BELLEVILLE HALF JOINS SILVER CROWN FAMILY:
PRE-RACE EVENTS SLATED AT THE NCK FREE FAIR GROUNDS
Friday night’s “Hustle on the High Banks” at the Belleville High Banks will not be the first TRAXXAS USAC Silver Crown race in the state of Kansas, but it will be the first on dirt.
Aaron Pierce and J.J. Yeley scored victories in 2006 and 2007 in the Silver Crown cars when they competed at the paved Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.
Pre-race activities at grounds adjacent to the North Central Kansas Free Fair also will include a picnic, an autograph session for race fans and a ball game involving race drivers, teams and official. Defending Belleville High Banks Midget Champion Jerry Coons Jr. has welcomed all race fans to attend the pre-race festivities. “Belleville is such a unique piece of Americana,” Coons stated. “My family loves it and it’s one of our favorite events. To have won it three times has been fantastic but we always enjoy the fair and its various attractions” The USAC merchandise trailer will also be on hand offering numerous collectible items and apparel for purchase.
Friday’s race will continue a tradition of Silver Crown racing on the shorter dirt ovals which began at Williams Grove (Pa.) Speedway in 1980.
In the ensuing 33 years, short-track dirt Silver Crown events have been staged at Tulsa and Oklahoma City, OK, Terre Haute, IN, Rossburg, OH, Knoxville, IA, Flemington, NJ, Denver, CO, Tampa, FL, Parkersburg, WV, Hagerstown, MD, Las Vegas, NV, Phoenix and Tucson, AZ.
Current Silver Crown drivers who have won races on these tracks include Bryan Clauson, Brian Tyler, Dave Darland, defending Belleville Midget Nationals Champion Jerry Coons Jr. and defending Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Champion Bobby East.
Kody Swanson is nursing an 11-point lead in the standings over East, with 66 points available at Belleville. Coons is third in the points, just two behind East. Swanson will pilot the Eddie Sachs entry at Belleville.
Friday’s event follows Thursday night’s opening night of racing for the Honda USAC National Midgets and precedes Saturday night’s finals of this year’s “Belleville Midget Nationals.”