THE DRAFT: USAC SILVER CROWN DRIVERS USE IT TO THEIR ADVANTAGE AT WWT RACEWAY
By: Pat Sullivan – USAC Media
Madison, Illinois (August 24, 2023)………The 1997 USAC Silver Crown season was hitting the homestretch when participants and officials got their first glimpse of what is now known as World Wide Technology Raceway.
Fresh off competing on the traditional one-mile dirt tracks at Springfield and Du Quoin, they soon realized that this oval, located on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River, was going to be a whole new ballgame.
The 1.25-mile track became the largest ever contested by the series. That alone got everyone’s attention. Then there were those straightaways which seemingly went on forever.
The place still commands attention to this day. The largest and fastest track on the schedule, with speeds hitting 180 miles per hour on the straightaways, hosts the USAC Silver Crown National Championship for the 100-mile, 80-lap OutFront 100 this Sunday, August 27.
The star-studded cast in the field on that day 26 years ago included a host of future Hall of Fame drivers and some like Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman and the late Kenny Irwin Jr. who all became names even casual fans of the sport recognized. Drivers took the necessary steps to feel out a new track and gained more confidence as qualifying loomed. Chuck Leary was not among the favorites to capture the pole but was hardly a series novice.
That past May, he captured his only career series win during the Hulman-Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Now, as Chuck crossed the start/finish line, people sensed something was afoot. By the time Leary reached the first turn, those sitting casually on top of their transporters scrambled to their feet. Could he make it safely through the first turn? When his breathtaking run had concluded, his best lap was clocked at an average speed of 141.750 mph. It was the fastest qualification lap in the series history.
Many summers have since passed, but with some prodding, Leary can recall that moment in his career.
“I remember the first hot lap session,” he says, “because we had never gone that fast. Then when I qualified, I drove into the first turn and the throttle hung.”
Chuck recalled that there were countdown markers to warn a driver as they rocketed into the turn. At this critical moment, he was forced to go far deeper than he ever intended. Now he was in trouble.
“The car tried to break loose,” he says, “so I dirt tracked it around there and it turned out that I had fast time.”
It was a great accomplishment, but one that came at a cost.
“We qualified the day before the race, so I got to be the hero for 24 hours,” he recalled, “but I abused my tires in qualifying and we had to use the same tires in the race.”
Ten laps into the feature, he knew the score. While race day did not go as planned, when he looks back on the total experience, he said, “it was awesome.”
Supermodified ace Pat Abold won for the second time in 1997, and his post-race comments caught some off guard. Pat, who had battled Robby Flock early and then passed Dan Drinan to take the lead for good, admitted that the draft had been beneficial. Drafting? In a Silver Crown car? That alone had an odd ring.
Jimmy Sills, a three-time champion, was in that 1997 debut race and remembers it well.
“Oh yeah,” he said, “You could get a tow. Now at Phoenix, you could really feel it with a midget but not as much in the Silver Crown car. But at Gateway (WWTR), I knew it would happen, so you would get behind a guy and see how much of a tow you could get. Tony Stewart and Tracy Hines were good at it.”
Today, most understand that drafting is an important facet of competing at World Wide Technology Raceway and savvy racers learn quickly how to use it to their advantage. It is something you just can’t ignore. Former Silver Crown champion Justin Grant gets right to the point.
“You must draft,” Grant said. “The first time I was there, our car didn’t have a lot of motor and you would get a run on a guy in the draft and pull out and it was like you hit a wall. Now my car has a good motor and you can get a good run on a draft and pull around a guy.”
So, the question looms, how universal is awareness of the draft and how many participants use it to their advantage?
“I would reckon that most of the good guys understand this,” Grant notes, “because it is pretty apparent. Like last year, I was probably 10 or 12 car lengths back from Kody (Swanson) and Bobby (Santos III) and they got side-by-side down the back straightaway and punched a big hole in the air. I drove right to their back bumpers. It is a fast place. I love it.”
Given that Kody Swanson owns most of the Silver Crown records, it stands to reason that he is well versed in the art of drafting.
“It isn’t as exaggerated at World Wide Technology Raceway as it is with midgets at Phoenix,” he said. “But you get a big run for no reason, and suddenly, you are running right up on somebody. You are able to get a great run on people even though you are at three-quarters throttle or going the same speed. If you get your timing wrong and pull out of line at the wrong time, it feels like you have a big parachute coming out of the back of your car.”
While Swanson recognizes the importance of the draft in the WWTR appearance, he still feels he has a lot to learn.
“It is something I am still trying to sort out,” he said. “There are people who are better at it than me. I am just trying to catch up.”
One of those people Kody feels has it down to a science is Bobby Santos III.
“Bobby is just really good at it,” he said. “He drafts when he races modifieds and he just beats us at this. There is no shame in that. I just have to get better.”
Bobby appreciates the accolades offered by one of his chief rivals and admitted, “It definitely plays a part in passing at some points during the race.”
However, he also tends to downplay how vital it is to your ultimate success.
“Personally, I think because it is a long-distance race, a better handling car can still break away,” he said. “It isn’t like Daytona where the draft plays a big part in the race. If there is a late restart, maybe you can snooker someone and steal a race.”
The common denominator among these three front-runners is a shared excitement that this racetrack presents. Given his expertise on pavement, it is understandable that Bobby has circled the WWTR date on his calendar.
“I am excited,” Santos III said. “I personally feel this is the kind of track the champ cars should be on. I love Indianapolis Raceway Park and it is in our backyard. But I think that should be our short track. I would like to be racing at Milwaukee, Iowa, Richmond and Phoenix.”
This track is not for the meek, and for the uninitiated, surprises as await. When it comes to learning to draft in a Silver Crown car, nothing beats experience.
RACE DETAILS:
This Sunday, August 27, at World Wide Technology Raceway, the USAC Silver Crown National Championship races in conjunction with the NTT IndyCar Series.
Team load-in is 5:30am-7am Central on Sunday morning. Teams may also load-in on Saturday night from 8-9pm. Spectator gates open at 7:30. USAC Silver Crown Series practice is set for 8am with Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying slated for 10:15am, pre-race ceremonies at noon and the 100-mile feature event at 12:15.
Tickets range in price from $50 to $108 for adults. Tickets for ages 12 & under are $10. Advance tickets are on sale now at: https://www.metrotix.com/events/detail/indycar
Coverage of Sunday’s USAC Silver Crown event will be live on FloRacing at https://flosports.link/40w7aPg.
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OUTFRONT 100 USAC SILVER CROWN ENTRY LIST: (26)
06 BRYAN GOSSEL/Fort Collins, CO (Bryan Gossel)
08 KYLE STEFFENS/St. Charles, MO (Gordon Steffens)
2 PATRICK LAWSON/Edwardsville, IL (Patrick Lawson)
5 ®DAKODA ARMSTRONG/New Castle, IN (C & A Motorsports)
6 C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (Klatt Enterprises)
11 ®TREY BURKE/Alvin, TX (Davey Hamilton Racing-SRG)
14 DAVEY HAMILTON/Nampa, ID (Davey Hamilton Racing-SRG)
18 TRAVIS WELPOTT/Pendleton, IN (Welpott Racing)
19 DAVEY HAMILTON JR./Boise, ID (Legacy Autosport)
22 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Rice Motorsports-Abacus Racing)
26 ®KAYLEE BRYSON/Muskogee, OK (Sam Pierce)
31 DAVE BERKHEIMER/Mechanicsburg, PA (Berkheimer Racing)
48 ®NATHAN MOORE/Kaufman, TX (Joe Moore)
60 BILLY WEASE/Noblesville, IN (Robert Wilson Racing)
67 KYLE O'GARA/Beech Grove, IN (SFHR Development)
77 KODY SWANSON/Kingsburg, CA (Doran-Binks Racing)
81 MATT WESTFALL/Pleasant Hill, OH (BCR Group)
88 NATHAN BYRD/Goodyear, AZ (Byrd Racing)
91 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (Hemelgarn Racing)
92 MARIO CLOUSER/Auburn, IL (Kazmark Motorsports)
94 MIKE McVETTA/Grafton, OH (RAM Engineering)
98 BOBBY SANTOS/Franklin, MA (DJ Racing)
111 TOM PATERSON/Argos, IN (Tom Paterson)
126 AARON PIERCE/Muncie, IN (Sam Pierce)
131 DEREK BISCHAK/Angola, IN (Derek Bischak)
555 TAYLOR FERNS/Shelby Township, MI (Taylor Ferns Racing)
(R) represents a USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year contender
