By Jay Hardin Track Enterprises Staff
(Springfield, IL) Springfield’s Kelly Kovski has watched as friend Justin Allgaier drove into victory lane before a raucous Illinois State Fair crowd in 2006, and again as crew chief on his own car when Grant Enfinger won the ARCA Allen Crowe 100 in 2017. Seven years later, after recuperating from injuries and embarking on a conditioning program, Kovski is energized to go after his first ARCA Allen Crowe 100 as a driver on Sunday.
The body shop manager/crew chief, injured in early 2017 when hit by a flying sprint car in the pits at an event in Florida, first started the ARCA Allen Crowe 100 in 2005. Overall, he has 17 total starts in ARCA Menards stock cars at Springfield, with a best finish of third as a driver in 2015. Kovski has led one Crowe 100, finished in the top ten eleven times and completed 1667 miles at Springfield, good for seventh all-time. Unable to compete in 2017, he reached out to friend Grant Enfinger to pilot the Kovski owned Chevrolet and Enfinger brought home an emotional win for the team.
While the 43-year-old limits his appearances these days, he trimmed down earlier in 2024 and prepped himself for a limited schedule, including ARCA at Springfield. He made his first UMP Modified appearance in July a memorable one, setting fast time and dominating the main event at Lincoln Speedway. It was in victory lane he said he was getting ready for the ARCA Allen Crowe 100.
The Springfield driver has a good chance on Sunday. None of the top ten in ARCA points have won on dirt and only six have a previous dirt track start. Only one of the top ten have won an ARCA Menards Series race. William Sawalich, just outside the top ten, may be the favorite on Sunday. He has five ARCA wins in 2024 and finished fifth at Springfield last year.
The 62nd ARCA Allen Crowe 100 is part of a huge weekend of racing that begins Friday night, August 16 at Lincoln Speedway featuring MOWA Sprint Cars, Saturday afternoon, August 17 with USAC Silver Crown and Sportsman at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, and Sunday afternoon, August 18 with the ARCA Allen Crowe Memorial 100 and the Sportsman Nationals 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 18 can be purchased in Central Illinois area Menards stores for a price of just $20. Stores selling tickets include Champaign, Danville, Effingham, Forsyth, Normal, Pekin, Peoria, Quincy, Springfield North/South, and Washington.
For more information, visit www.usacracing.com, www.arcaracing.com, or www.trackenterprises.com.