Cockrum May Challenge Fike for Bettenhausen Supremacy
By Jay Hardin - Track Enterprises Staff

[September 05, 2014]  SPRINGFIELD - In the 80 year history of national championship dirt track racing at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, just 5 men from the Prairie State had posted a 100-mile win on the historic dirt oval prior to 2012. Galesburg’s A.J. Fike became the sixth Illini winner in 2012 and followed that up with a repeat win last year. Springfield is Fike’s favorite track and he probably feels that after two USAC Silver Crown wins and a near sweep of the ARCA stock car race last year, it’s his turf.

However, after a wild Ted Horn 100 at DuQuoin Sunday night a new challenger has arisen to Fike’s Springfield throne. Benton, Illinois native Shane Cockrum led 41 miles and became the first driver from the deep southern part of the state to win any kind of 100-mile race on DuQuoin’s “Magic Mile”. The win was incredibly emotional for the second generation driver, he comes from the county adjacent to the DuQuoin fairgrounds and his father Cliff was a standout sprint car driver throughout the Midwest. Cockrum held on to win in a race that exceeded the scheduled distance due to a late yellow and saw a record seven lead changes among five drivers.

Carrying the number 66 made famous by the late Chuck Amati, Cockrum comes to Springfield as a serious challenger for the Bettenhausen 100 Sunday and is one of a number of Illini pilots to grace the entry list. The Bettenhausen was originally scheduled for the last Saturday of the Illinois State Fair, however rain as the 25-car field was ready to take the green flag forced a postponement until this Sunday.

“Illini Pride” has swelled the entry list this year with at least 8 drivers entered from the home state, plus an owner with two machines expected and yet another driver or owner perhaps in the mix to attempt to conquer the World’s Fastest Mile Dirt Track.

Canton’s Chris Windom led late at DuQuoin in the RW Motorsports entry before flipping in the first turn. Windom led 85 laps of last year’s race at Springfield before surrendering the lead to Fike and led late at DuQuoin two weeks later before running out of fuel. He did score his first win in the mighty uprights at Eldora in the USAC Silver Crown finale last year.

Two other contenders from Illinois already have impressive resume’s in and out of the series. Pocahontas driver Zach Daum was the 2009 USAC Rookie of the Year and is a former Powri midget champion. Elkhart’s Chris Urish scored an upset win at DuQuoin last Labor Day weekend and the driver should have plenty of fan support Saturday from his native Logan county.

Springfield’s Dennis McQuinn is a long time crew chief and car owner who provided cars for capitol city native Donnie Beechler. McQuinn is expected to return with two cars this year, one for Oklahoma hotshoe Brady Bacon and the other rumored for third generation driver Steven Russell who got a top ten at DuQuoin. Other Illinois drivers expected include thirty-year series veteran Randy Bateman of Murphysboro, Patrick Lawson of Edwardsville and Jerry Bruce of Benton.

Kody Swanson of California and Tracy Hines and Bobby East of Indiana bring a title fight for the Traxxas Silver Crown championship to Springfield Sunday. Swanson and East both led at DuQupoin, both had mechanical issues that knocked them from contention.

Former Bettenhausen winners Dave Darland and Russ Gamester are expected to join the field Sunday at Springfield as well.

[By Jay Hardin - Track Enterprises Staff]