By Jay Hardin
Track Enterprises
(DuQuoin, IL) Imagine that you were fifteen years old, a race winner in national competition, and you were in line for a payday of $34,000 on Labor Day Weekend. At fifteen, what would you do if you won $34,000? What could you do? Those are the questions facing North Carolina race driver Brent Crews as he and the ARCA Menards Series head for the Southern Illinois 100 on Sunday at DuQuoin. Crews’ record-breaking win at Springfield captured the first leg of the Performance Seed Dirt Double, a bonus that pays him an added $20,000 if he can sweep the Illinois Dirt miles.
Crews’ Springfield win at age 15 made him the youngest major race winner in the 100 plus year history of racing at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. It was just his second ARCA start, the other a few days prior on the road course at Watkins Glen. Crews has experience sliding sideways on both pavement and dirt and he is the youngest winner in Trans Am Series history with victories this year at Detroit and Road America. In addition, he has five 2021 dirt track wins in the POWRi Midget Series for Keith Kunz Motorsports and has competed in ASCS and IRA outlaw sprint cars.
Crews rejoins the potent Venturini Motorsports team. Venturini currently employs ARCA point leader Jesse Love, who ran second at DuQuoin last year.
Crews finished third last year in the Trans Am Series at the age of 14, winning 3 races in 12 starts. He currently has 3 wins in 9 2023 Trans Am starts with 2 pole positions and leads the point standings. He won 5 of 30 POWRi midget events in 2021 and finished second in the POWRi championship.
The fifteen-year-old could become the youngest winner ever at DuQuoin as well. When Landen Lewis scored an upset win in 2021, he was 15 years, 6 months and 9 days old. Crews’ birthday makes him about a month younger when the 2023 Southern Illinois 100 rolls around. The ARCA Southern Illinois 100 is slated for Sunday night, September 3.
Sunday’s race is all part of the traditional Labor Day Weekend of racing at the DuQuoin State Fair that also features the USAC Silver Crown Series on Saturday afternoon, September 3. The DIRTcar Modifieds will be in action both days with prelims on Saturday afternoon and feature racing Sunday.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 DU QUOIN TIMES:
11:00 AM Pits & Registration
3:00 PM Ticket Office & Grandstands
3:15 PM ARCA Drivers Meeting
4:30-5:00 PM ARCA Practice
5:15-5:30 PM Modified Practice
6:00 PM ARCA General Tire Pole Qualifying
6:30 PM UMP Modified 29th Bill Oldani Memorial Feature
7:45 PM Pre-Race Ceremonies
8:11 PM ARCA Menards Series Southern Illinois 100
DU QUOIN TICKET INFO:
Tickets will be available on raceday or by calling the Du Quoin Fair office at 618-542-1535. Info and tickets can also be obtained by calling the Track Enterprises office at 217-764-3200.
RESERVED SEATING
Advance Tickets (Presale)
$25 Adults Per Day
$10 Children 11 & Under Per Day
Day Of Tickets (At Gate)
$30 Adults Per Day
$10 Children 11 & Under Per Day
More Information:
For more information, contact Track Enterprises by calling the office at 217-764-3200 or by visiting their website at www.trackenterprises.com