Macon, IL November 26, 2002
By Jay Hardin
For the first time ever, a racing vehicle other than a car, motorcycle or tractor will compete on the historic one mile dirt oval of the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, as the Automobile Racing Club of America’s Lincoln Welders Truck Series invades the "Magic Mile" for an event on Saturday, August 23, 2003.
ARCA made the announcement at their season ending banquet November 2nd, and Track Enterprises promoter Bob Sargent said "we felt the young truck series would be a good show on the mile on the first weekend of the fair."
The Lincoln Welders Truck series is different than the NASCAR Truck series in that it features the smaller size pickup trucks, such as the Chevrolet S-10, the Ford Ranger and the Dodge Dakota, as well as foreign makes of the smaller trucks. The trucks utilize 4 cylinder engines, although a recent test was held by ARCA to evaluate the use of V-6 powerplants for the ARCA truck series.
The Lincoln Welders Truck Series enters it’s 5th year of existence in 2003, with defending champion Chad Guinn of Erie, Michigan. Guinn is the all-time leader in ARCA truck wins with 15 victories, including one in 2002 on the dirt at the Lasalle, Illinois speedway. Other past champions include Bill Withers in 1999, and Robbin Slaughter in 2000 and 2001.
The race at DuQuoin should be quite an experience for many of the truck regulars, it appears none of them have ever competed on a one mile dirt track. No Illinois or local drivers have competed on a regular basis in the truck series, though that may change with the addition of the DuQuoin event.
The Lincoln Welders truck event is the third ARCA sanctioned race to be announced for the two Illinois dirt miles for 2003. The traditional Allen Crowe Memorial 100 for the ARCA RE/MAX stock cars is slated for it’s 41st running on August 17th, the last Sunday of the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. The 51st Southern Illinois 100 at DuQuoin is scheduled for Labor Day, perhaps giving Winston Cup regulars Ken Schrader and Tony Stewart a chance to return to the "Magic Mile". Other Winston Cup regulars are said to be interested in racing on the dirt, so other entries could be forthcoming in the next several months. At least six events are planned by Track Enterprises between Springfield and DuQuoin for 2003, with more schedule announcements to come.
ARCA conducted 14 truck events in 2002, 2 on dirt and 12 on pavement. Only one race in the short history of the Lincoln Welders series has been run on a track over a half mile, that held in August of 2001 on the paved mile at the Chicago Motor Speedway located at the Sportsman’s Park horse track.
No time or format has been set for the event as of press time, though many of the truck events include qualifying and a 50 or 100 lap feature event. More information will be forthcoming in the next few months, further information regarding tickets may be obtained by calling Track Enterprises at 217-764-3200, or at their website of www.trackenterprises.com. Rules and information on the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series can be found at www.arcaracing.com.
By Jay Hardin
For the first time ever, a racing vehicle other than a car, motorcycle or tractor will compete on the historic one mile dirt oval of the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, as the Automobile Racing Club of America’s Lincoln Welders Truck Series invades the "Magic Mile" for an event on Saturday, August 23, 2003.
ARCA made the announcement at their season ending banquet November 2nd, and Track Enterprises promoter Bob Sargent said "we felt the young truck series would be a good show on the mile on the first weekend of the fair."
The Lincoln Welders Truck series is different than the NASCAR Truck series in that it features the smaller size pickup trucks, such as the Chevrolet S-10, the Ford Ranger and the Dodge Dakota, as well as foreign makes of the smaller trucks. The trucks utilize 4 cylinder engines, although a recent test was held by ARCA to evaluate the use of V-6 powerplants for the ARCA truck series.
The Lincoln Welders Truck Series enters it’s 5th year of existence in 2003, with defending champion Chad Guinn of Erie, Michigan. Guinn is the all-time leader in ARCA truck wins with 15 victories, including one in 2002 on the dirt at the Lasalle, Illinois speedway. Other past champions include Bill Withers in 1999, and Robbin Slaughter in 2000 and 2001.
The race at DuQuoin should be quite an experience for many of the truck regulars, it appears none of them have ever competed on a one mile dirt track. No Illinois or local drivers have competed on a regular basis in the truck series, though that may change with the addition of the DuQuoin event.
The Lincoln Welders truck event is the third ARCA sanctioned race to be announced for the two Illinois dirt miles for 2003. The traditional Allen Crowe Memorial 100 for the ARCA RE/MAX stock cars is slated for it’s 41st running on August 17th, the last Sunday of the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. The 51st Southern Illinois 100 at DuQuoin is scheduled for Labor Day, perhaps giving Winston Cup regulars Ken Schrader and Tony Stewart a chance to return to the "Magic Mile". Other Winston Cup regulars are said to be interested in racing on the dirt, so other entries could be forthcoming in the next several months. At least six events are planned by Track Enterprises between Springfield and DuQuoin for 2003, with more schedule announcements to come.
ARCA conducted 14 truck events in 2002, 2 on dirt and 12 on pavement. Only one race in the short history of the Lincoln Welders series has been run on a track over a half mile, that held in August of 2001 on the paved mile at the Chicago Motor Speedway located at the Sportsman’s Park horse track.
No time or format has been set for the event as of press time, though many of the truck events include qualifying and a 50 or 100 lap feature event. More information will be forthcoming in the next few months, further information regarding tickets may be obtained by calling Track Enterprises at 217-764-3200, or at their website of www.trackenterprises.com. Rules and information on the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series can be found at www.arcaracing.com.
