J.C. BLAND READY TO MAKE SPRINGFIELD SILVER CROWN DREAM COME TRUE
By: Ryan Mahan - State Journal-Register
The Springfield Mile on the Illinois State Fairgrounds dirt track holds a special place in the heart of many racers.
There are both auto and motorcycle drivers who dream of speeding down the straightaway on the one-mile track, let alone taking a checkered flag.
J.C. Bland is ready to fulfill a lifelong dream when the Springfield native steps into his No. 5 car and takes part in the USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series presented by TRAXXAS "Bettenhausen 100" this Saturday, August 19.
“Growing up right here in Springfield, Illinois, every year when this race came around, I looked forward to it,” Bland said. “All I ever wanted to do was race the Silver Crown cars around the mile at the state fairgrounds.”
Bland, 31, has been racing for a long time, beginning with quarter midget cars. When he was running in the Midwest Open Wheel Association sprint car series, Bland won the 2011 Herb Barlow Memorial at the Jacksonville Speedway, a race he considers his career highlight.
Bland spent time racing USAC sprint cars for two seasons in 2010 and 2011. He made his USAC Silver Crown Series debut in September of 2015 at the Du Quoin State Fair.
″(USAC Silver Crown) is pretty much the pinnacle of short-track grassroots auto racing,” Bland said. “It’s something I’ve dreamed about doing. I’ve never really had aspirations of racing NASCAR or IndyCar.”
Bland and his younger brother, Bill Bland, 29, run the Bland Brothers Enterprises team out of their shop — which has the same name — at 3050 Mayden Avenue.
“We do 80 percent of all the work and all the preparation, and that includes building the motors, all the chassis components — we build most of all that here at our business,” Bill Bland said. “We build all our parts and do all our work. More time is spent because we have to do pretty much every part of the puzzle.”
But it is all a labor of love for the brothers.
“To be honest, I couldn’t add up all the hours,” Bill Bland said. “There’s always work to be done and always something to be done to get ready.”
J.C. Bland graduated from and played football at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School. He was a starting wide receiver on the 2003 Class 5A runner-up Cyclones. He caught two touchdowns from Eric Peterman in the state championship game, a 24-21 loss to Joliet Catholic.
“It seems like a long time ago now,” Bland said. “Now I’ve moved on to something that is almost 180 degrees different than football. But that was a great experience.”
He finished with three catches for 33 yards in his final game.
Football is a punishing game, but having done both, Bland can say that racing is tougher.
“Physically, they are both very demanding,” Bland said. “But I would have to say that driving a racecar is even more demanding physically than football because, in football, you play a down and you’ve got 30 seconds between the next one.
“A lot of people might disagree with me, but I’ve done both and it’s physically more demanding (to race).”
J.C. Bland has stood on the dirt Springfield Mile track several times but never in a racecar. But he’s dreamed of this day.
“In years past, I’d go in the pits and hang out there and just watch the cars go around,” J.C. Bland said, “watching them line up and think to myself, ‘This is where I want to be at some point.’”
J.C. Bland insisted that just putting a car on the track won’t satisfy him.
“My brother and I have been doing this long enough,” J.C. Bland said. “We know what it takes to build a good racecar, and I’ve got the confidence in my abilities as a driver to be able to win this race.
“If we didn’t feel like we could do it, we probably wouldn’t have entered the car. I feel like I definitely have a shot to either win it or be up front. That’s all it takes.”
The “Bettenhausen 100” begins Saturday, August 19, 2017 at 7am when pit gates open. Grandstands open at 9am, drivers meeting at 9:30am, Silver Crown practice at 10am-11:10am, ProSource Qualifying at 11:30am, Silver Crown Qualifying Race at 12:30pm and the 100-lap main event at 2pm.
Advanced adult tickets are $25. Day of Race Adult 12 and older tickets are $30. Children 11 and under are $10. Pit passes are $35. Children pit passes (11 and under) are $20. Infield tickets for adults are $20.00. Children 6-11 are $5. Children under 5 are FREE!
Watch flag-to-flag coverage of the “Bettenhausen 100” beginning a day after the event on http://www.Loudpedal.TV/.
Originally appeared in the Aug. 19, 2016 edition of the The State-Journal Register) at http://www.sj-r.com/sports/20160819/illinois-state-fair-auto-racing-preview-bland-ready-to-make-fairgrounds-dream-come-true