DUQUOIN, Ill. — Four past Ted Horn 100 winners across four different decades are among the 30 USAC Silver Crown entries set to compete in Saturday’s 71st running of the event at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds.
Among the four past Du Quoin winners in the field are Justin Grant who was won each of the past two Ted Horn 100s on the one-mile dirt oval in both 2023 and 2024 and is coming in fresh off a USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Smackdown victory last Saturday at Indiana’s Kokomo Speedway. He also enters Du Quoin while nursing a broken left foot suffered one month ago.
Despite it, in his two Silver Crown start since, he finished second at Salem Speedway and fourth at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
Grant is also the Silver Crown point leader by 77 markers over C.J. Leary. Grant could clinch the 2025 Silver Crown title this Saturday if he finishes the Du Quoin event 77 or more points ahead of C.J. Leary.
The maximum points available in a single event Silver Crown event is 76.
Grant is joined by fellow two-time Du Quoin winners, Michigan’s Brian Tyler (2008 & 2021) as well as local favorite Shane Cockrum (2014 & 2015) from Benton, Illinois. Peru, Indiana’s Russ Gamester returns for his 25th Du Quoin start after winning the event in 1997.
Kevin Thomas Jr. will make his USAC Silver Crown season debut this Saturday at Du Quoin. He’ll be driving the same John Haggenbottom owned car that just won on the other Illinois dirt mile at Springfield two weeks earlier with Kody Swanson at the wheel.
Swanson will be competing in a Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint Car Series event in Owosso, Mich., this weekend and will not compete at DuQuoin.
Thomas, who finished second at Du Quoin in 2018, will be joined by fellow runner-up C.J. Leary who took second in 2023. A.J. Fike finished third in 2013 while veteran Ken Schrader, the 1982 USAC Silver Crown champion, is back for his first series start of the season in a second Hans Lein owned ride alongside teammate Shane Cockrum. Schrader finished a best of 3rd with the USAC Champ Cars at DuQuoin in 1983.
Jake Swanson also took 3rd at DuQuoin in 2021 as did Briggs Danner in 2024, while Casey Buckman finished a career best fifth back in 2022.
Mario Clouser is back in the seat of the Rice Motorsports-Abacus Racing No. 22 machine, which won the 2022 Du Quoin event with Logan Seavey driving. Clouser finished 6th at the race in 2024, and just recently ran third at Springfield two weeks ago.
Kyle Steffens, who is the youngest winner on the Du Quoin Mile in a modified at the age of 16 in 2001, is now a veteran wheelman who finished a best of seventh with the Silver Crown series in 2024. Kyle Robbins took eighth in 2021 while Matt Westfall finished with a 10th at Du Quoin in 2022. Westfall took second on the Springfield Mile earlier this month.
All but six of the 30 drivers entered have previously started a Du Quoin USAC Silver Crown main event.
Among the veteran group are Korey Weyant (11th in 2024), Jimmy Light (12th in 2019), Chase Stockon (12th in 2022), Kip Hughes (14th in 2024), Dave Berkheimer (15th in 2023), Mitchel Moles (15th in 2024), Saban Bibent (18th in 2024), Danny Jennnigs (20th in 2024) and Kenny Gentry (26th in 2015).
2025 TED HORN 100 ENTRY LIST
3 ARIC GENTRY/Robards, KY (Tim & Linda Simmons)
6 JAKE SWANSON/Anaheim, CA (Klatt Enterprises)
7 KYLE ROBBINS/New Castle, IN (KR Racing)
8 KYLE STEFFENS/St. Charles, MO (Steffens Motorsports)
10 BRIGGS DANNER/Allentown, PA (DMW Motorsports)
17 WILL ARMITAGE/Athens, IL (Will Armitage Racing)
18 KENNY GENTRY/Henderson, KY (Gentry Motorsports)
19 MITCHEL MOLES/Raisin City, CA (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
21 C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (Team AZ-Petty-Rossi Racing)
22 MARIO CLOUSER/Auburn, IL (Rice Motorsports-Abacus Racing)
24 KEVIN THOMAS JR./Cullman, AL (John Haggenbottom)
25 CASEY BUCKMAN/Chandler, AZ (C-Buck Motorsports-Eddie Sachs Jr.)
31 DAVE BERKHEIMER/Mechanicsburg, PA (Dave Berkheimer Motorsports)
38 TOM SAVAGE/Red Lion, PA (Savage Motorsports)
39 A.J. FIKE/Galesburg, IL (A.J. Fike Racing)
51 (w) RUSS GAMESTER/Peru, IN (Gamester Racing)
54 MATT WESTFALL/Pleasant Hill, OH (4 Kings Racing)
61 DANNY JENNINGS/Norman, OK (David Grace)
65 TRAVIS MAHONEY/Oglesby, IL (SV Motorsports)
69 CHASE STOCKON/Fort Branch, IN (Pink 69 Racing)
78 ROB CAHO JR./Rush City, MN (Rob Caho Jr.)
79 TIM KENT/Bristow, OK (James Hoover)
81 (w) BRIAN TYLER/Parma, MI (BCR Group)
88 SABAN BIBENT/Cincinnati, OH (Sammy & Mouren Fetter)
91 (w) JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (Hemelgarn Racing)
97 (w) SHANE COCKRUM/Benton, IL (Hans Lein)
99 KOREY WEYANT/Springfield, IL (Scott Weyant)
118 JIMMY LIGHT/West Springfield, PA (Mike Thomas)
160 KIP HUGHES/North Enid, OK (Kip Hughes)
197 KEN SCHRADER/Fenton, MO (Hans Lein)
