By Richie Murray
Springfield, Illinois (August 13, 2024)………Forty USAC Silver Crown drivers and cars are entered for this Saturday’s 61st running of the Bettenhausen 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds dirt mile oval on August 17.
The Springfield Mile will host five past Bettenhausen 100 winners in this Saturday’s field, including defending victor, Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.). Kingsburg, California’s Kody Swanson (2014-15-21) also returns to the driver lineup as will Benton, Illinois’ Shane Cockrum (2022); Ione, California’s Justin Grant (2017); and Peru, Indiana’s Russ Gamester (1998).
The list of past Bettenhausen 100 runner-up finishers in this weekend’s drivers’ slate consists of Fenton, Missouri’s Ken Schrader (1982); Tucson, Arizona’s Jerry Coons Jr. (2001-02-03) and Kansas, Illinois’ Shane Cottle (2022-23). Other drivers vying to improve upon their past top-five finishes in the race will see the likes of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma’s Brady Bacon (4th in 2020); Pleasant Hill, Ohio’s Matt Westfall (5th in 2002 & 2004); St. Charles, Missouri’s Kyle Steffens (5th in 2021); and Muskogee, Oklahoma’s Kaylee Bryson (5th in 2022).
Six more drivers in this weekend’s field have at least one top-10 on their Bettenhausen 100 resume: Greenfield, Indiana’s C.J. Leary (6th in 2015); Springfield, Illinois’ Joey Moughan (9th in 2018); Stoystown, Pennsylvania’s Carmen Perigo (9th in 2021); Auburn, Illinois’ Mario Clouser (8th in 2023); Fort Branch, Indiana’s Chase Stockon (9th in 2022); and Elkhart, Illinois’ Chris Urish (10th in 2012).
The makeup of Bettenhausen 100 veterans returning to this Saturday’s driver lineup brings Edwardsville, Illinois’ Patrick Lawson (12th in 2017); Winchester, Indiana’s Matt Goodnight (14th in 2017); West Springfield, Pennsylvania’s Jimmy Light (15th in 2020); Troy, Missouri’s Chris Fetter (15th in 2014); Bonne Terre, Missouri’s Danny Long (16th in 2022); Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania’s Dave Berkheimer (17th in 2022); Kaufman, Texas’ Nathan Moore (18th in 2021); Fort Collins, Colorado’s Bryan Gossel (19th in 2020); Springfield, Illinois’ Korey Weyant (19th in 2021); Raisin City, California’s Mitchel Moles (21st in 2023); Clinton, Indiana’s Dave Peperak (27th in 2021) and Shelbyville, Indiana’s Gregg Cory (30th in 2022).
The Bettenhausen 100 Rookie list for 2024 is comprised of Steve Gennetten (Gravois Mills, Mo.), John Tosti (High Ridge, Mo.), Aric Gentry (Robards, Ky.), Briggs Danner (Allentown, Pa.), Daison Pursley (Locust Grove, Okla.), Tom Savage (Red Lion, Pa.), Danny Jennings (Norman, Okla.), Trey Osborne (Columbus, Ohio), Kip Hughes (North Enid, Okla.) and Saban Bibent (Cincinnati, Ohio), who is making his first ever appearance in a USAC Silver Crown car this weekend. The most recent Bettenhausen 100 Rookie to win the event was Cole Whitt in 2009.
RACE DETAILS:
On Saturday, August 17, in Springfield, Illinois, pits and registration open at 7am Central with the ticket office and grandstands opening at 9am, the drivers meeting at 9:30am, practice from 10am-11am, Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying at 11:30am, followed by the qualifying race at 12:30pm, pre-race ceremonies at 1:30pm and the 100-lap main event at 2pm.
Tickets will be available on race day or by calling the State Fair office at 217-782-1979. Info and tickets can also be obtained by calling the Track Enterprises office at 217-764-3200.
Advance tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children 11 and under. At the gate on race day, adults are $30 and $10 for children 11 and under. Infield tickets are $20 for adults, $5 for children age 6-11 and free children age 5 & under. Pit passes are $35 for USAC members and $40 for non-members. Infield parking is $5 for those parking in the infield with no infield or pit passes. All drivers/pit crews should enter through gate 7 or 8. The infield tunnel is gate 6.
Every lap of Saturday’s Bettenhausen 100 will be aired live on FloRacing at https://flosports.link/usac.
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2024 BETTENHAUSEN 100 ENTRY LIST
03 (R) STEVE GENNETTEN/Gravois Mills, MO (Steve Gennetten)
06 BRYAN GOSSEL/Fort Collins, CO (Bryan Gossel)
07 (R) JOHN TOSTI/High Ridge, MO (John Tosti)
08 KYLE STEFFENS/St. Charles, MO (Steffens Motorsports)
2 PATRICK LAWSON/Edwardsville, IL (Patrick Lawson)
3 (R) ARIC GENTRY/Robards, KY (Tim Simmons)
6 C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (Klatt Enterprises)
9 BRADY BACON/Broken Arrow, OK (Chris Dyson Racing)
10 (R) BRIGGS DANNER/Allentown, PA (DMW Motorsports)
14 KEN SCHRADER/Fenton, MO (McQuinn Motorsports)
15 CHRIS FETTER/Troy, MO (Chris Fetter)
21 (R) DAISON PURSLEY/Locust Grove, OK (Team AZ Racing)
22 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Rice Motorsports-Abacus Racing)
24 MATT GOODNIGHT/Winchester, IN (John Haggenbottom)
26 KAYLEE BRYSON/Muskogee, OK (Sam Pierce)
29 JOEY MOUGHAN/Springfield, IL (MSP Motorsports)
31 DAVE BERKHEIMER/Mechanicsburg, PA (Berkheimer Racing)
32 GREGG CORY/Shelbyville, IN (Williams-Cory Racing)
38 (R) TOM SAVAGE/Red Lion, PA (Savage Motorsports)
44 DANNY LONG/Bonne Terre, MO (Danny Long)
48 (R) NATHAN MOORE/Kaufman, TX (Chip Thomas-Joe Moore)
51 RUSS GAMESTER/Peru, IN (Gamester Racing)
52 CARMEN PERIGO/Stoystown, PA (John Stehman)
54 MATT WESTFALL/Pleasant Hill, OH (Westfall Racing)
55 JERRY COONS JR./Tucson, AZ (Patty Bateman)
60 MARIO CLOUSER/Auburn, IL (Legacy Autosport-Robert Wilson Racing)
61 (R) DANNY JENNINGS/Norman, OK (David Grace/David Grace Motorsports)
69 CHASE STOCKON/Fort Branch, IN (Pink 69 Racing)
77 CHRIS URISH/Elkhart, IL (Chris Urish)
81 (R) TREY OSBORNE/Columbus, OH (BCR Group)
88 (R) SABAN BIBENT/Cincinnati, OH (Sammy & Mouren Fetter)
91 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (Hemelgarn Racing)
97 SHANE COCKRUM/Benton, IL (Hans Lein)
99 KOREY WEYANT/Springfield, IL (Scott Weyant)
118 JIMMY LIGHT/West Springfield, PA (Wingo Brothers Racing)
119 (R) MITCHEL MOLES/Raisin City, CA (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
121 SHANE COTTLE/Kansas, IL (Mark Swanson Encore Team)
160 (R) KIP HUGHES/North Enid, OK (Kip Hughes)
177 KODY SWANSON/Kingsburg, CA (Doran-Binks Racing)
777 (R) DAVE PEPERAK/Clinton, IN (Dave Peperak Motorsports)
(R) represents a USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year contender