By Richie Murray
Terre Haute, Indiana (April 12, 2023)………Thirty-five USAC Silver Crown drivers and cars are entered for the 20th running of the Sumar Classic scheduled for this Sunday, April 16, at The Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track.
Of the 35 entries, four are previous Sumar Classic winners: Kody Swanson (2014), Shane Cockrum (2015), C.J. Leary (2016), plus two-time and defending event winner Justin Grant (2018 & 2022).
Seven-time titlist Kody Swanson (Kingsburg, Calif.) and 2020 series king Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) are the two past Silver Crown champs in the Sumar Classic field which also features nine Silver Crown race winners: Swanson, Grant, Cockrum, Leary, Grant, Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, Okla.), Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.), Russ Gamester (Peru, Ind.) and Shane Cottle (Kansas, Ill.).
They’ll be joined by the likes of past Terre Haute USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship feature winners Kevin Thomas Jr. (Cullman, Ala.) and Chase Stockon (Fort Branch, Ind.), plus USAC National series feature victors Matt Westfall (Pleasant Hill, Ohio), Jake Swanson (Anaheim, Calif.) and Davey Ray (Davenport, Iowa), all first-time Silver Crown win seekers.
Two women are entered to make their run at the Sumar Classic, Taylor Ferns (Shelby Township, Mich.) and Rookie of the Year contender Kaylee Bryson (Muskogee, Okla.), both of whom own top-five finishes with the series but are eying their first career win.
Bryson is one of 10 Silver Crown Rookies in the field along with 2022 USAC National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year Emerson Axsom (Franklin, Ind.), 2022 USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year Mitchel Moles (Raisin City, Calif.), 2021-22 Anderson Little 500 winner Tyler Roahrig (Plymouth, Ind.) and ASCS Sprint Car great Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City, Okla.).
USAC CRA Sprint Car standout Matt Mitchell (Yorba Linda, Calif.) will make his first Silver Crown appearance in 16 years, but still retains Rookie status for 2023 and is joined by veteran and former Terre Haute USAC Sprint Car track record holder Dave Peperak (Clinton, Ind.). Making their very first Silver Crown appearances during the Sumar will be Trey Burke (Alvin, Texas), Ryan Thomas (Indianapolis, Ind.) and John Tosti (High Ridge, Mo.).
The list of Silver Crown veterans in the lineup consists of Kyle Steffens (St. Charles, Mo.), Patrick Lawson (Edwardsville, Ill.), Chris Fetter (Troy, Mo.), Austin Nemire (Sylvania, Ohio), Travis Welpott (Pendleton, Ind.), Dave Berkheimer (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), 2022 Silver Crown Rookie of the Year Gregg Cory (Shelbyville, Ind.), Brian Ruhlman (Clarklake, Mich.), Mario Clouser (Auburn, Ill.), Korey Weyant (Springfield, Ill.) and Tom Paterson (Argos, Ind.).
RACE DETAILS:
The 20th running of the Sumar Classic features the USAC Silver Crown National Championship along with the UMP Modifieds this Sunday, April 16, at the Terre Haute Action Track 1/2-mile dirt track in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Pits open at 1pm Eastern, grandstands open at 3pm, drivers meeting at 4pm and practice at 5pm followed immediately by qualifications and racing.
General admission tickets are $30 for ages 11 & up and free for kids age 10 & under. Infield tickets are $20 for ages 11 & up and free for kids age 10 & under.
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2023 SUMAR CLASSIC ENTRY LIST: (35 CARS)
07 (R) JOHN TOSTI/High Ridge, MO (John Tosti)
08 KYLE STEFFENS/St. Charles, MO (Gordon Steffens)
2 PATRICK LAWSON/Edwardsville, IL (Patrick Lawson)
5 (R) MATT MITCHELL/Yorba Linda, CA (DMW Motorsports)
6 C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (Klatt Enterprises)
8 DAVEY RAY/Davenport, IA (Cornell Racing Stables)
9 BRADY BACON/Broken Arrow, OK (Chris Dyson Racing)
10 JAKE SWANSON/Anaheim, CA (DMW Motorsports)
11 (R) TREY BURKE/Alvin, TX (Davey Hamilton Racing/SRG)
12 (R) WAYNE JOHNSON/Oklahoma City, OK (Two C Racing)
15 CHRIS FETTER/Troy, MO (Chris Fetter)
16 AUSTIN NEMIRE/Sylvania, OH (Nemire-Lesko Racing)
18 TRAVIS WELPOTT/Pendleton, IN (Welpott Racing)
19 (R) TYLER ROAHRIG/Plymouth, IN (Legacy Autosport)
20 (R) EMERSON AXSOM/Franklin, IN (Nolen Racing)
22 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Rice Motorsports)
26 (R) KAYLEE BRYSON/Muskogee, OK (Sam Pierce)
31 DAVE BERKHEIMER/Mechanicsburg, PA (Berkheimer Racing)
32 GREGG CORY/Shelbyville, IN (Williams Racing)
49 BRIAN RUHLMAN/Clarklake, MI (Brian Ruhlman)
51 RUSS GAMESTER/Peru, IN (Gamester Racing)
53 KEVIN THOMAS JR./Cullman, AL (Five Three Motorsports)
69 CHASE STOCKON/Fort Branch, IN (Pink 69 Racing)
71 SHANE COCKRUM/Benton, IL (BLS Motorsports)
74 SHANE COTTLE/Kansas, IL (Hodges Motorsports)
77 KODY SWANSON/Kingsburg, CA (Doran Racing)
81 MATT WESTFALL/Pleasant Hill, OH (BCR Group)
91 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (Hemelgarn Racing)
92 MARIO CLOUSER/Auburn, IL (Kazmark Motorsports)
97 (R) MITCHEL MOLES/Raisin City, CA (Hans Lein)
99 KOREY WEYANT/Springfield, IL (Scott Weyant)
111 TOM PATERSON/Argos, IN (Tom Paterson)
118 (R) RYAN THOMAS/Indianapolis, IN (Thomas)
555 TAYLOR FERNS/Shelby Township, MI (Taylor Ferns Racing)
777 (R) DAVE PEPERAK/Clinton, IN (Dave Peperak Motorsports)
(R) represents a USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year Contender