Three Different Winners In Two Days On The Magic Mile!!!!

jdearing

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DuQuoin, IL (9/1/08)-The final two days of auto racing on the "Magic Mile"
of the DuQuoin State Fair saw dominating performances by veteran drivers, close finishes and a first time winner as well. Thousands of race fans flocked to the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds for the Labor Day traditional Labor Day weekend speed fest.

A large crowd Sunday night witnessed a first time winner of the Ted Horn 100 and the retirement of a living legend from active driving. Defending Ted Horn 100 winner Shane Cottle was one half a second faster than the rest of the USAC Silver Crown Series field in practice and qualifications and the Kokomo, Indiana pilot took off from the pole position to lead the first 75 miles of the 58th Ted Horn 100 before his right rear tire began to fade.
The Toyota powered Beast of Parma, Michigan's Brian Tyler had stalked Cottle for a number of laps and took the lead for good when the defending winner faltered. Tyler led to the finish in a race that actually exceeded the 100-mile distance as a late race caution caused the last lap to be run under the green flag. It was the second straight 100-mile dirt track win for Tyler and the new Toyota engine, both won the Tony Bettenhausen 100 at Springfield on August 16 and it was the first Ted Horn 100 win for Brian Tyler. 1997 USAC Silver Crown champ Dave Darland, still seeking that elusive DuQuoin win, ran a strong second after pitting for a new right rear tire late in the event and working his way back to the front, with Cottle third, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. fourth and Mat Neely of Robinson, Illinois fifth.
Speedway, Indiana driver Johnny Parsons retired at the DuQuoin event after a forty-three year career in the United States Auto Club.

On Labor Day the ARCA RE/MAX stock cars came to the 'Magic Mile' along with the finale Bill Oldani Memorial for the UMP Modifieds. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who finished fourth in the Ted Horn 100 the night before, set a new track record in ARCA Sim Factory qualifications of 32,896 (109.436), just a shade slower than the world record set by Frank Kimmel at Springfield two weeks before. Stenhouse led only the first lap as Kimmel dominated the 56th Federated-Southern Illinois 100 leading 96 laps an averaging 83.530 miles an hour to tie the late Dean Roper with five Southern Illinois 100 wins on the "Magic Mile". Kimmel even revived a DuQuoin tradition by taking a dip in the infield lake after his cool down lap! Second place driver Patrick Sheltra of Indiantown, Florida, pressured Kimmel at the end. NASCAR star Ken Schrader finished a strong third, with Wisconsin's Dexter Bean fourth and Stenhouse fifth.

The UMP Modified division ran their 20-mile Bill Oldani Memorial prior to the Southern Illinois 100. Three-time winner Brian Shaw started from the pole by virtue of a heat race win Sunday night. Jackson, Tennessee driver Jonathan Rowan led the first two laps before his car quit handing the lead to Taylorville's Curt Rhodes for two circuits, then Robinson's Jesse Snyder took the point. Snyder led through the fifteenth lap before Kansas City, Missouri shoe Jon O'Neal made a pass off the fourth corner and he led the rest of the way for his first one-mile dirt track win. Snyder took second, with Emmett Groves of Charleston, Missouri third, Rhodes fourth and Tim Burdel fifth. Five caution flags and one red flag slowed the race.
 




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