SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Thirty-eight (38) USAC Silver Crown cars and drivers are set to square off for a historic battle this Saturday, October 15, during the 59th running of the Bettenhausen 100 Presented By Hunt Brothers Pizza at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield.
Four past Bettenhausen 100 winners are in this year’s field, led by four-time victor Brian Tyler, three-time and defending race winner Kody Swanson, as well as one-time winners Russ Gamester and Justin Grant.
Nine Illinoisans will be vying for one of 30 starting positions in the 100-lap, 100-mile event on the historic Springfield mile dirt oval. Shane Cockrum, Shane Cottle and Chris Urish have all been victorious with the Silver Crown series on the Du Quoin mile in southern Illinois but are seeking their first at Springfield.
They are joined by fellow Land of Lincolners Mario Clouser, Patrick Lawson, Cary Oliver, Steven Russell, Patrick Bruns and Korey Weyant.
Four past Bettenhausen 100 pole winners are in the lineup, including Swanson (2014-15-21), Gamester (1997-98), Tyler (2012) and Grant (2020).
USAC national champions Logan Seavey and Swanson are involved in a dogfight atop the championship standings heading into the final dirt race of the year in the standings. Seavey has won the past three dirt races in the series and is tied atop the title race with Swanson. Two races remain on the schedule with Springfield on Saturday and at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park’s pavement oval on Saturday, October 22.
Fellow USAC national titlist C.J. Leary looks for his dirt mile win this weekend while reigning USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National champion and current point leader Buddy Kofoid will be making his maiden voyage at the Bettenhausen 100 this Saturday.
Anthony Macri will make his USAC Silver Crown debut with the same Chris Dyson Racing team that has captured the past two Springfield Silver Crown races with Kyle Larson (2020) and Kody Swanson (2021). Macri is fresh off his first two career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car victories last weekend at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway.