Cockrum Emerging as USAC Mile Track MasterEnters Springfield August 19 Event As A Favorite
By Jay Hardin Track Enterprises Staff
August 9, 2023-Springfield, IL-While Kody Swanson has been the dominant force in USAC’s Silver Crown Series for nearly a decade, southern Illinois fire chief and second-generation driver Shane Cockrum has begun to emerge as one of the masters of the Illinois fairground mile dirt tracks. Cockrum is the defending winner of the Bettenhausen 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and an expected entrant for the August 19 classic.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, the forty-two-year-old Benton fire chief is expected to pilot his 2022 race winning BLS Motorsports Maxim at Springfield. In 2022, Shane started fifth and patiently waited as others led the October version of the Bettenhausen 100. He took the lead near the three-quarter mark and, once out front, was never challenged, picking up his first win on the Springfield Mile and third overall on the Illinois dirt miles.
The son of Midwest sprint car legend Cliff Cockrum, Shane competed locally in modifieds, midgets, sprint cars and wherever else he could find a ride. In 2011, Shane teamed with past USAC stock car owner Dave Hardy out of Decatur and Hardy Boys Motorsports was born. Purchasing a Stealth chassis from Tim and Jim Siner, Cockrum and Hardy made their Illinois debut at Springfield in August 2011. The Franklin County native drove a steady race, starting 19th and finishing 17th getting 97 miles in the process.
Hardy introduced Cockrum to a Beast chassis the team affectionately named “Ginger” for 2012, however Ginger suffered a mechanical breakdown just 7 laps into the Bettenhausen. Ginger and Shane scored a top 5 at Springfield the next year and led at DuQuoin before running shy on fuel. Big things were on the horizon for the team.
A popular win at DuQuoin capped the team’s 2014 run and led to Ginger’s retirement. A new Maxim named “Mary Ann” took her place. Shane and Mary Ann ran sixth at the Hoosier Hundred, led 40 laps of the Bettenhausen at Springfield and won at DuQuoin. It was evident by now Shane Cockrum would be one to beat on the Illinois dirt miles.
Shane was able to garner top finishes as Hardy gradually scaled back the operation. A second at the Hoosier Hundred, a second and third at DuQuoin followed. After Hardy retired from ownership, Cockrum landed with the new BLS Motorsports team and in the familiar 71 for the 2021 season. Last year, the team really stepped up, Cockrum led most of the Ted Horn 100 at DuQuoin and had a commanding lead before running shy on fuel. Then at Springfield, he pounced on a late race restart to take the lead and win his first Bettenhausen 100.
The 60th Bettenhausen 100 is slated for Saturday, August 19. Practice is set for 10 a.m., qualifications at 11:30 and the 90th 100-mile national championship race on the Springfield Mile set for a 2 p.m. start.
The event is all part of a huge weekend of racing that begins Friday night, August 18 at Lincoln Speedway featuring MOWA Sprint Cars, Saturday afternoon, August 19 with USAC Silver Crown and Sportsman at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, Saturday night at Macon Speedway with USAC National Midgets, and Sunday afternoon, August 20 with the ARCA Dutch Boy 100 and the Sportsman Nationals at the Illinois State Fair.Advance tickets for the Illinois State Fair races are available by calling the Track Enterprises office at 217-764-3200, by calling the Illinois State Fair box office at 217-782-1979, or by stopping by the Illinois State Fair box office. Advance sale discounted tickets for the ARCA Menards Series event on Sunday, August 20 can be purchased in Central Illinois area Menards stores for a price of just $20.