HOOSIER STATE DIRT / PAVEMENT DOUBLEHEADER AWAITS SILVER CROWN DRIVERS THURS.-FRI.
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
What makes the USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series so fascinating is its diversity. The 11-race schedule alternates throughout the season at venues ranging from dirt tracks located on the nation’s state fairgrounds with classic covered grandstands to paved surfaces that offer luxury suites and skyboxes.
On the track, a Silver Crown series title requires a driver to be readily adaptable to changing conditions and environments during a single 100-lap race, let alone a full season.
There are those who run for a championship, then there are dirt specialists and pavement specialists. In each race, drivers with those attributes will overlap as they compete for supremacy of that particular track on that particular night.
Both skill sets will be on display this week when the series goes back-to-back in a Hoosier state dirt/pavement doubleheader at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis on Thursday, May 25 and Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg, Indiana on Friday, May 26, marking just the fifth time the series will have raced on both surfaces in a span of two nights.
First up is Thursday night’s 63rd running of the “Hoosier Hundred” at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Kingsburg, California’s Kody Swanson has won the last three at the Indy Mile and, with another victory this week, would equal Al Unser (1970-73) as the only other driver to win four straight Hoosier Hundreds.
Swanson is among four past winning drivers entered in the 40-car field, including three-time winner Dave Darland (1995, 1996 & 2004) and two-time winners Jeff Swindell (1991 & 1993) and Jerry Coons, Jr. (2011 & 2012).
Chris Windom of Canton, Illinois has been the dirt dominator in the series since the conclusion of last year’s Hoosier Hundred in which he ran an impressive fifth after his original ride suffered mechanical woes earlier in the evening. Since last May, Windom has reeled off a quadruplet of victories at Pennsylvania’s Williams Grove Speedway, the Du Quoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds, Ohio’s Eldora Speedway and the 2017 season opener at the Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track.
Coming into Friday night’s Carb Night Classic, the Swanson brothers stand on a pedestal that competitors have been taking shots at for the last several years, to no avail. Kody and Tanner have an unrelenting stranglehold on Lucas Oil Raceway’s victory lane that has continued for much of the past decade. Tanner has won five and the opportunity to surpass Mike Bliss as the winningest Silver Crown driver at Lucas Oil Raceway lies in wait on the horizon. Yet, older brother Kody was the victor the last time out at the .686-mile oval in July of 2016, getting the upper hand on Tanner who ran second.
Bobby Santos of Franklin, Massachusetts won the pavement season-opener at Phoenix Raceway in April and led the first 80 laps of the Carb Night Classic in 2016 before his engine let go. Santos, a three-time Silver Crown winner at LOR - in addition to three Sprint Car wins and a single Midget victory, will be joined by Shullsburg, Wisconsin’s David Byrne - a last lap, last corner winner in July of 2014.
Pit gates open at noon for the Hoosier Hundred while spectator gates are unlocked at 3. Cars are scheduled to begin on-track activity at 5pm.
Carb Night Classic pit gates open at noon while front gates open at 2:45pm with cars on track at 4pm for practice.
Fans will receive a savings of $20 by purchasing their own “Week of Indy” Superticket now at https://usacracing.ticketspice.com/2017-week-of-indy. The Superticket is your golden ticket for admission to all three of this week’s USAC races at a steal of a price!
Thursday’s “Hoosier Hundred” will be streamed LIVE on http://www.SpeedShiftTV.com/. As always, you can watch each and every USAC event one-day after the race, on-demand at http://www.Loudpedal.TV/.
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UPCOMING USAC SILVER CROWN CHAMP CAR SERIES EVENT
DATE: Thursday, May 25, 2017
SERIES: USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series presented by TRAXXAS
TRACK: Indiana State Fairgrounds (Indianapolis, Indiana) - 1-Mile, Dirt Oval
EVENT: “Hoosier Hundred” featuring the USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series and the Mid-American Stock Car Series
STARTING TIMES: Pit Gates: Noon. Spectator Gates: 3pm. Hot Laps: 5pm. ProSource Qualifying: 6pm.
TICKETS:Adult Admission: $30. Children 11 and Under: $10.
Tickets can be obtained by calling Track Enterprises at 217-764-3200. A three-day special Superticket for the full week of Indy including the “Tony Hulman Classic” at the Terre Haute Action Track, the “Hoosier Hundred” at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and the “Carb Night Classic” at Lucas Oil Raceway is also available at https://usacracing.ticketspice.com/2017-week-of-indy.
TRACK ADDRESS: 1202 E 38th St, Indianapolis, IN 46205
TRACK PHONE: (217) 764-3200 & (317) 927-7500
TRACK WEBSITE: http://trackenterprises.com/ & http://www.indianastatefair.com/
MEDIA COVERAGE: Watch the race LIVE on http://www.SpeedShiftTV.com/. Watch the race one day later, on-demand at http://www.Loudpedal.TV/. Live updates on https://www.facebook.com/usacracing/ and https://twitter.com/USACNation, plus available on the Race Monitor app on your phone.
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UPCOMING USAC SILVER CROWN CHAMP CAR SERIES EVENT:
DATE: Friday, May 26, 2017
SERIES: USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series presented by TRAXXAS
TRACK: Lucas Oil Raceway (Brownsburg, Indiana) - .686-mile, semi-banked paved oval
EVENT: “Carb Night Classic...The Race Before the 500” featuring the USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series and the Mid-American Stock Car Series
STARTING TIMES: Pit Gates: Noon. Spectator Gates: 2:45pm. Hot Laps: 4pm. ProSource Qualifying: 5:30.
TICKETS: Adult Admission: $25. Children 11 and Under: $10.
A three-day special Superticket for the full week of Indy including the “Tony Hulman Classic” at the Terre Haute Action Track, the “Hoosier Hundred” at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and the “Carb Night Classic” at Lucas Oil Raceway is also available at https://usacracing.ticketspice.com/2017-week-of-indy.
TRACK ADDRESS: 10267 US-136, Indianapolis, IN 46234
TRACK PHONE: (317) 291-4090
TRACK WEBSITE: http://trackenterprises.com/ & http://www.lucasoilraceway.com/
MEDIA COVERAGE: Watch the race one day later, on-demand at http://www.Loudpedal.TV/. Live updates on https://www.facebook.com/usacracing/ and https://twitter.com/USACNation, plus available on the Race Monitor app on your phone.
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2017 USAC SILVER CROWN SCHEDULE & RESULTS
Apr 2: Terre Haute, IN – Terre Haute Action Track
WINNER: Chris Windom
Apr 29: Avondale, AZ – Phoenix International Raceway
WINNER: Bobby Santos
May 25: Indianapolis, IN – Indiana State Fairgrounds
May 26: Brownsburg, IN – Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis
Jun 16: Mechanicsburg, PA – Williams Grove Speedway
Jul 20: Brownsburg, IN – Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis
Jul 28: Toledo, OH – Toledo Speedway
Aug 12: Salem, IN - Salem Speedway Fueled by the Hoosier Lottery
Aug 19: Springfield, IL – Illinois State Fairgrounds
Sep 3: Du Quoin, IL – Du Quoin State Fairgrounds
Sep 23: Rossburg, OH - Eldora Speedway
------------------------ KEY DEFINITIONS -------------------------
(D) represents a dirt event
(P) represents a pavement event
# represents a daytime event
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2017 USAC SILVER CROWN DRIVER POINT STANDINGS
1. (134) Kody Swanson (Kingsburg, CA)
2. (116) Jerry Coons, Jr. (Tucson, AZ)
3. (110) Chris Windom (Canton, IL)
4. (102) David Byrne (Shullsburg, WI)
5. (88) Damion Gardner (R) (Concord, CA)
6. (75) Aaron Pierce (Muncie, IN)
7. (73) Bobby Santos (Franklin, MA)
8. (67) C.J. Leary (Greenfield, IN)
9. (61) Hunter Schuerenberg (R) (Sikeston, MO) & Davey Hamilton (Boise, ID)
**(R) represents a USAC Silver Crown Rookie Driver
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2017 USAC SILVER CROWN OWNER POINT STANDINGS
1. (134) DePalma Motorsports #63
2. (116) Gene Nolen Racing #20
3. (102) Gene Nolen Racing #120
4. (102) Byrne Racing #40
5. (88) Klatt Enterprises #6
6. (83) Gene Kazmark #92
7. (79) Gene Nolen Racing #201
8. (75) Sam Pierce #26
9. (74) Bill Rose #75
10. (73) DJ Racing #22
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2017 USAC SILVER CROWN ROOKIE DRIVER POINT STANDINGS
1. (88) Damion Gardner (Concord, CA)
2. (61) Hunter Schuerenberg (Sikeston, MO)
3. (55) Shane Butler (Bushnell, FL)
4. (49) Toni Breidinger (Hillsborough, CA)
5. (46) Dakota Jackson (Elizabethtown, IN) & A.J. Russell (Clovis, CA)
7. (43) Henry Clarke (Villa Park, CA) & Joss Moffatt (Columbus, IN)
9. (41) Joe Axsom (Franklin, IN) & Johnny Petrozelle (Denton, NC)
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RACE WINS:
1. (1) Bobby Santos (Apr. 29 at Phoenix Raceway)
(1) Chris Windom (Apr. 2 at the Terre Haute Action Track)
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LAPS LED:
1. (69) David Byrne
2. (51) Chris Windom
3. (31) Bobby Santos
4. (24) Kody Swanson
5. (18) Shane Cockrum
6. (7) C.J. Leary
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TOP-FIVE FINISHES:
1. (2) Jerry Coons Jr. & Kody Swanson
3. (1) David Byrne, Davey Hamilton, C.J. Leary, Bobby Santos, Hunter Schuerenberg & Chris Windom
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TOP-TEN FINISHES:
1. (2) Jerry Coons Jr., Kody Swanson
3. (1) Brady Bacon, Toni Breidinger, Shane Butler, David Byrne, Henry Clarke, Dave Darland, Damion Gardner, Davey Hamilton, Dakota Jackson, C.J. Leary, Joss Moffatt, Aaron Pierce, A.J. Russell, Bobby Santos, Hunter Schuerenberg & Chris Windom
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RACE STARTS:
1. (2) David Byrne, Jerry Coons, Jr., Damion Gardner, Justin Grant, Aaron Pierce, Kody Swanson & Chris Windom
8. (1) Joe Axsom, Brady Bacon, J.C. Bland, Toni Breidinger, Patrick Bruns, Steve Buckwalter, Shane Butler, Henry Clarke, Shane Cockrum, Shane Cottle, Dave Darland, Davey Hamilton, Davey Hamilton Jr., Dakota Jackson, C.J. Leary, Joe Liguori, Joss Moffatt, Austin Nemire, Johnny Petrozelle, Bill Rose, A.J. Russell, Bobby Santos, Hunter Schuerenberg, Casey Shuman, Mark Smith & Tanner Swanson.
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TOP “ROOKIE” FINISHER OF THE RACE:
Apr. 2: Terre Haute Action Track – Hunter Schuerenberg (4th)
Apr. 29: Phoenix Raceway – Shane Butler (6th)
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KSE RACING PRODUCTS “HARD CHARGER” OF THE RACE:
Apr 2: Terre Haute Action Track – Dave Darland (20th to 7th)
Apr 29: Phoenix Raceway – Jerry Coons, Jr. (15th to 5th)
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WILWOOD BRAKES 13TH PLACE FINISHER:
Apr 2: Terre Haute Action Track – Patrick Bruns
Apr 29: Phoenix Raceway – Chris Windom
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PROSOURCE FAST QUALIFYING TIMES:
1. (1) Bobby Santos & Kody Swanson
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QUALIFYING RACE WINS:
1. (1) Mark Smith
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ALL-TIME USAC SILVER CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP RACE WINS:
1. [23 wins] Jack Hewitt
2. [17 wins] Brian Tyler
3. [16 wins] Dave Steele
4. [15 wins] Kody Swanson & J.J. Yeley
6. [14 wins] Dave Darland & Chuck Gurney
8. [12 wins] Jimmy Sills
9. [11 wins] Bobby East
10. [10 wins] Gary Bettenhausen & Mike Bliss
12. [9 wins] Tracy Hines
13. [7 wins] Jerry Coons Jr., Rick Hood, Bobby Santos, George Snider & Tanner Swanson
18. [6 wins] Tom Bigelow, Russ Gamester, Kenny Irwin Jr., Jason Leffler, Ken Schrader, Al Unser & Chris Windom
25. [5 wins] Mario Andretti, Donnie Beechler, Pancho Carter, Jay Drake, Tony Elliott, Bud Kaeding, Sheldon Kinser, Larry Rice
33. [4 wins] Jeff Swindell & Rich Vogler
35. [3 wins] Steve Butler, Shane Cockrum, Cameron Dodson, A.J. Fike, Levi Jones, Kasey Kahne, Jim Keeker, Steve Kinser, Bobby Olivero, Johnny Parsons, Aaron Pierce, Ron Shuman, Tony Stewart, Tyler Walker, Paul White
50. [2 wins] Pat Abold, Steve Chassey, Bryan Clauson, Larry Dickson, Bill Engelhart, A.J. Foyt, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Larson, Ryan Newman, Joe Saldana, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Cole Whitt, Josh Wise & Doug Wolfgang
64. [1 win] Teddy Beach, Christopher Bell, Jeff Bloom, David Byrne, Marvin Carman, Shane Carson, Bob Cicconi, Herb Copeland, Shane Cottle, Bruce Field, Aaron Fike, Chet Fillip, Bob Frey, Eric Gordon, John Heydenreich, Gary Hieber, Shane Hmiel, Shane Hollingsworth, Jimmy Horton, Jackie Howerton, Kevin Huntley, Kenny Jacobs, Bubby Jones, Keith Kauffman, Jimmy Kite, Chuck Leary, C.J. Leary, Eddie Leavitt, Jason McCord, Jim McElreath, Lealand McSpadden, Mat Neely, Brad Noffsinger, Stevie Reeves, Wayne Reutimann Jr., Danny Smith, Kevin Thomas, Rich Tobias Jr., Chris Urish & Billy Vukovich
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ALL-TIME USAC SILVER CROWN DRIVER CHAMPIONS:
1971: George Snider; 1972: A.J. Foyt; 1973: Al Unser; 1974: Mario Andretti; 1975: Jimmy Caruthers; 1976: Billy Cassella; 1977: Larry Rice; 1978: Pancho Carter; 1979: Bobby Olivero; 1980: Gary Bettenhausen; 1981: Larry Rice; 1982: Ken Schrader; 1983: Gary Bettenhausen; 1984: Dave Blaney; 1985: Rick Hood; 1986: Jack Hewitt; 1987: Jack Hewitt; 1988: Steve Butler; 1989: Chuck Gurney; 1990: Jimmy Sills; 1991: Jeff Gordon; 1992: Steve Butler; 1993: Mike Bliss; 1994: Jimmy Sills; 1995: Tony Stewart; 1996: Jimmy Sills; 1997: Dave Darland; 1998: Jason Leffler; 1999: Ryan Newman; 2000: Tracy Hines; 2001: Paul White; 2002: J.J. Yeley; 2003: J.J. Yeley; 2004: Dave Steele; 2005: Dave Steele; 2006: Bud Kaeding; 2007: Bud Kaeding; 2008: Jerry Coons Jr.; 2009: Bud Kaeding; 2010: Levi Jones; 2011: Levi Jones; 2012: Bobby East; 2013: Bobby East; 2014: Kody Swanson; 2015: Kody Swanson; 2016: Chris Windom