SOUTHERN ILLINOIS WELL REPRESENTED IN THIS SATURDAY’S “TED HORN 100” AT DU QUOIN
The deep south of the state of Illinois finds itself well represented heading into the 64th Ted Horn 100 presented by Casey’s General Stores USAC Silver Crown event at the Du Quoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds on Saturday night, September 3rd.
The defending race winner lives just minutes from the fairgrounds while a popular former driver, now sharing car owner duties with his wife, has a history with the “Magic Mile” that dates back to the early 1980s.
Benton’s Shane Cockrum grew up in the shadows of the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds and made numerous trips there with family members as a youngster. Shane’s father Cliff was a local sprint car and supermodified star who actually raced sprint cars on the Magic Mile in 1971. Cliff managed to see his son drive a variety of race cars including dirt late models, modifieds and midgets before Cliff passed away in 2008. There is no doubt Cliff was watching from above as son Shane slid behind the wheel of a championship dirt car for the first time in 2011.
Decatur’s Dave Hardy along with his two sons formed Hardy Boys racing in 2011 and purchased a Stealth chassis from midget standout Tim Siner. Hardy, who fielded USAC and ARCA stock cars for Du Quoin favorite Butch Garner, saw the potential in young Cockrum and immediately placed him in the seat of his orange number 114. The team finished 18th at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, 17th at Springfield and 17th at Du Quoin as Shane gathered laps and experience. In 2013, Hardy upgraded their equipment, purchasing a Beast chassis once owned by Galen Fox and affectionately named “Ginger.” Two top-five finishes at the fair miles showed the potential of the team.
Cockrum and Hardy joined forces with Marion’s Shane Wade and, in honor of the late Chuck Amati, changed the number to 66 for the 2014 season. Shane set southern Illinois on its ear in 2014, leading 41 laps on his way to victory in the Ted Horn 100 at Du Quoin and setting off a wild celebration that saw the crew revive an old tradition by jumping into the infield lake.
A new car was purchased for 2015 and the team repeated victory again, with Cockrum leading the final 33 laps and diving into another wild celebration for the driver known as the “Chief.” Shane is expected to be among the favorites again this Saturday night at Du Quoin.
Murphysboro is the home for one of the true series veterans, Randy Bateman. Bateman campaigned sprint cars and midgets for the better part of four decades across the Midwest and made his USAC Silver Crown debut at Nazareth in March of 1983 driving for Vergennes car owners Roy and Jack Harris. Bateman made his Du Quoin debut in September of that same year, finishing 25th in front of the home crowd. Bateman made 15 additional starts on the Magic Mile with a crowd-pleasing front row start in 2008.
The veteran, who managed to make trips nearly every year to one or more of the three dirt miles on the schedule, stepped aside in 2015 and, with wife Patty helping run the operation, gave the reigns of his familiar number 55 to second-generation driver Casey Shuman, the son of past Hoosier Hundred winner Ron Shuman.
Shuman ran a partial schedule last year and finished 5th at Du Quoin. This year, Shuman is a contender for the USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year and currently leads the rookie standings while residing seventh in the series point standings. The team recently announced a new corporate sponsor in Hucks convenience stores as well.
Southern Illinois will be well represented by Hardy, Cockrum, Bateman and Shuman in the 64th Ted Horn 100 presented by Casey’s General Stores. Practice for the Silver Crown machines is slated for approximately 5 p.m. Saturday night, with the 100-mile main event scheduled for around 8.
JAY HARDIN - TRACK ENTERPRISES