55 YEARS LATER, USAC & JENNERSTOWN MEET AGAIN SATURDAY…FOR THE FIRST TIME!

By: Richie Murray – USAC Media

Jennerstown, Pennsylvania (August 7, 2024)………It’s been 20 years to the month since the USAC Silver Crown National Championship last competed on pavement in the state of Pennsylvania.

This weekend marks the return of the series to the asphalt at a Keystone State venue, and this time, it’s for the first time, on Saturday night, August 10.

For the first time ever, Jennerstown Speedway will host the champ cars on its .522-mile paved oval, which first welcomed racing events in 1930 on the south edge of the town with a population of roughly 677.

The world of USAC racing converges upon the borough this weekend, and here are the storylines to keep your eyes and ears affixed to!

SANTOS WITH A JENNERSTOWN WINNING PEDIGREE

Bobby Santos is the only driver in this weekend’s field who possesses winning experience at Jennerstown Speedway.

The 12-time USAC Silver Crown winner achieved two feature victories with the Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint Car Series in 2019 and 2022.  In 2018, Santos (Franklin, Mass.) was also the fastest qualifier in a winged sprint car, topping out at a 15.550 second lap around the .522-mile paved oval.

Santos is also the lone driver in the field who competed on pavement with the USAC Silver Crown series in Pennsylvania, at Nazareth Speedway in 2004.  However, his involvement in a lap 33 accident ended his day early with a finish of 30th.

JENNERSTOWN EXPERIENCED

Bobby Santos isn’t the only driver to own previous Jennerstown experience.  However, he does appear to be the only driver with previous open wheel experience at the place.

Seven-time USAC Silver Crown champion Kody Swanson (Kingsburg, Calif.) enters as the point leader by 31 markers in the 2024 title race.  Back in 2021, Swanson competed in a pavement late model during the Motor Mountain Masters but dropped out early after 46 laps.  Swanson has won 28 times on seven different pavement tracks in his USAC Silver Crown and aims to add Jennerstown this weekend.

During the early 1990s, Russ Gamester (Peru, Ind.) was a regular competitor on the American Speed Association (ASA) Stock Car circuit, making three Jennerstown starts in 1992-93-94.  Of the only five previous pavement USAC Silver Crown races held in Pennsylvania, Gamester is among the winners.  He scored at Nazareth back in 2001.

KODY LEADS A FOUR HORSE RACE

Of course, points are crucial at any and all points throughout the year, but especially when it comes to this August.  Four USAC Silver Crown races are on tap this month, including two on pavement and two on dirt.

At press time, it appears to be a four horse race for the title with three past Silver Crown champions among the group.  Kody Swanson leads the squad with 423 points.  Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.), the 2020 series champ, is his closest challenger at the moment, 31 points behind.

Defending series titlist Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.) stands third, 50 points back from the leader.  C.J. Leary (Greenfield, Ind.) remains only 53 points from the top as he seeks a first Silver Crown title.

Interestingly, from this bunch, only Swanson has won a Silver Crown race thus far this year.  A win by any of the four would be pivotal for their title hopes, especially at this juncture.

THE ROOKIE RUN

The other points race to keep an eye on is the battle for Rookie of the Year.  Trey Osborne currently owns a 56-point lead in that department over Nathan Moore.

Osborne (Columbus, Ohio) has cemented himself as a force over his past couple of series starts on each surface.  On the pavement of Wisconsin’s Madison International Speedway, he drove it home fourth.  In his next outing on dirt, Osborne put his ride on the podium for the first time in his career with a third place result on the dirt at Salt City Speedway.

Moore (Kaufman, Texas) also made his best career run at Salt City, finishing eighth after starting 16th to earn hard charger honors.  Like Osborne, for Moore, Jennerstown will present a brand new, first-time racing experience.

GOING FOR 4-STRAIGHT FIRST-TIME WINNERS

This USAC Silver Crown season has been both fascinating and unpredictable.  Through the first seven races of the season, four brand new first-time series winners have emerged: Kaylee Bryson (Belleville), Daison Pursley (Port Royal), Dakoda Armstrong (New Castle, Ind.) and Kevin Thomas Jr. (Salt City).

That’s the most in a single season since 2010, and we’re only halfway through the 2024 campaign.

More than half of this weekend’s field is seeking their first career Silver Crown win.  Among them are Taylor Ferns (Shelby Township, Mich.) and Tyler Roahrig (Plymouth, Ind.), both of whom have finished on the podium in their USAC Silver Crown career.

Top series Rookies Trey Osborne and Nathan Moore are also among the group as are Jackson Macenko (Cincinnati, Ohio), Nathan Byrd (Goodyear, Ariz.), Kyle Steffens (St. Charles, Mo.), Gregg Cory (Shelbyville, Ind.), Mike Haggenbottom (Levittown, Pa.) and Dave Berkheimer (Mechanicsburg, Pa.).

IT’S BEEN AWHILE, JENNERSTOWN

Yes, it’s been 20 years since the most recent USAC Silver Crown race in the state of Pennsylvania, but it’s also been 55 years since USAC last competed at Jennerstown Speedway.

The surface was dirt when the USAC National Midgets invaded Jennerstown on May 4, 1969.  Bob Tattersall led all 40 laps in his Jack Stroud owned Honker II to win over Chuck Arnold, Tommy McAndrews, Mel Kenyon and Bob Wente.  Tattersall went on to win the championship that same year.  Kenyon was the fastest qualifier at a time of 22.940.  The trophy dash was won by Wente while Kenyon, Jerry Karl, Arnold and Bill Renshaw captured heat race victories.  Mel Cornett scored a victory in the semi-feature.

Of the aforementioned five previous pavement Silver Crown races held in Pennsylvania, all of them were contested at Nazareth Speedway between 1999-2004.  Jason Leffler won in 1999, Tracy Hines in 2000, Russ Gamester in 2001, Kasey Kahne in 2003 and Tyler Walker in 2004.

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RACE DETAILS

A USAC Silver Crown practice will be held at Jennerstown Speedway from 6-8pm on Friday, August 9.

Race day will follow on Saturday, August 10, with the Silver Crown Showdown featuring the USAC Silver Crown National Championship, plus Martella's Pharmacies Late Models & Integrity Coatings Chargers.  Front gates will open at 4pm Eastern with cars on track at 6pm.  Tickets are just $20 with admission for kids age 12 and under free!

Advance tickets are available now at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/jennerstownspeedway/4946/event/1373982.  Tickets will also be available at the gate on race day.

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USAC SILVER CROWN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVER POINTS: 1-Kody Swanson-423, 2-Justin Grant-392, 3-Logan Seavey-373, 4-C.J. Leary-370, 5-Trey Osborne-261, 6-Kaylee Bryson-260, 7-Bobby Santos-250, 8-Kyle Steffens-245, 9-Taylor Ferns-235, 10-Gregg Cory-230.

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USAC SILVER CROWN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRANT POINTS: 1-Doran-Binks Racing #77-423, 2-Hemelgarn Racing #91-392, 3-Rice Motorsports/Abacus Racing #22-373, 4-Klatt Enterprises #6-316, 5-BCR Group #81-261, 6-Sam Pierce #26-260, 7-DJ Racing #98-250, 8-Steffens Motorsports #08-245, 9-Taylor Ferns Racing #555-235, 10-Williams-Cory Racing #32-230.

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USAC SILVER CROWN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ROOKIE DRIVER POINTS: 1-Trey Osborne-261, 2-Nathan Moore-205, 3-Daison Pursley-128, 4-Jackson Macenko-127, 5-Briggs Danner-87, 6-Mitchel Moles-74, 7-Chase Dietz-55, 8-Alex Bright-49, 9-Danny Jennings-46, 10-Kip Hughes-33.

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2024 JENNERSTOWN SPEEDWAY USAC SILVER CROWN ENTRY LIST:

08 KYLE STEFFENS/St. Charles, MO (Steffens Motorsports)

5 DAKODA ARMSTRONG/New Castle, IN (C & A Motorsports)

6 C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (Klatt Enterprises)

22 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Rice Motorsports-Abacus Racing)

24 MIKE HAGGENBOTTOM/Levittown, PA (John Haggenbottom)

26 KAYLEE BRYSON/Muskogee, OK (Sam Pierce)

31 DAVE BERKHEIMER/Mechanicsburg, PA (Berkheimer Racing)

32 GREGG CORY/Shelbyville, IN (Williams-Cory Racing)

40 NATHAN BYRD/Goodyear, AZ (Legacy Autosport-Robert Wilson)

41 TYLER ROAHRIG/Plymouth, IN (Michael Newman)

48 (R) NATHAN MOORE/Kaufman, TX (Chip Thomas-Joe Moore)

51 RUSS GAMESTER/Peru, IN (Gamester Racing)

77 KODY SWANSON/Kingsburg, CA (Doran-Binks Racing)

81 (R) TREY OSBORNE/Columbus, OH (BCR Group)

91 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (Hemelgarn Racing)

98 BOBBY SANTOS/Franklin, MA (DJ Racing)

124 (R) JACKSON MACENKO/Cincinnati, OH (Brad Hayes-Nick Bohanon Racing)

555 TAYLOR FERNS/Shelby Township, MI (Taylor Ferns Racing)

(R) represents a USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year contender