USAC Silver Crown Springs To Action For 59th Bettenhausen 100

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The passion for the dirt miles is paramount during state fair season and devotees across the racing landscape heed its thundering call.

 

As one of two venues of its nature remaining on the USAC Silver Crown schedule, the Illinois State Fairgrounds is a unique breed of its own, requiring strategy, bravery, machismo and concentration around for 100 miles and 100 laps.

 

This Saturday, a field of 44 championship dirt cars and drivers will flock to the Springfield Mile for the 59th running of the Bettenhausen 100.

 

The lineup consists of the largest cast for the Bettenhausen 100 since nearly the dawn of the new millennium back in 2001 and honors the great tradition of the legendary racing family from Tinley Park, Illinois.

 

With the backdrop of the fair in plain sight and the aroma of corn dogs, lemon shake-ups, deep fried Junior Mints and other delights, Kody Swanson knew he had a long row to hoe starting from the 23rd position during the 2021 Bettenhausen 100. As it turned out, he didn’t even need the full 100-mile distance to make it to the lead.

 

The current point leader’s victory put him back in 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 during the Bettenhausen 100.

 

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 1st 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, joining 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.

 

Early on, Swanson got behind the eight ball despite laying down a blistering fast qualifying lap, but as it turned out, it was a blistering lap in more ways than one, a lap which necessitated a right rear tire change prior to the feature. Therefore, by rule, he relinquished his position on the pole, instead taking new rubber, a gamble that turned out to be well worth the risk.

 

 

 

Swanson is among five 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.

 

Four-time race winner Brian 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 all-time in terms of Bettenhausen 100 success, trailing only Chuck Gurney’s seven. Tyler hasn’t visited Springfield since 2018, but the last time he competed on an Illinois dirt mile, he won the thing, at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in September of 2021.

 

A.J. Fike captured consecutive Springfield wins in 2012-13 and could become the first Illinois native to win three Bettenhausen 100 races with another top-flight performance on Saturday. He also boasts an ARCA Stock Car victory on the Springfield Mile in 2015.

 

Russ 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.

 

Justin 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 3rd place results in both 2018 and 2020, the latter of which he started from the pole.

 

 

 

A trio of drivers in this weekend’s lineup have come close to tasting victory at Springfield, and rep a best finish of second coming into the race.

 

Logan Seavey has been exceptional in his dirt mile runs in a USAC Silver Crown car, finishing second in each of the last two at Springfield and Du Quoin in 2021. He led a race-high 32 laps in the 2021 Bettenhausen 100. The 2018 USAC Midget National Champion has also been swell in ARCA competition, starting third and finishing fourth in 2018 and winning the pole and finishing fourth in 2019.

 

Jerry Coons Jr. who will be aiming for his 20th career Bettenhausen 100 start and has finished as the runner-up on three occasions in 2001-02-03 and was 4th in 2021 to go along with three poles in 2004, 2017 and 2018.

 

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.

 

 

 

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, his best result in eight career starts, which also includes a 5th in 2013. Urish possesses 11 previous Bettenhausen 100 starts dating back to 2005, earning a best finish of 10th at Springfield in 2012.

 

 

 

Matt Westfall, a veteran of five Springfield starts, was fifth in both 2002 and 2004 and seventh a year ago in 2021. St. Charles, Missouri’s Kyle Steffens made his fourth Springfield start his best, recording the top finish of his two-decades-long 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 an outstanding 2021 Bettenhausen 100 performance which saw him finish 6th. Out of Kyle Robbins’ (New Castle, Ind.) three Springfield starts, he was most impressive in a sixth place run in 2018. Austin Nemire took an eighth in 2018 as the best of his four career Springfield starts.

 

Casey Buckman turned in a fine, career-best 8th place effort in 2021. Carmen Perigo was a showman in the 2021 race, battling for the lead late before falling back to 9th. Bill Rose (Plainfield, Ind.) won the pole for the 1999 Bettenhausen 100 and finished 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 Levittown, Pennsylvania’s Mike Haggenbottom (two starts, 12th in 2018); Davenport, Iowa’s Davey Ray (two starts, 13th in 2014); Pendleton, Indiana’s Travis Welpott (three starts, 14th in 2021); Winchester, Indiana’s Matt Goodnight (four starts, 14th in 2017); West Springfield, Pennsylvania’s Jimmy Light (one start, 15th in 2020) and Kaufman, Texas’ Nathan Moore (one start, 18th in 2021).

 

Bonne Terre, Missouri native Danny Long (three starts, 20th in 2020) owns the most life experience in Saturday’s field at 72 years old. He returns to the mile as will Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania’s Dave Berkheimer (two starts, 23rd in 2020), Troy, Ohio’s Dallas Hewitt (one start, 26th in 2022); Clinton, Indiana’s Dave Peperak (one start, 27th in 2021) and USAC National Sprint Car and Midget winner, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma’s Jason McDougal (one start, 28th in 2021).

 

 

 

Nine Flying Illini racers are entered in the lineup return for another go at Springfield this Saturday, including Fike, Cockrum, Cottle and Urish, plus Edwardsville, Illinois’ Patrick Lawson (seven starts, 12th in 2017); Rochester, Illinois’ Steven Russell (three starts, 14th in 2014); Champaign, Illinois’ Patrick Bruns (three starts, 15th in 2009) and Springfield, Illinois’ Korey Weyant (two starts, 19th in 2017) as well as Cary Oliver (Buncombe, Ill.), who returns to the series for the first time since a vicious qualifying crash into the Turn 3 wall at Springfield in 2021.

 

 

 

Russell’s father, Jerry Russell, made seven Springfield starts, finishing a best of sixth in his 1984 debut. Korey Weyant’s great uncle Chuck Weyant made AAA and USAC National Championship starts in 1954 and 1959, finishing 11th on both occasions. Korey’s uncle, Tony Weyant, made two starts at Springfield in 1980 and 1983.

 

C.J. Leary’s father, Chuck Leary, recorded three Springfield starts, finishing seventh in 1999. Austin Nemire’s grandfather, Jerry Nemire, made 10 starts with the Silver Crown cars at Springfield between 1982 and 1997, earning a best of seventh in 1984. Brian Tyler’s older brother, Bill Tyler, charged 24th to fifth in his lone Bettenhausen 100 start in 1980. 

 

Dallas Hewitt’s uncle, Jack Hewitt, won the Bettenhausen 100 four times in 1986, 1987, 1993 and 2000. Logan Seavey’s car owner, Robbie Rice, has a deep connection as well. Robbie’s father, Larry, raced to the Bettenhausen win during his first USAC Dirt Car titles season of 1977. Patty Bateman’s husband, Randy Bateman, raced in the event 12 times between 1984-2014. Patty will field a car for driver Jerry Coons Jr. in Saturday’s race.

 

 

 

No Bettenhausen 100 race rookie has won the event in his first start since Cole Whitt in 2009. Seven Bettenhausen 100 Rookies are seeking their first start in the event on Saturday. The seven consists of 2021 USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Champion Buddy Kofoid, ASCS National Sprint Car champion Wayne Johnson, 2022 Silver Crown Rookie point leader Gregg Cory, two-time 2021 local Indiana sprint car winner Tye Mihocko, Eldora Speedway late model and modified champ Brian Ruhlman, 2021 Auto Value Super Sprint titalist Tom Paterson and second-time entrant, first time starting hopeful Cary Oliver.

 

 

 

The event has been graced with the name of Bettenhausen 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 and won thrice in a champ car at Springfield between 1947-51.

 

Tony’s son, Gary Bettenhausen, twice a USAC Silver Crown champ in 1980 and 1983, won the event initially named in his father’s memory in both 1978 and 1983. Tony’s son, Merle, twice finished inside the top 10 at Springfield in 1970-71 while Tony Bettenhausen Jr. made 103 IndyCar starts and 33 NASCAR Winston Cup starts in his career, including the Indianapolis 500 11 times.