump in DuQuoin’s infield lake. In 2015 it was a repeat win, again starting 5th and crossing the finish line first. Overall, the two-time DuQuoin winner has 11 Ted Horn starts, leading 3 times for a total of 149 laps and completing 1082 of a possible 1100 miles.
Schrader ran his first one-mile dirt event at DuQuoin in August of 1979 in a USAC Stock Car. Schrader has seven Ted Horn 100 starts, the first in 1981 and the last in 2021. His best finish was a third in 1983 leading 9 laps.
It’s all part of a huge weekend of racing in Southern Illinois that opens on Saturday afternoon, August 30 for the Ted Horn 100 for the USAC Silver Crown Series. Then, Sunday night, August 31, the ARCA Menards Series returns for the Southern Illinois 100 for an evening under the lights. The DIRTcar Modifieds will race both days with prelims Saturday and the feature Sunday night.
Fans can save by purchasing advance sale discount tickets for the DuQuoin events by calling the DuQuoin State Fair box office at 618-542-1535 or Track Enterprises at 217-764-3200.
For more information on the DuQuoin State Fair Racing Weekend, including full schedules and event details, visit www.trackenterprises.com