With DuQuoin Win, Points Could Help Move Swanson Next to Foyt
By Jay HardinTrack Enterprises
DuQuoin, IL (September 1, 2023)- In the history of championship car racing, which goes back to the early 1900’s, only one man on the planet earth can claim eight point titles in championship style racing. He’s a Texan who holds records once thought untouchable, the incomparable A.J. Foyt. A.J. won seven national championships before 1970 and secured a title in the championship dirt car series now known as Silver Crown in 1972. Should 2022 USAC champ Kody Swanson win yet another title this year, it would be his eighth in championship style machinery. A win in Saturday’s Ted Horn 100 at DuQuoin could turn the point battle in his favor with just two events remaining in 2023.
DuQuoin is a special place for A.J. Foyt. It is the site of his first national championship win in 1960, a win that elevated him to his first national title. It is also the site of one of his worst racing accidents, suffering burns and a badly broken ankle in May of 1972. DuQuoin is the place of his last championship dirt car victory, in September of 1972. Foyt won a record six times on the Magic Mile, and four in a row from 1960-1964. The track is also the site of a test run by his grandson in preparation for his first ever Silver Crown dirt car attempt. Not surprisingly Foyt is very special to long time DuQuoin race fans.
DuQuoin is special to Swanson as well. He won his first Silver Crown race on the Magic Mile in 2010 as a relative unknown, holding off veteran Jon Stanbrough and displaying the patience and style that led to a record 40 Silver Crown wins and 7 titles. Swanson won at DuQuoin again in 2017 on the way to title number three in the series. He currently trails USAC point leader and defending race winner Logan Seavey by 7 points.
While the mighty uprights were separated from the national championship in 1971, they still retain many of the rules and characteristics used when they were the machines used at Indianapolis. They remain, in the minds and hearts of many drivers and fans, “champ cars” and that moniker is used by many even today.
The Silver Crown series saw just three multiple title winners in the first 20 years of the series, Larry Rice, Gary Bettenhausen and Jack Hewitt. When Jimmy Sills captured his third championship in 1996 it was a major accomplishment. Before Swanson started his title run only Bud Kaeding was able to equal Sills’ mark.
A win could swing the title chase back in Swanson’s favor. An eighth national championship in what is now the Silver Crown series equals A.J.’s eight titles in championship style machinery. Logan Seavey and thirty-four other drivers stand in Kody Swanson’s way. Another step toward the 2023 USAC Silver Crown Series title will be taken Saturday afternoon on the most picturesque track on the schedule.
Saturday’s Ted Horn 100 is part of the traditional Labor Day weekend of racing at the DuQuoin State Fair that features USAC Silver Crown on Saturday afternoon, ARCA Menards Series on Sunday night, and Modifieds at both events. Full details at trackenterprises.com.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 DU QUOIN TIMES:
7:00 AM Pits & Registration
9:00 AM Ticket Office & Grandstands
10:00-11:10 AM USAC Practice
11:30 AM USAC Silver Crown Qualifying
12:15 PM Modified Hotlaps/Qualifying
12:30 PM USAC Silver Crown Last Chance
12:45 PM UMP Modified Heats
2:00 PM USAC Silver Crown Ted Horn 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
PIT PASSES
$40 Adults Each Day
$20 Children 11 & Under Each Day
$50 Two-Day Pit Pass
For more information, contact Track Enterprises by calling the office at 217-764-3200 or by visiting their website at www.trackenterprises.com