Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack


Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack is a one mile long clay oval motor racetrack on the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, the state capital. Constructed in the late 19th century and reconstructed in 1927, the "Springfield Mile" as it is known has hosted competitive auto racing since 1910, making it one of the oldest speedways in the United States. It is the oldest track to continually host national championship dirt track racing, holding its first national championship race in 1934 under the American Automobile Association banner. It is the home of five world records for automobile racing, making it one of the fastest dirt tracks in the world. Since 1993, the venue is managed by Bob Sargent's Track Enterprises.
The Illinois State Fair mile currently hosts the Allen Crowe Memorial 100 ARCA stock car race, USAC Silver Crown championship dirt cars, UMP Late Models and Modifieds and the A.M.A. Grand National Championship.
Billy Winn won the first national championship dirt track race held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in 1934. A.J. Foyt ran his first national championship race there in August 1957. The track is host to two of the older memorial events in the United States, the Bettenhausen 100 for the USAC dirt championship cars, first run in 1961 and the Allen Crowe Memorial 100 stock car event for USAC, now ARCA, stock cars, first held in 1963. Both races are now held on the last weekend of the Illinois State Fair. Chuck Gurney is the only seven-time winner of the Bettenhausen 100, while ARCA driver Frank Kimmel won the Allen Crowe Memorial for the seventh time in 2008.
The Bettenhausen 100 was part of the AAA/USAC Championship Car schedule from 1934 to 1940, 1947 to 1970 and again in 1981 and 1982.
From 1946 to 1953, the A.M.A. Grand National Champion was crowned based solely on the results of the Springfield Mile held at the fairground racetrack.

AAA/USAC Champ Car/Silver Crown race history

All winners were American
SeasonDateWinning DriverTeamCar
1934August 25Billy WinnJames WinnMiller FD
1935August 24Billy WinnJames WinnMiller FD
1936August 22Wilbur ShawWilbur ShawMiller-Offy
1937August 21Mauri RoseWilbur ShawMiller-Offy
1938August 20Tony Willman?Cragar-Ford
1939August 19John Crone?Miller
1939October 15Emil AndresEmil AndresAdams-Offy
1940August 24Rex MaysBowes Racing TeamStevens-Winfield
1947September 28Tony BettenhausenBelanger MotorsStevens-Offy
1948August 21Ted HornTed Horn EnterprisesHorn-Offy
1948September 19Myron FohrCarl MarcheseMarchese-Offy
1949August 20Mel HansenBowes Racing TeamLesovsky-Offy
1949September 25Johnnie ParsonsKurtis Kraft Inc.Kurtis Kraft-Offy
1950August 19Paul RussoRusso-NichelsRusso-Nichels-Offy
1950October 1Tony BettenhausenBelanger MotorsKurtis Kraft-Offy
1951August 18Tony BettenhausenBelanger MotorsKurtis Kraft-Offy
1952August 16Bill SchindlerHarry Allen ChapmanRusso-Nichels-Offy
1953June 21Rodger WardM.A. Walker ElectricKurtis Kraft-Offy
1953August 22Sam HanksBardahl/Ed WalshKurtis Kraft-Offy
1954August 21Jimmy DaviesPat ClancyEwing-Offy
1955August 20Jimmy BryanDean Van LinesKuzma-Offy
1956August 19Jimmy BryanDean Van LinesKuzma-Offy
1957August 17Rodger WardRoger WolcottLesovsky-Offy
1958August 16Johnny ThomsonRacing Associates, Inc.Kuzma-Offy
1959August 22Len SuttonCentral ExcavatingKuzma-Offy
1960August 20Jim PackardStearly Motor FreightLesovsky-Offy
1961August 21Jim HurtubiseBarnett BrothersKuzma-Offy
1962August 19Jim HurtubiseBarnett BrothersKuzma-Offy
1963August 17Rodger WardLeader Card RacersWatson-Offy
1964August 22A. J. FoytAnsted-Thompson RacingMeskowski-Offy
1965August 21A. J. FoytAnsted-Thompson RacingMeskowski-Offy
1966August 20Don BransonLeader Card RacersWatson-Offy
1967August 19A. J. FoytAnsted-Thompson RacingMeskowski-Offy
1968August 17Roger McCluskeyLindsey Hopkins RacingKuzma-Offy
1969August 18Mario AndrettiSTP CorporationKuzma-Offy
1970August 22Al UnserVel's Parnelli Jones RacingKing-Ford
1971August 22A. J. FoytGilmore RacingMeskowski-Foyt
1972August 20Al UnserVel's Parnelli Jones RacingKing-Foyt
1973August 19Mario AndrettiVel's Parnelli Jones RacingKing-Foyt
1974August 18Mario AndrettiVel's Parnelli Jones RacingKing-Foyt
1975August 16Al UnserVel's Parnelli Jones RacingKing-Foyt
1976August 21Tom BigelowLeader Card RacersWatson-Foyt
1977August 20Larry RiceDavid LefrevreLefevre-Chevrolet
1978August 19Gary BettenhausenAgajanian-King RacingKing-Chevrolet
1979August 18Bobby OliveroLeader Card RacersWatson-Chevrolet
1980August 19Pancho CarterEmcee, Inc.King-Chevrolet
1981August 15George SniderDavid LefevreLefevre-Chevrolet
1982August 14Bobby OliveroHodgdon-Curb RacingWatson-Chevrolet
1983August 20Gary BettenhausenDelrose-Holt RacingKing-Chevrolet
1984August 18Chuck GurneyTransportation Computer SystemsWatson-Chevrolet
1985August 17Chuck GurneyTransportation Computer SystemsWatson-Chevrolet
1986August 16Jack HewittBob Hampshire RacingStanton-Chevrolet
1987August 22Jack HewittBob Hampshire RacingStanton-Chevrolet
1988August 20Steve ChasseyDelmar McClureAdkins-Chevrolet
1989August 19Chuck GurneyTransportation Computer SystemsWatson-Chevrolet
1990August 18Chuck GurneyTransportation Computer SystemsWatson-Chevrolet
1991August 17Chuck GurneyTransportation Computer SystemsWatson-Chevrolet
1992August 22Jimmy SillsBob Consani RacingBeast-Chevrolet
1993August 21Jack HewittTeam 6R RacingBeast-Chevrolet
1994August 20Chuck GurneyFoxco EngineeringBeast-Chevrolet
1995August 19Kenny IrwinCalderwood RacingBeast-Chevrolet
1996August 14Chuck GurneyJohnny Vance RacingBeast-Chevrolet
1997August 16Dave DarlandFoxco EngineeringBeast-Chevrolet
1998August 22Russ GamesterRuss GamesterBeast-Chevrolet
1999August 21Dave DarlandFoxco EngineeringBeast-Chevrolet
2000August 19Jack HewittDewitt MotorsportsBeast-Chevrolet
2001August 18Paul WhitePaul Cook RacingBeast-Chevrolet
2002August 17J. J. YeleyEast-Stewart RacingBeast-Ford
2003August 16Dave DarlandFoxco EngineeringBeast-Chevrolet
2004August 21Brian TylerTeam 6R RacingBeast-Chevrolet
2005August 21Brian TylerTeam 6R RacingBeast-Mopar
2006August 19Tracy HinesIndiana UndergroundBeast-Chevrolet
2007August 18Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.Tony Stewart RacingEagle-Mopar
2008August 16Brian TylerTeam 6R RacingBeast-Toyota
2009August 21Cole WhittKeith Kunz MotorsportsEagle-Chevrolet
2011August 20Brian TylerTeam 6R RacingBeast-Chevrolet
2012August 18A. J. FikeRFMS RacingBeast-Chevrolet
2013August 17A. J. FikeRFMS RacingBeast-Chevrolet
2014September 7Kody SwansonDePalma MotorsportsMaxim-Chevrolet
2015August 22Kody SwansonDePalma MotorsportsMaxim-Chevrolet
2017August 19Justin GrantCarli-Hemelgarn RacingDRC-Ford
2018August 18Chris WindomNolen RacingBeast-Chevrolet