DUQUOIN, Ill. — Five past Ted Horn 100 winners are among the 24 USAC Silver Crown entries set to compete in this Saturday’s 72nd running of the event at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in southern Illinois.
The five past Du Quoin winners in the field are defending winner C.J. Leary (2025), two-time winners Brian Tyler (2008 & 2021), Shane Cockrum (2014 & 2015), and Justin Grant (2023 & 2024), plus one-time winner Chris Urish (2013).
DOUBLE DIPPIN’
C.J. Leary is attempting to become the 11th driver to win the Ted Horn 100 in back-to-back years, following Sam Hanks (1953-1954), Jimmy Bryan (1955-1956), A.J. Foyt (1960-61 & 1963-64), Al Unser (1969-70), Mario Andretti (1973-74), Gary Bettenhausen (1982-83), Jack Hewitt (1986-87), Tracy Hines (2005-06), Shane Cockrum (2014-15), and Justin Grant (2023-24).
Leary has run his currently active streak to 15 consecutive top five finishes with the series dating back to last season, with two wins, a second, three thirds, and a fourth. He also enters with a 69-point lead in the season-long USAC Silver Crown standings.
DANNER YEAR
Briggs Danner captured the victory on the other dirt mile on the circuit at the Illinois State Fairgrounds two weeks ago.
Danner finished third on the Du Quoin Mile back in 2024 and is aiming for a bit of history on Saturday by sweeping to champ car victories at both Illinois dirt miles in the same season.
The only other drivers to achieve that particular feat are Tony Bettenhausen (1951), Sam Hanks (1953), Jimmy Bryan (1955 & 1956), Johnny Thomson (1958), A.J. Foyt (1964 & 1967), Al Unser (1970), Mario Andretti (1973 & 1974), Gary Bettenhausen (1983), Jack Hewitt (1986, 1987 & 1993), Chuck Gurney (1989, 1994 & 1996), Paul White (2001), J.J. Yeley (2002), Tracy Hines (2006), Brian Tyler (2008), Chris Windom (2018) & Justin Grant (2024).
GRANT BACK
Justin Grant won at Du Quoin in both 2023 and 2024 and also captured the pole position in both events. He was fourth last year.
Grant led the first 87 miles of the Springfield race a couple weeks ago before engine difficulties stifled his bid for victory.
Grant, who ranks second in series points, remains on the hunt for his first victory of the 2026 USAC Silver Crown season. He captured his sixth Chili’s Sprint Car Smackdown score just last weekend at Kokomo.
SOUND THE SIREN
Shane Cockrum is the hometown hero at Du Quoin and took a double dip into the infield pond/lake back in 2014 and 2015 in front of a crowd of adoring fans.
From nearby Benton, Illinois, the city’s fire chief has made 12 Ted Horn 100 starts dating back to 2011 and has also finished as the runner-up in both 2017 and 2022. He took 9th at the Springfield Mile two weeks ago.
Cockrum, along with Justin Grant and Brian Tyler, are vying for a third champ car win at Du Quoin, a feat that has been achieved by the elite of the discipline: A.J. Foyt (6), Gary Bettenhausen (5), Mario Andretti (3), Tony Bettenhausen (3), Tom Bigelow (3), Chuck Gurney (3), and Jack Hewitt (3).
TYLER TOO!
Brian Tyler is shooting for his 23rd Ted Horn 100, and he’s as good as ever.
He won the race for a second time in 2021 in spectacular fashion from the 11th starting position, and last year, he advanced 16th to sixth, then restarted at the tail and drove back through the field to finish fifth. He also won the race in 2008.
Tyler made a similarly spectacular charge at Springfield a couple weeks back, racing from 19th to 5th before his engine went sour. Of note, no driver has passed more cars in USAC Silver Crown history than Tyler with 843.
MOVIN’ ON UP
Three more drivers collected career bests at the Springfield Mile in August and look to carry that momentum into Du Quoin on Saturday.
Jake Swanson was strong, as he equaled his career best series result of 2nd while also garnering his finest performance yet on a dirt mile at the wheel of the Klatt Enterprises No. 6.
Saban Bibent ran near the front all day at Springfield and came home with a fifth-place finish in his Sammy & Mouren Fetter owned machine. That marked Bibent’s best finish in USAC national competition.
Chelby Hinton is making a bid for Rookie of the Year honors in the Silver Crown division. After three top 10 results in all three of his starts this year, including a 10th at Springfield in a second Klatt car, Hinton is just 34 points behind Rookie leader Hayden Reinbold.
