By Jay Hardin Track Enterprises Staff
(Springfield, IL) The Sportsman Nationals event on the Springfield Mile continues to be a popular race for local short trackers. It has also proven the adage that “old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill” as the last three feature winners have all been sixty or older!
Sixty-three-year-old Steve Adams got a long-awaited win on the Springfield Mile as he won the 2023 edition. Adams loves the dirt miles so much he’s prepared three different race cars (modified, Silver Crown, Sportsman) for them since 1999 and had son David Shain compete in modified and Silver Crown cars.
Springfield’s Wes O’Dell added an unprecedented sixth win in 2020, twenty years after his last victory and popular Ken Schrader added to his Springfield resume by winning a main on the mile in a fourth different race car in the 2021 Sportsman Nationals. Schrader previously had wins in modified, outlaw late models, ARCA and USAC midget competition making him the only driver to win on the Springfield Mile in five different types of machines.
Ethan Schnapp of Springfield is the youngest winner in the last four years, his 2022 win was his third on the Springfield Mile and came at age 33.
Schnapp returns this weekend, as does O’Dell, Schrader and defending winner Adams. Five-time winner Dennis Vandermeersch of Springfield is entered. Also on the entry list is Assumption’s Phil Moreland, another veteran who has at least 26 starts in the Sportsman Nationals with a best finish of second in 2020.
Returning to the Springfield Mile after numerous ARCA Menards starts are the Huffman brothers, Randy and Jerry out of Maroa. Huffman patriarch Herman was a USAC and ARCA stock car driver who competed mostly on the dirt miles. Randy Huffman made 14 starts in the ARCA Allen Crowe 100 finishing second in 1995. Jerry made 12 starts, finishing second in 1991.
The 30th Sportsman Nationals finale will take place immediately before the 62nd ARCA Allen Crowe 100 and 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.
*Allen Horcher Photo