Backstretch Motorsports

Springfield has an even stronger connection to the Tony Bettenhausen 100 inthe form of hometown driver Justin Allgaier. A veteran of dirt late model,midget and ARCA competition, last year the 21 year old became the firstcentral Illinois winner of the ARCA Allen Crowe 100 at the Illinois StateFairgrounds and the first Springfield driver since 1934 to post a majornational championship win on the Illinois State Fair mile. Allgaier shouldreturn pulling 'double duty', running the Bettenhausen 100 in Ebby Bergfeld's car while defending his Crowe 100 title the next day in the family ownedstock car. Two other Illinois drivers are familiar names across the state,Murphysboro's Randy Bateman is a veteran of sprint car and Silver Crownracing while Dupo's Tim Siner is one of the stars of the Belleville basedPowri Midget Car Series.

Word came from the USAC office this week that an entry of hometown driverDonnie beechler was also expected to arrive before Saturday's Bettenhausen100.  Beechler has several starts USAC competition on the Springfield Milewith his best finish before the home folks coming in 1997 when he ended theday third.  The 46 year old Beechler has four Indianapolis 500 starts andfinished third twice in his 36 Indy Racing League starts.  Beechler has fivecareer Silver Crown wins including the Golden State 100 at Sacramento andthe prestigious Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Promoter Bob Sargent of Track Enterprises expects a very strong field ofcars and drivers for the 73rd national championship 100-mile dirt track raceon the Illinois State Fairgrounds dirt track, and the 38th  race presentedunder the USAC Silver Crown Series banner. The 2007 running of the TonyBettenhausen 100 marks the 47th annual tribute to one of the greatest racingdrivers and biggest stars that American auto racing ever produced, andperhaps one of the most famous athletes ever to come from the state ofIllinois. The late Melvin Eugene "Tony" Bettenhausen was born September 12,1916 in Tinley Park, Illinois the son of a farmer and a young man who oftensettled disputes with his fists earning the nickname "Tony" afterheavyweight boxing champ Gene Tunney. Bettenhausen began racing midget carsin the late 1930's and continued that portion of his career after the end ofWorld War II. He entered Indianapolis for the first time after the war andin 1947 won twice on championship circuit, including a September event atSpringfield.

Dubbed "Der Panzer" because of his German ancestry and hard charging, toughstyle Bettenhausen picked up a top ride when he landed the seat in MerleBelanger's famous "Little Blue Jewel" and proceeded to dominate the nationalchampionship trail, winning again at Springfield in 1950. Because of acommitment to Lou Moore, the owner of Indy 500 winning cars in 1947, 1948and 1949 Bettenhausen had to vacate the seat of Belanger's 99 for the 1951"500". Lee Wallard drove the car to victory at Indianapolis and whenBettenhausen returned to the seat he took out his frustrations on the restof the competitors, winning half of the 16 races on the 1951 Championshiptrail including becoming Springfield's first three-time winner and the 1951National Champion. Its doubtful there was a more popular champion inSpringfield's long history.

Bettenhausen scaled back his racing activities over the next few seasons todevote time to his family and his farm in Tinley Park but never lost thedream of winning his beloved Indianapolis 500. Tony returned full time tochampionship racing in 1958 and became the first man to win a nationalchampionship without the aid of a victory. By 1961 he was one of the realveterans in championship racing, but even at age 44 considered a favorite towin any event. Driving for Lindsey Hopkins at Indianapolis he flirted withthe magical 150 mile an hour lap, however, unable to say no to a friend heagreed to test drive Chicagoan Paul Russo's roadster as it's handlingproblems had become a mystery to Russo and his crew. The decision provedtragic as a steering bolt broke at speed sending the car into a series offlips along Indy's main chute killing the popular champion.

Acting quickly the Illinois State Fair board and promoter Jim Kidd put aname to Springfield's 100-mile national championship event and on August 17,1961 the program bore the solemn black words "Tony Bettenhausen Memorial"The legacy of Tony Bettenhausen's life and racing career became part of the(now) 97 year history of auto racing at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.While drivers such as Wilbur Shaw, Ted Horn, Jimmy Bryan and Johnny Thomsonall won 100-mile championship races at Springfield prior to 1961, names likeHurtubise, Ward, Foyt, Andretti and Unser won Tony Bettenhausen 100 nationalchampionship dirt track events. When the USAC Silver Crown series was formedin 1971, names like George Snider, Pancho Carter, Jack Hewitt and seven-timewinner Chuck Gurney became part of Bettenhausen lore. The Bettenhausenfamily continued in motor sports as well, with son's Merle and Tony Jr.competing in various forms of USAC competition while eldest son Gary scoredfour USAC titles and emotional victories at Springfield in 1978 and 1983 inhis father's memorial event.

It is a 73-year tradition and history of upright, open cockpit dirt trackracing that returns to Springfield, Illinois on August 18 to carry on thememory of the late Tony Bettenhausen in the 47th installment of his memorialevent. Practice for the USAC Silver Crown contingent is slated for 9 am.with qualifications at 10:25 and a last chance event scheduled for aroundnoon. The 47th Tony Bettenhausen 100 is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. TheARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series returns in 2007 to share the last Saturdayof the Illinois State Fair with the Silver Crown cars.

Tickets can be obtained by calling Track Enterprises at 217-764-3200, theIllinois State Fair Box Office at 217-782-1979 or at any Ticketmasteroutlet. Additional information can be found at www.trackenterprises.com,www.usacracing.com or www.agr.state.il.us/isf.

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