By Jay Hardin Track Enterprises
(Du Quoin, IL) In the 101-year history of auto racing at the DuQuoin State Fair, no female driver has ever won a major automobile race. That includes the 78-year history of the Magic Mile which has hosted open wheel racing since 1946 and stock cars since 1950. History may change on Sunday, September 1 as at least three women pilots come to DuQuoin with dirt experience and top ten finishes on Illinois clay. The ARCA Menards 70th Southern Illinois 100 is scheduled for Sunday night on the historic Magic Mile of the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds.
Bill Venturini raised eyebrows when he fielded an all-female pit crew in ARCA competition during the 1980’s. He won the 1987 ARCA championship with that crew. On August 18, Bill, Billy, and Cathy Venturini raised eyebrows again when they fielded four female pilots in their five-car team in the ARCA Allen Crowe 100 at the Springfield Mile. Among the drivers were three with dirt experience and a largely unknown driver from South Carolina.
To the delight of the crowd at Springfield, the ladies more than held their own with their male counterparts. South Carolina’s Isabella Robusto wowed the crowd with a drive from the last row to challenge for the lead, and eventually finished second in her first ever one-mile dirt track start.
Midget standout Taylor Reimer, fresh off a limited late model win at the Hickory Speedway, got shuffled out of line a couple of times but fought her way back to third, leaning on some of the boys in the process. It was the first time in ARCA and Springfield history that women finished second and third.
Venturini teammates Toni Breidinger and Amber Balcaen were competitive all day. Breidinger started dead last and managed to finish sixth at the end. Balcaen drove a steady race and finished eighth.
Indications at Springfield were that three of the four were slated to enter the Southern Illinois 100 at DuQuoin, with Rubusto not scheduled to make the trip. Reimer has shown the ability to run at the front and win in both an open wheel car and a stock car. A potential obstacle is that Reimer has no previous experience on the DuQuoin mile. Breidinger has finishes of twelfth and thirteenth in two previous Southern Illinois 100 starts, while Balcaen finished fourteenth in 2022.
Sunday September 1 is “Stock Car Sunday” at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds. With a bit of a break, it could also be “Ladies Day” with history made in the 70th Southern Illinois 100.
The 70th Southern Illinois 100 is part of a huge weekend of racing that begins on Saturday afternoon, August 31 with 71st Ted Horn 100 USAC Silver Crown and Modifieds at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, and Sunday evening, September 1 with the 70th ARCA Southern Illinois 100 and the Bill Oldani Memorial for the Modifieds at the Magic Mile.
Advance tickets for the DuQuoin State Fair races are available by calling the Track Enterprises office at 217-764-3200, by calling the DuQuoin State Fair box office at 618-542-1535, or by stopping by the DuQuoin State Fair box office.
For more information, visit www.usacracing.com, www.arcaracing.com, or www.trackenterprises.com.