SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — It’s “take two” for the USAC Silver Crown National Championship as the champ car division makes just its fourth October appearance at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
Thirty-eight brave souls are entered to compete this Saturday, Oct. 15, during the 59th running of the Bettenhausen 100 Presented By Hunt Brothers Pizza and Mite XStream, which will require a true test of skill, strategy and concentration for 100 miles and 100 laps.
A rain out on the traditional mid-August date pushed the date to October, a month in which champ car races at the Springfield Mile have come few and far between. Emil Andres scored a non-points special event in the Autumn of 1939, followed up with a victory by the race’s namesake, Tony Bettenhausen, in 1950. The most recent October date was captured by NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson who made a triumphant return to the mile in 2020.
REVIEWING THE TAPE
In the most recent edition of the Bettenhausen 100, Kody Swanson knew he had a long road ahead, starting from the 23rd position during the 2021 100-miler. As it turned out, he didn’t even need the full 100-lap distance to make it to the lead.
Swanson’s 2021 Springfield victory put him back in the winner’s circle on the dirt for the first time in three years, and this Saturday afternoon, he hopes to notch his first on the dirt since that moment in time.
The hard charging effort put forth by Swanson from the inside of the 12th row was the second furthest back any winner has started at Springfield in the USAC Silver Crown division, only trailing Kenny Irwin Jr.’s all-time series record run from 28th to first in 1995.
Swanson’s rain-shortened victory was also his third in the champ cars at Springfield after previously winning in 2014-15, making him one of 10 drivers to win in champ car competition at the track on three occasions. Swanson joined Chuck Gurney (7), A.J. Foyt (4), Jack Hewitt (4), Brian Tyler (4), Mario Andretti (3), Tony Bettenhausen (3), Dave Darland (3), Al Unser (3) and Rodger Ward (3) in that group.
THE TITLE RACE
Just like the 2021 Bettenhausen 100, which featured a tussle for the lead between Swanson and Logan Seavey, the same two are currently involved in a dogfight for the ages with both tied atop the overall Silver Crown standings entering Saturday’s penultimate round at Springfield.
Swanson is among four past Bettenhausen 100 winners in Saturday’s field.
Aside from his three wins, the six-time series champion has also finished second in 2017, seventh in 2013, eighth in 2011 and ninth in 2008. His 178 laps led at Springfield ranks tied for 13th all-time alongside Jim Hurtubise, who won the first two editions of the Bettenhausen 100 in 1961-62.
Logan Seavey has won each of the past three dirt USAC Silver Crown races this season at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway, the Du Quoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds and Ohio’s Eldora Speedway. With one more victory on Saturday, he’d become the first driver since Jack Hewitt in 1986 to win four-in-a-row with the series on dirt.
Seavey has been exceptional in his dirt mile runs in a USAC Silver Crown car.
He led a race-high 32 laps in the 2021 Bettenhausen 100.
BETTING THE HOUSE ON THEM
Swanson, Brian Tyler, Russ Gamester and Justin Grant make up the four past winners who are gunning for another.
Four-time race winner Tyler has led 306 laps at the Bettenhausen 100, second all-time and far more than anybody else in Saturday’s field. His four wins rank second in terms of Bettenhausen 100 success, trailing only Chuck Gurney’s seven. Tyler hasn’t raced at Springfield since 2018, but as recently as last year, he was a winner on an Illinois dirt mile, taking charge at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in September of 2021.
Gamester is the most experienced Bettenhausen 100 driver in Saturday’s field with 25 previous Bettenhausen 100 starts dating back to 1989. The 1989 USAC National Midget champ won back-to-back poles in 1997 and 1998, the latter of which he used to race to his lone Bettenhausen 100 win.
Grant, the 2020 Silver Crown king, is a veteran of five starts at Springfield and a veteran of victory lane at the Bettenhausen 100 in 2017. He’s finished inside the top-three in three of the last four Springfield races, also recording third place results in both 2018 and 2020.
The Search for Success on Central ILLINOIS SOIL
Shane Cottle, Shane Cockrum and Chris Urish have all won Silver Crown events on the Du Quoin Mile in southern Illinois, but are still hunting for their first on the central Illinois dirt mile of Springfield.
Cottle has an impressive Springfield resume in eight starts, tallying a third in 2015, fifth in 2007, sixth in 2017 and seventh in 2018. Cockrum charged from 25th to third at Springfield in 2021, which was his best result in eight career starts. Urish possesses 11 previous Bettenhausen 100 starts dating back to 2005, earning a best finish of 10th at Springfield in 2012.
SPRINGFIELD VETS
Eric Gordon returns to the Bettenhausen 100 for the first time since 2003. He’s made 13 previous starts in the event, finishing as the runner-up in his first try back in 1990. The National Sprint Car Hall of Famer also tallied a seventh in 2001.
Matt Westfall, a veteran of five Springfield starts, was fifth in both 2002 and 2004 and seventh a year ago in 2021. Kyle Steffens made his fourth Springfield start his best, recording the top finish of his 20-year USAC Silver Crown career with a fifth in 2021.
Three-time Springfield starter and a winner on the pavement at Wisconsin’s Madison International Speedway in June, C.J. Leary was sixth in 2015. Jake Swanson led 28 laps in his 2021 Bettenhausen 100 performance where he finished sixth. Out of Kyle Robbins’ three Springfield starts, he was most impressive with a sixth place run in 2018.
Casey Buckman turned in a career-best eighth place effort at Springfield in 2021, and recently turned in his best career Silver Crown performance with a fifth at Du Quoin in September. Carmen Perigo was a showman in the 2021 race, battling for the lead late before falling back to ninth.
Chase Stockon rode the high line to a 10th place result in 2021.
Seeking their first rides inside the top-10 are the Bettenhausen 100-experienced pack of Mike Haggenbottom, Davey Ray and Travis Welpott.
THESE GO TO 11
No Bettenhausen 100 race rookie has won the event in his first start since Cole Whitt in 2009.
Eleven Bettenhausen 100 Rookies are seeking their first start in the event on Saturday.
The 11 consists of 2021 USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Champion Buddy Kofoid as well as 2022’s winningest sprint car driver Anthony Macri. USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car top Rookie Emerson Axsom is entered for his third career Silver Crown appearance along with 2022 Silver Crown Rookie point leader Gregg Cory.
USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Cars’ ultimate ironman Chase Stockon and longtime sprint car veteran and USAC winner Dave Peperak will also be in the hunt this weekend.
Recent Gas City USAC Midget second place finisher Kaylee Bryson makes her dirt mile debut this Saturday at Springfield as does POWRi WAR Sprint Car champion Mario Clouser. Eldora Speedway late model and modified champ Brian Ruhlman is in for his first Springfield Silver Crown run along with 2021 Auto Value Super Sprint titlist Tom Paterson and second-time entrant Cary Oliver.
THE BETTENHAUSEN LEGACY
The event has been graced with the name of the Tinley Park, Illinois-based Bettenhausen family since 1961, shortly after patriarch Tony Bettenhausen lost his life in a practice crash at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway three months prior.
Tony was the 1951 AAA and 1958 USAC National Champion.
Tony’s son, Gary Bettenhausen, was a USAC Silver Crown champ in 1980 and 1983. He also won the event initially named in his father’s memory in both 1978 and 1983.
Tony’s second son, Merle Bettenhausen, finished inside the top-ten at Springfield in 1970-71 while Tony Bettenhausen Jr. made 103 IndyCar starts and 33 NASCAR Winston Cup starts in his career.