DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack explained

DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack is a one-mile (1.6-km) clay oval motor racetrack in Du Quoin, Illinois, about 90miles southeast of St Louis, Missouri. It is a stop on the ARCA Menards Series, USAC Silver Crown Series and American Flat Track.

History

The DuQuoin State Fair was founded in 1923 by local businessman William R. "W.R." Hayes, who owned the fair and ran it. (It did not become run by the state of Illinois as a true "state fair" until the 1980s; it is now officially called the Illinois State Fair in DuQuoin, as opposed to the longtime one at state capital Springfield.) At the start Hayes had a half-mile harness-racing track on his 30-acre site, with wooden grandstands that seated 3000. In 1939 Hayes started buying adjoining stripmined land to develop its potential as parkland, replanting it and turning the strip pits into family-friendly ponds and lakes. He eventually expanded his little fairgrounds into 1200 acres.

The DuQuoin "Magic Mile" racetrack was constructed on reclaimed stripmine land in 1946 by W.R. Hayes. The track's first national championship race was held in September 1948. In the second race on October 10, popular AAA National driving champion Ted Horn was killed in the fourth turn when a spindle on his championship car broke. The national championship race for the USAC Silver Crown dirt cars is held in his honor.

In 1957 the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds became the third longtime home of the Hambletonian, America's premier harness racing event (established 1926). The grandstands and bleachers were expanded to seat 18,000. When the Hambletonian left DuQuoin after 1980 to be raced at the Meadowlands, the Fair became the home of the World Trotting Derby. This race was held from 1981 until it was discontinued after the 2009 race. Both off-track and on-track betting are allowed.

Music concerts are also held at the track, especially during the state fair (in 2012 from August 25 through Labor Day, September 3). The stage is at center at the foot of the grandstand, backed up against the protective cyclone fence that shields the stands from the track.

Race winners

AAA/USAC Champ Car/Silver Crown race winners

All winners were American

SeasonDateWinning DriverChassisEngine
1948September 4Lee WallardMeyerOffy
October 10Johnnie ParsonsKurtisOffy
1949September 3Tony BettenhausenKurtisOffy
1950

Not held

1951September 1Tony BettenhausenKurtisOffy
September 3Tony BettenhausenKurtisOffy
1952September 1Chuck StevensonKurtisOffy
1953September 7Sam HanksKurtisOffy
1954September 6Sam HanksKurtisOffy
1955September 5Jimmy BryanKuzmaOffy
1956September 3Jimmy BryanKuzmaOffy
1957September 2Jud LarsonWatsonOffy
1958September 1Johnny ThomsonKuzmaOffy
1959September 7Rodger WardWatsonOffy
1960September 5A. J. FoytMeskowskiOffy
1961September 4A. J. FoytMeskowskiOffy
1962

Not held - Rain

1963September 2A. J. FoytMeskowskiOffy
1964September 7A. J. FoytMeskowskiOffy
1965September 6Don BransonWatsonOffy
1966September 5Bud TingelstadMeskowskiOffy
1967September 4A. J. FoytMeskowskiOffy
1968September 2Mario AndrettiKuzmaOffy
1969September 1Al UnserKingFord
1970September 7Al UnserKingFord
1971September 6George SniderWatsonOffenhauser
1972September 4A. J. FoytMeskowskiOffenhauser
1973September 3Mario AndrettiKingFord
1974September 2Mario AndrettiKingFord
1975August 24Tom BigelowWatsonFord
1976August 29Bubby Jones
1977August 28Tom BigelowWatson
1981August 30Rich VoglerShoresChevrolet
1982September 6Gary BettenhausenKingChevrolet
1983September 5Gary BettenhausenKingChevrolet

ARCA Racing Series

SeasonDateWinning DriverEngine
1998September 6 Billy ThomasPontiac
1999September 5 Jeff FinleyChevrolet
2000September 3 Billy ThomasChevrolet
2001September 3 Frank KimmelChevrolet
2002September 2 Frank KimmelFord
2003September 1 Tony StewartChevrolet
2004September 4 Frank KimmelFord
2005September 5 Frank KimmelFord
2006September 4 Ken SchraderChevrolet
2007September 3 Ken SchraderChevrolet
2008September 1 Frank KimmelFord
2009September 7 Parker KligermanDodge
2010September 6 Steve ArpinChevrolet
2011September 5 Chris BuescherFord
2012Rained out
2013September 2 Ken SchraderChevrolet
2014September 1 Grant EnfingerChevrolet
2015September 7 Grant EnfingerChevrolet
2016September 4 (Sun night race) Tom HessertToyota
2017September 4 Austin TheriaultToyota
2018September 3 Logan SeaveyToyota
2019August 31 Christian EckesToyota
2020Not held
2021September 5 Landen LewisToyota
2022September 4 Ryan UnzickerChevrolet
2023September 3 Jesse LoveToyotareport

Lap Records

Category Driver Vehicle Time Event
Oval (1946–present): 1.609 km
31.805[1] 2018 General Tire Grabber 100
33.950[2] 1964 Ted Horn Memorial/Du Quoin 100

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2018 ARCA Racing Series. 23 October 2022.
  2. Web site: 1964 Du Quoin Indycars. 2022-10-24.