SPEEDWAY, Ind. — USAC Silver Crown driver Emerson Axsom and team owner Greg Nolen plan to make their team debut in the series season opener at Terre Haute Action Track on Sunday, May 1.
Just a few years ago, it was Emerson’s father, Joe Axsom, getting his chance to drive behind the wheel of Gene Nolen’s USAC Silver Crown car. The team made eight series starts on the pavement between 2015 and ’17.
Now, it’s the next generation of the Axsom and Nolen duo going racing themselves as they make their debut with the iconic, yellow No. 20 Silver Crown car.
The team’s initial plan is to compete on the dirt at Terre Haute, and eventually on the miles of the Illinois State Fairgrounds and the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds. This marks the return of the Greenwood, Indiana-based team, which has been a fixture with the series since the surname Nolen first appeard in the 1989 standings.
For Emerson, who is a two-time feature winner in both the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship and USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship, Sunday will mark his first foray in the big cars.
However, it won’t be Emerson’s first time with the Nolen Racing team, as he made three 125-lap pavement sprint car starts with the team at Anderson Speedway in 2021.
“I’m pumped,” Emerson said. “I’ve been a big fan of the crown cars for a while. I’ve been around Silver Crown racing and I kind of grew up around the Nolen shop when my dad ran for Gene Nolen. My dad always said to show your face and maybe something will come of it one day. He learned as much as he could about the racecars while driving for them, what they needed to be fast and how to work on them, and if an opportunity for me ever came, he’d be able to make sure I’d have the best opportunity to win. I’m super thankful for this opportunity and I’m ready to get in a crown car this weekend.”
Gene Nolen was the eighth winningest car owner in USAC Silver Crown history at the time of his death in April of 2020.
His son Greg spent many of those years alongside the team in the 1990s as a crewman, until school and business took him in his own direction. From Greg’s standpoint, when he and the crew roll the car out of the trailer and it hits the track, it’s going to be an emotional experience.
“It’s going to be very special,” Greg said. “There’s been a lot of years with that yellow No. 20 and it’s just amazing that we’re going to get a chance to run a few races this year and get it back out in memory of dad.”
Greg is particularly excited about the prospects of having 17-year-old Emerson in the seat, who he considers a natural in the race car.
“My dad would’ve been really excited about Emerson,” Greg said. “Emerson is a very levelheaded kid, and mature way beyond his age. I think anytime he gets in a car, he’s capable of winning the race. It’s going to be exciting to see what he can do, but we’re going this first time out just to learn. With that said, he’s a quick learner and anytime he’s in a car, I wouldn’t rule him out — that’s for sure.”
There’s no lack of confidence from Greg, and Emerson certainly feels the same way.
Emerson already boasts a successful track record in micro sprints, midgets and sprint cars. Now, he looks forward to the challenges that the Silver Crown car brings with its longer race format and different driving approach.
“Just the big, heavy nature of a crown car is going to be the challenge,” Emerson noted. “But I feel like I’ve adapted really well from the midget to the sprint car. Obviously, a sprint car is a lot bigger than a midget and a crown car is a lot bigger than a sprint car. I think it’ll just be a little bit slower motion version of a sprint car. When I ran the pavement sprint car, those were 125-lappers. You had to save your tires and be smart there. I think it’ll be a similar racing style to that.”
The yellow No. 20 has been around in some form or fashion on the USAC circuit since the 1970s, between the hands of Glen Niebel and Gene Nolen.