From Jay Hardin
INDIANAPLIS (May 19, 2018) – Eleven rookies on this year’s Hoosier Hundred entry list have the opportunity of a life time to learn from two legendary drivers who competed in the big cars long before many of the rookies were even born! If the return of 1991 & 1993 race winner Jeff Swindell wasn’t enough news, the return of 1982 Silver Crown champion Ken Schrader has only added to the buzz created by the continued upward swing of USAC’s top tier series.
Swindell continues to hold the 60-mile track record set here in May of 1987 when he drove from the back of the pack to capture a spectacular race win in the Hulman 100 and went on to turn heads that year setting a world record at Springfield and nearly winning at DuQuoin. His performance led to a full-time ride with Tim Delrose and Bob Galas in 1990, and in 1991 they captured the first of two Hoosier Hundred races.
Swindell was mostly absent from the series after the 1993 season but returned in 2006 to run at Springfield and DuQuoin for Galas. Jeff came back to Indianapolis in 2010 and 2011, and again in 2016. In 2016 he was marching toward the front when caught up in an accident on lap 84. Later that year he led 55 miles at DuQuoin and finished second and nearly won at DuQuoin last year showing that there is still gas left in the tank of the Tennessee native.
1982 Silver Crown champ Ken Schrader made his series debut at Terre Haute ironically driving for Tim Delrose and Bob Galas. The 1979 USAC Stock Car Rookie of the Year and the 1983 USAC Sprint Car champ would eventually go on to become a NASCAR Rookie of the Year and multi-time NASCAR Cup winner before scaling back to run dirt tracks and a part-time ARCA schedule. He toyed with the idea of getting back into one of the dirt champ cars back in 2016. The idea became a reality when Springfield, Illinois car owner Dennis McQuinn offered him the seat of the familiar orange 14 and Schrader willingly accepted running both Springfield and DuQuoin.
Kenny first appeared on the Indy mile in the May, 1982 Hulman 100 starting second and finishing third while leading 37 miles. He finished ninth in the 1982 Hoosier Hundred, then won the pole in 1983 and led the first nine laps before blowing an engine in front of the grandstand on lap 33. His best finish in the event came in 1984 when he started seventh and finished there, his last appearance in a dirt car on the fairgrounds mile. He has since, however, won in ARCA stock cars and UMP modifieds at the fairgrounds.
The Hoosier Hundred is the second of three events in USAC’s “Week of Indy” featuring the Hulman Classic at Terre Haute Wednesday May 23, the Hoosier Hundred at the fairgrounds May 24, and the Carb Day Classic at Raceway Park on May 25.
A great deal is available for those who don’t want to miss a single lap of “The Week Of Indy”. A Superticket is being sold for a savings of 25% off of the regular three day prices. For just $60, a savings of $20, a fan will receive general admission at Terre Haute and Lucas Oil Raceway as well as a reserved seat for the Hoosier Hundred. To purchase a Superticket, visit https://usacracing.ticketspice.com/2018-week-of-indy or call 217-764-3200.
For more information on any of the events, visit www.trackenterprises.com, www.usacracing.com, or call the Track Enterprises office at 217-764-3200.