8-YEAR ITCH: WEASE RETURNS TO USAC SILVER CROWN RACING IN 2023
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (February 9, 2023)………It’s been eight seasons since Billy Wease last strapped into a USAC Silver Crown car, but in 2023, he’s back in the game with plans to compete in all seven pavement events for first-time series entrant Robert Wilson Racing.
The accolades for Wease (Noblesville, Ind.) include three career USAC National Midget feature victories, including a victorious run in the 2006 Turkey Night Grand Prix.
Wease’s Silver Crown resume, oddly enough, comes in eighths. He made his series debut back in 2007 for Western Speed Racing, and later that season, started 17th and finished a solid second to winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on the dirt mile at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. His most recent series start came eight years later, in 2015, on the pavement at Iowa Speedway.
Getting back into the Silver Crown swing has been a longtime goal of Wease and it’s a phase he’s more than prepared to take on in 2023 – eight years later.
“I love running the Silver Crown cars and I’ve always enjoyed running the longer races where you’ve got to save tires and be good on long runs,” Wease explained. “It’s really cool getting the chance to come back and compete against the top drivers of the Silver Crown division again. I finished second once in the series, so I definitely want to try to do a little better to get to the front.”
It was a chance phone call and an offer from Wilson while Wease was watching the Chili Bowl at home this past January. Wease noted that he competed against Wilson’s son in quarter midgets back in the day, more than two decades ago.
Wilson acquired Legacy Autosport chassis FE001 for the slate, a new machine which made an impressive debut last October, finishing third with driver Tyler Roahrig at the controls. Wilson’s team will be run out of Legacy’s Pittsboro, Ind. based shop with a Chevrolet engine under the hood of the No. 60.
“Legacy Autosport made their presence known at the final race of 2022 with a third place finish in the USAC Silver Crown event at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Race way Park,” Team Principal Robbie Wilson stated. “RWR is showing its confidence in this new chassis by signing on as the first customer.”
Wease is thrilled at both the prospect of him returning to Silver Crown competition and also competing in a new car that’s already shown flashes of brilliance.
“The car is obviously fast, and they know what they’re doing,” Wease commended. “It’s a really great opportunity and we’ve been working hard the last three years on my sprint car as well. We’ve gotten pretty successful with it and it’s great to take another leap and try to gain and learn more by working with other people.”
For now, the focus for the team is squarely on the pavement races, but for 2024, the long-term goal is to add a dirt car to the stable and compete for a championship. A rigorous testing program will begin in early March with both off-track and on-track testing. The first event on this year’s schedule for the combo is the Hoosier Hundred at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on Sunday, April 23.
“I can’t wait,” Wease exclaimed. “I’m really excited and appreciative of the opportunity. It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten to do it and we’re going to have a lot of fun.”
