TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Thirty-eight USAC Silver Crown drivers and cars are entered for the 20th running of the Sumar Classic scheduled for this Sunday, May 7, at The Terre Haute Action Track.
Of the 38 entries, four are previous Sumar Classic winners: Kody Swanson (2014), Shane Cockrum (2015), C.J. Leary (2016), plus two-time and defending event winner Justin Grant (2018 & 2022).
Seven-time titlist Kody Swanson (Kingsburg, Calif.) and 2020 series king Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) are the two past Silver Crown champs in the Sumar Classic field which also features nine Silver Crown race winners: Swanson, Grant, Cockrum, Leary, Grant, Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, Okla.), Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.), Russ Gamester (Peru, Ind.) and Shane Cottle (Kansas, Ill.).
They’ll be joined by the likes of past Terre Haute USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship feature winners Kevin Thomas Jr. (Cullman, Ala.) and Chase Stockon (Fort Branch, Ind.), plus USAC National series feature victors Matt Westfall (Pleasant Hill, Ohio), Jake Swanson (Anaheim, Calif.) and Davey Ray (Davenport, Iowa), all first-time Silver Crown win seekers.
Two women are entered to make their run at the Sumar Classic, Taylor Ferns (Shelby Township, Mich.) and Rookie of the Year contender Kaylee Bryson (Muskogee, Okla.), both of whom own top-five finishes with the series but are eying their first career win.
Bryson is one of 11 Silver Crown Rookies in the field along with 2022 USAC National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year Emerson Axsom (Franklin, Ind.), 2022 USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year Mitchel Moles (Raisin City, Calif.), 2021-22 Anderson Little 500 winner Tyler Roahrig (Plymouth, Ind.) and ASCS Sprint Car great Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City, Okla.).
USAC CRA Sprint Car standout Matt Mitchell (Yorba Linda, Calif.) will make his first Silver Crown appearance in 16 years, but still retains rookie status for 2023 and is joined by veteran and former Terre Haute USAC Sprint Car track record holder Dave Peperak (Clinton, Ind.).
Making their very first Silver Crown appearances during the Sumar will be Trey Burke (Alvin, Texas), Ryan Thomas (Indianapolis, Ind.), John Tosti (High Ridge, Mo.) and Gary Dunkle (Lincoln, Neb.) who finished as the runner-up in the 1976 Knoxville Nationals behind winner Eddie Leavitt.
The list of Silver Crown veterans in the lineup consists of Kyle Steffens (St. Charles, Mo.), Chris Fetter (Troy, Mo.), Austin Nemire (Sylvania, Ohio), Travis Welpott (Pendleton, Ind.), Casey Buckman (Chandler, Ariz.), Dave Berkheimer (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), 2022 Silver Crown Rookie of the Year Gregg Cory (Shelbyville, Ind.), Brian Ruhlman (Clarklake, Mich.), Mario Clouser (Auburn, Ill.), Patrick Bruns (Champaign, Ill.), Korey Weyant (Springfield, Ill.) and Tom Paterson (Argos, Ind.).