First Leg of Performance Seed Double Highlights ARCA Return to Springfield Dirt
By Jay Hardin
Track Enterprises
July 28, 2022 (Springfield, IL)-The first leg of the new Performance Seed Dirt Double is drawing a lot of attention to the 60th Atlas Roofing 100 stock car race on August 21, the final day of the Illinois State Fair. Performance Seed posted a $50,000 bonus for any driver who can take both the Atlas 100 at Springfield and the Southern Illinois 100 at Du Quoin over Labor Day weekend. Even if a driver fails to complete the sweep, a Performance Seed $5000 bonus awaits the competitor who can post the best finishes in both events.
Winning both 100-mile grinds in the same season is no easy task, it’s been done just 16 times in the last 72 years, by just ten drivers. Jay Frank was the first in 1950, followed by Paul Goldsmith (1962) Don White (1966) Norm Nelson (1970) Butch Hartman (1975) Dean Roper (1981, 1983, 1986) Bob Keselowski (1988, 1989), Bob Brevak (1990) and Parker Kligerman in 2009.
Many of the current ARCA contingent have never driven on dirt much less one of the historic mile dirt tracks. Coming off the Pocono event Rajah Caruth leads the ARCA Menard’s points but has yet to post a win, Nick Sanchez is second with two wins in 2022, Daniel Dye is third with Toni Breidinger fourth. Of the top four only Breidinger has raced on dirt in the ARCA series, finishing 9th in last year’s Atlas 100 at Springfield and 13th at DuQuoin.
The 59th Atlas 100 marks the swansong of long-time participant Bill Hendren of Normal, Illinois. Bill has been in the Springfield pit area in some form, in large part as a car owner or crew member, every year since 1974. His early days were with driver Ken Rowley and in 2020 Bill realized a lifelong dream as the winning entrant with driver Ryan Unzicker.
The event is all part of a huge weekend of racing that begins Friday night, August 19 at Lincoln Speedway featuring MOWA Sprint Cars, Saturday afternoon, August 20 with USAC Silver Crown and Sportsman at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, Saturday night at Macon Speedway with POWRi National Midgets, and Sunday afternoon, August 21 with ARCA and Sportsman at the Illinois State Fair.
Advance tickets for the Illinois State Fair races are available by calling the Track Enterprises office at 217-764-3200, by calling the Illinois State Fair box office at 217-782-1979, or by stopping by the Illinois State Fair box office. Advance sale discounted tickets for the ARCA Menards Series event on Sunday, August 21 can be purchased in Central Illinois area Menards stores for a price of just $20.