“Back when I raced, when you got to the Silver Crown Series you were at the pinnacle and all of the races were real events,” Estes said. “Somehow or somewhere it kind of lost that luster and I want to try to get back to where people think of it that way. I told the owners, I want to get it back to that level then maybe we can get back to Phoenix and places like that.”
Regardless of how the public feels about the Hoosier Hundred being a pavement race, Estes is comfortable with the decision.
“Raceway Park is doing a great job,” he said. “The Hoosier Hundred is bigger than any event we have on dirt. Look, people do not like change. The guy who eats lunch at noon doesn’t like to eat at 11:30. That’s what we are fighting here but once they see the product and what Kasey and his team are doing, they will be happy with it.”
For Estes, creating a schedule is a balancing act. He would be comfortable building a 16-race season but realizes his current group of owners are comfortable in the 13- to 14-date bracket. He also understands that many of the drivers also race sprint cars and midgets. That alone leaves few openings to slot in additional races.
“You have to walk that line and I have got to find that sweet spot,” Estes said. “A lot of that depends on listening to owners. My main deal is I need to keep promoters and owners in this game. I can always find drivers. That isn’t an issue. But I have to have playgrounds and owners who want to come to play in them.”
More than anything, what has supporters of this series fired up is an expanded roster of teams that have a legitimate shot of winning on dirt and pavement. On the pavement side, it has been difficult to top Kody Swanson, Bobby Santos and part-timer Tanner Swanson.
However, C.J. Leary posted a dominant win at Madison Int’l Speedway and was in position to score on multiple occasions. Pavement ace Tyler Roahrig is fresh off consecutive wins in the Little 500. Justin Grant has won at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway and Billy Wease will be on hand after an eight-year absence with Robert Wilson Racing. Dakoda Armstrong has recently returned to his roots, while Kaylee Bryson will gun for rookie-of-the-year honors with Sam Pierce Racing.
To win the title, teams must run dirt and asphalt and this year more teams are prepared to do that. Kody Swanson will go for his unprecedented eight championship with Doran Racing. Rice Motorsports and Logan Seavey have dealt Kody Swanson fits over the past two years. They will be back.
Going into the new year former champion Grant and Leary also appeared to have a legitimate shot to challenge Swanson’s supremacy.
Notable additions include Taylor Ferns, who will now be a full-time competitor, with Mario Clouser’s Kazmark team also securing a dirt car for the year. Silver Crown standout Brian Tyler has stepped away from the BCR Group entry to be replaced by Matt Westfall.
Veteran Wayne Jonson and Two C Racing will be a new full-time entry and the same can be said for modified standout Kyle Steffen, who has shined on the dirt mile races in the past. It appears 16 teams are prepared to run the full slate.
In addition, there are a significant number of new drivers and teams taking on the dirt portion of the schedule.
It feels like a pivotal year for the Silver Crown Series.
“Kevin (Miller) and I had been talking for a couple of years and I felt this was as good a time as any to come on board and ride the wave with it,” Estes said.
He knows the Hoosier Hundred is an example of the vision he has for this series. Will it work? That is the key question. Kasey Coler is not just a dreamer. He knows his team is taking a risk, but remains optimistic.
“People are saying they want to be a part of this,” he said. “That reassures us about what we are trying to do here.”
This story appeared in the April 5, 2023 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
