TOP-10 REMAIN IN SILVER CROWN TITLE FIGHT ENTERING SPRINGFIELD
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Springfield, Illinois (October 13, 2020)………To put into perspective how close the 2020 USAC Silver Crown championship race is, consider this. The last time the entire top-10 of the Silver Crown standings were within 100 points going into the season finale was never.
Never.
This Sunday afternoon’s Bettenhausen 100 presented by Fatheadz Eyewear at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield has a spread of just 63 points between championship leader Justin Grant and 10th place Bryan Gossel. With a maximum 76 points up for grabs on Sunday – 3 for the fastest qualifier, 3 for the most laps led and 70 for the feature winner with a minimum of 13 points available for all feature starters, that means the entire top-10 remains mathematically eligible to win the championship.
The previous closest interval between first and 10th in the standings coming into the final race was 108 points in 1979.
Of course, this season, which has been ravaged by the effects of COVID-19, has seen the shortest Silver Crown schedule since, oddly enough, that same 1979 season, which held three events. Sunday marks the fifth series race of 2020, which has certainly provided less of an opportunity for separation between drivers in the standings.
And, for full disclosure, the point system utilized by the Silver Crown series has varied over the years but has remained practically unchanged for more than two decades, outside of a minor tweak here and there.
Nonetheless, that has created an unprecedented logjam at the top led by Grant (Ione, Calif.), who has a relatively wide 22-point margin for as close as the rest of the field is. Grant, the 2017 Bettenhausen 100 winner, is battling for his first career USAC National championship.
Twenty-two points behind Grant is the all-time Silver Crown king, Kody Swanson (Kingsburg, Calif.), a two-time Bettenhausen 100 winner in 2014-15, who is vying for his sixth series title in the past seven seasons.
Kyle Robbins (New Castle, Ind.), the 2018 Silver Crown Rookie of the Year is 32 points out of the lead in third as is Matt Goodnight (Winchester, Ind.).
Chris Windom (Canton, Ill.), the most recent Bettenhausen 100 winner in 2018, is 33 points out of the lead in fifth. Shane Cottle (Kansas, Ill.), the season opening Silver Crown winner at Selinsgrove, Pa., is sixth, 36 points back.
Seventh in points, Aaron Pierce (Muncie, Ind.) is not expected to compete at Springfield, but Mike Haggenbottom (Levittown, Pa.) is, and is just 50 tallies behind the leader. C.J. Leary (Greenfield, Ind.) is just 56 markers back and has finished 2nd twice this season on the dirt at Selinsgrove, Pa. and at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Bryan Gossel (Fort Collins, Colo.), the top series Rookie in 2020, is 63 points behind the top spot.
Technically speaking, the top-12 are all within the realm of a championship. Bobby Santos (Franklin, Mass.), though he has competed at Springfield once before with an 11th place finish in 2012, will not participate in this Sunday’s race. Patrick Lawson (Edwardsville, Ill.) is 75 points out. However, once a driver is officially signed in at pill draw, regardless of what occurs thereafter, each driver will collect a minimum of 10 “show up” points, thus eliminating Santos and Lawson from championship contention.
For those scoring at home, the feature points system looks like this: 1st-70 points, 2nd-67, 3rd-64, 4th-61, 5th-58, 6th-55, 7th-52, 8th-49, 9th-46, 10th-43, 11th-41, 12th-39, 13th-37, 14th-35, 15th-33, 16th-31, 17th-29, 18th-27, 19th-25, 20th-23, 21st-22, 22nd-21, 23rd-20, 24th-19, 25th-18, 26th-17, 27th-16, 28th-15, 29th-14, 30th on back-13.
In Silver Crown racing on a dirt mile, anything can happen. With the points as tight as they are entering Sunday, every point is valuable in earning the immortal badge of USAC Silver Crown champion for 2020.
Grandstand ticket sales will be limited to 20% capacity on Sunday in order to promote a safe atmosphere and allow for proper social distancing. In addition, face coverings will be required, temperatures will be checked upon arrival, and multiple hand washing and sanitizing stations will be placed throughout the venue.
Grandstand capacity is set at 20% and tickets are available online at www.trackenterprises.com or by calling the Track Enterprises office at 217-764-3200. The advance sale tickets will also save fans a couple of bucks compared to purchasing them at the event.
Pit gates will open at 8am Central, grandstands and ticket office at 11am, practice at Noon, qualifying at 1:15pm, the last chance race at 2:15pm and the 57th running of the Bettenhausen 100 presented by Fatheadz Eyewear will take the green at 3pm. All times listed are central.
The Bettenhausen 100 can also be watched LIVE on FloRacing at https://bit.ly/3frPoW6.
USAC SILVER CROWN CHAMP CAR SERIES POINTS: 1-Justin Grant-199, 2-Kody Swanson-177, 3-Kyle Robbins-167, 4-Matt Goodnight-167, 5-Chris Windom-166, 6-Shane Cottle-163, 7-Aaron Pierce-151, 8-Mike Haggenbottom-149, 9-C.J. Leary-143, 10-Bryan Gossel-136.
POINTS DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN 1ST & 10TH ENTERING FINAL RACE OF THE USAC SILVER CROWN SEASON: (1971-2020)
2020: 63 points
2019: 262 points
2018: 297 points
2017: 376 points
2016: 284 points
2015: 295 points
2014: 288 points
2013: 212 points
2012: 128 points
2011: 281 points
2010: 129 points
2009: 142 points
2008: 193 points
2007: 147 points
2006: 332 points
2005: 197 points
2004: 253 points
2003: 311 points
2002: 189 points
2001: 224 points
2000: 187 points
1999: 290 points
1998: 238 points
1997: 226 points
1996: 703 points
1995: 486 points
1994: 564 points
1993: 338 points
1992: 316 points
1991: 294 points
1990: 389 points
1989: 340 points
1988: 389 points
1987: 667 points
1986: 696 points
1985: 478 points
1984: 345 points
1983: 474 points
1982: 249 points
1981: 343 points
1980: 577 points
1979: 108 points
1978: 396 points
1977: 350 points
1976: 180 points
1975: 390 points
1974: 640 points
1973: 350 points
1972: 270 points
1971: 260 points