USAC Silver Crowns to Light Up the Night

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Last year Brian Tyler gave Toyota Motor Company their first two 100-mile national championship wins on the dirt and the Parma, Michigan driver looks to be a repeat winner in the 59th Ted Horn 100 for the USAC K&N Filters Silver Crown Series at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds on Sunday night, September 6.

Tyler has two wins in 2009 on the USAC Silver Crown Championship Series trail and will face some stiff competition for the Horn trophy on the "Magic Mile."

Tyler, who dropped from third to ninth in the chase for his first ever USAC Silver Crown title, returns with the same Fatheadz Sunglasses sponsored Toyota powered Beast that won the Tony Bettenhausen 100 at Springfield and the Ted Horn 100 at Du Quoin in 2008. Tyler has extra motivation this year. Over the winter he bought two cows and named them 'Springfield' and 'Du Quoin' after the wins in 2008.

Tyler is looking to purchase a third cow for the farm in honor of a victory in the 59th Horn 100.

The 41-year-old Tyler is one of four former winners of the Ted Horn 100 expected to be in southern Illinois on September 6, along with three former series champions. Other former winners slated to compete include 1997 Ted Horn 100 winner Russ Gamester of Peru, Indiana, 2000 winner Tony Elliot of Warsaw, Indiana and two-time winner Tracy Hines of New Castle, Indiana.

Elliot has local ties through car owner Ricky Nix of Benton, while Hines is the 2000 USAC Silver Crown champion and currently third in the national standings.

Youth may stand in the way of any repeat winner at the 'Magic Mile' as 18-year-old Cole Whitt comes to Du Quoin with a dominating victory at Springfield in his pocket.

The diminutive Californian became the youngest championship dirt car race winner in the 75 year history of such competition at the Illinois State Fair as he started from the first position and led every circuit for his first USAC Silver Crown triumph.

One driver still in search of that elusive first win at Du Quoin is veteran and former one lap track record holder Dave Darland of Lincoln, Indiana.

The 1997 Silver Crown champion led the Ted Horn 100 until the last lap in 2001 and if he can score a Du Quoin win, would become just the 14th driver to win a race on all three of the remaining one mile dirt tracks, Springfield, Du Quoin and the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Darland finished second to Tyler at both Springfield and Du Quoin in 2008 and leads a crop of USAC regulars heading for Du Quoin that include Tom Capie of Pennsylvania, Bill Rose of Indiana, Jon Stanbrough of Indiana and Mart Westfall of Ohio. Stanbrough was second to Whitt at Springfield and drives the machine that carried Tracy Hines to victory at Du Quoin in 2005 and 2006.

Another top pilot in search of his first 100-mile dirt track win is the defending USAC national champion who fell out of the top ten in the title chase after the July 31 event at Iowa, Jerry Coons, Jr. of Tucson, Arizona. Coons has one pole (2001) and five top ten finishes in ten starts at Du Quoin.

Current USAC Silver Crown Series point leader Bud Kaeding leads ten drivers atop the current K&N Filters point chase into the 50th Ted Horn 100.

The Campbell, California driver won the 2006 and 2007 national title but has yet to win a 100-mile race on the dirt.

Fifth is 2006 Hoosier hundred winner and former NASCAR driver Josh Wise of Riverside, California, driving one of three cars entered by NASCAR star Carl Edwards.

Seventh is young Kody Swanson of California while Indiana's Bobby East has slipped to ninth.

Tenth in the standings is Shane Hmiel of North Carolina, a former NASCAR driver and the son of NASCAR Team Manager and Crew Chief Steve Hmiel.

Three Illinois drivers sit in the top ten in points and lead a Prairie State contingent that could number six or more by September 6.

Popular Levi Jones of Olney has moved from seventh to fourth in the title chase and is in search of his first Silver Crown win.

Galesburg's A.J. Fike has moved to second in the point standings after a 4th at Springfield and will attempt to run both a Silver Crown and ARCA car.

Murphysboro's Randy Batemann, is a regular competitor on the dirt miles who set the Du Quoin crowd on its ear when he timed in second last year. Ignition problems forced Bateman out on lap 90.

He finished 14th.

Practice for the 59th Ted Horn 100 begins at 5:30 on Sunday, September 6 with qualifications at 6:30 and the 100-mile grind at 8:30.

The to 20 cars will be locked in to the Ted Horn 100 in qualifications, with the balance of the 30-car field filled through a last chance race if needed.