By Jay Hardin Track Enterprises Staff
(Springfield, IL) As the 2024 ARCA Menards Series schedule enters its final stages, attention turns to the 2 dirt tracks on the schedule including one as part of a challenging weekend doubleheader. The current ARCA point leader hails from Mexico City and could become the first winner of the ARCA Allen Crowe 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Nineteen year old Andres Perez is in his third ARCA season and is atop the ARCA standings after the August 2 Elko event in spite of having yet to post a victory. A victory at Springfield could be the first ARCA Menards win of his career.
Perez has started all 12 ARCA Menards events to date, with 5 top 5 and 11 top 10 finishes, including one pole position. He has completed all but one lap in ARCA competition in 2024, as he crashed out of the season opener at Daytona and completed 83 of the 84 laps. Perez finished second in the ARCA standings in 2023, making all 20 races and posting 15 top 10 finishes. He made his ARCA debut in 2022 at age 17.
A member of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program Perez made his ARCA dirt debut in 2023 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, starting 12th for car owner Max Siegel. A steady drive produced a second-place finish behind winner and fellow teenager Brent Crews and ahead of 2023 ARCA champ Jesse Love.
A win in the ARCA Allen Crowe 100 on August 18 would make Perez the first ever stock car race winner at Springfield from outside the United States. In his favor could be the fact that the previous three winners were also under the age of 20! 2021 winner Cory Heim was just 19, Jesse Love 17 in 2022 and Crews a record setting 15 years, 4 months and 21 days when he took the checkered flag.
The 62nd ARCA Allen Crowe 100 is part of a huge weekend of racing that begins Friday night, August 16 at Lincoln Speedway featuring MOWA Sprint Cars, Saturday afternoon, August 17 with USAC Silver Crown and Sportsman at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, and Sunday afternoon, August 18 with the ARCA Allen Crowe Memorial 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 18 can be purchased in Central Illinois area Menards stores for a price of just $20. Stores selling tickets include Champaign, Danville, Effingham, Forsyth, Normal, Pekin, Peoria, Quincy, Springfield North/South, and Washington.
For more information, visit www.usacracing.com, www.arcaracing.com, or www.trackenterprises.com.