SPEEDWAY, Ind. — New incentives for lapped cars are up for grabs throughout the 2023 USAC Silver Crown season as part of the brand-new Engler Machine & Tool Fast Pass program.
During each caution period at every USAC Silver Crown event this season, lapped cars will be moved to the rear of the running order. Any pitted cars returning to the track will line up behind the lapped cars.
The first car in the running order that has been lapped will be issued an Engler Machine & Tool Fast Pass, granting that team one lap back as long as the car has not pitted or was involved in the most recent caution.
Engler is providing a total of $4,000 to Fast Pass recipients in 2023. Throughout the season, a points system will be kept regarding how many “fast passes” were earned. At the end of the season, that money will be split equally and $2,000 each will then be awarded to the driver and car owner who has accumulated the most fast pass awards throughout the season.
USAC National Competition Director Tommie Estes Jr. makes it abundantly clear that addition of the Engler Machine & Tool Fast Pass is multi-faceted in terms of giving back to the teams as well as pure excitement from a competition standpoint.
“The reason we’re doing this is to give back to the owners,” Estes stated. “We’re just trying to make the racing even more exciting, and I think it’s more exciting for the fans too to see more cars on the lead lap at the end of the race.”
Estes knows the drill. As a longtime competitor in sprint car, midget and silver crown racing, he’s driven for himself and has also been a hired driver. Without car owners helping him along during his near quarter-century behind the wheel, his on-track career would’ve been quite a bit shorter.
“I’m 100 percent behind the car owners,” Estes noted. “I was a driver for 23 years, but I was also a hired gun for 17 of those 23 years, and I knew if there weren’t owners for guys like me to go drive their cars, I was screwed.”
The 2023 USAC Silver Crown season begins in the month of April as part of a highly diverse 13-event slate on both dirt and pavement for the 53rd season of series competition.