USAC DIRT MILE MASTER COCKRUM READY TO DEFEND AT SPRINGFIELD
By: Jay Hardin – Track Enterprises Staff
Springfield, Illinois (August 9, 2023)………While Kody Swanson has been the dominant force in USAC’s Silver Crown Series for nearly a decade, southern Illinois fire chief and second-generation driver Shane Cockrum has begun to emerge as one of the masters of the Illinois fairgrounds mile dirt tracks.
Cockrum is the defending winner of the Bettenhausen 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and an expected entrant for the 60th running of the event presented by Hunt Brothers Pizza on Saturday, August 19.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, the 42-year-old Benton fire chief is expected to pilot his 2022 race-winning BLS Motorsports Maxim at Springfield.
In 2022, Shane started fifth and patiently waited as others led the October version of the Bettenhausen 100. He took the lead near the three-quarter mark and, once out front, was never challenged, picking up his first win on the Springfield Mile and third overall on the Illinois dirt miles.
In fact, Cockrum is now just one of 26 drivers to win a AAA/USAC Champ Car race at both the Illinois State Fairgrounds and the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in his career, and now aims to become the first driver since Swanson in 2014-15 to score back-to-back Bettenhausen 100 victories.
Already owning back-to-back champ car triumphs at Du Quoin in 2014-15, a second straight champ car win at the Springfield Mile this year would make Cockrum the sixth driver to win consecutively at both tracks in his career. The only five individuals to do so previously are among the heavyweights in the history of the sport: Mario Andretti, Tony Bettenhausen, Jimmy Bryan, A.J. Foyt and Jack Hewitt.
The son of Midwest sprint car legend Cliff Cockrum, Shane competed locally in modifieds, midgets, sprint cars and wherever else he could find a ride. In 2011, Shane teamed with past USAC Stock Car owner Dave Hardy out of Decatur and Hardy Boys Motorsports was born.
Purchasing a Stealth chassis from Tim and Jim Siner, Cockrum and Hardy made their Illinois debut at Springfield in August 2011. The Franklin County native drove a steady race, starting 19th and finishing 17th, getting 97 miles in the process.
Hardy introduced Cockrum to a Beast chassis the team affectionately named “Ginger” for 2012. However, Ginger suffered a mechanical breakdown just seven laps into the Bettenhausen. Ginger and Shane scored a top-five at Springfield the next year and led at Du Quoin before running shy on fuel. Big things were on the horizon for the team.
A popular win at Du Quoin capped the team's 2014 run and led to Ginger’s retirement. A new Maxim named “Mary Ann” took her place. Shane and Mary Ann ran sixth at the Hoosier Hundred, led 40 laps of the Bettenhausen at Springfield and won at Du Quoin. It was evident by now that Shane Cockrum would be one to beat on the Illinois dirt miles.
Shane was able to garner top finishes as Hardy gradually scaled back the operation. A second at the Hoosier Hundred, plus a second and third at Du Quoin followed. After Hardy retired from ownership, and after a one-year stint with Five-Three Motorsports, Cockrum landed with the new BLS Motorsports team and in the familiar 71 for the 2021 season.
Last year, the team really stepped up as Cockrum led most of the Ted Horn 100 at Du Quoin and had a commanding lead before running shy on fuel. Then at Springfield, he pounced on a late race restart to take the lead and win his first Bettenhausen 100.
The 60th Bettenhausen 100 is slated for Saturday, August 19. Practice is set for 10 am Central, qualifications at 11:30 and the 90th 100-mile national championship race on the Springfield Mile set for a 2pm start.
The event is all part of a huge weekend of USAC racing that presents three national events at three different tracks in the state of Illinois during a 24-hour span, beginning on Friday night, August 18, at Wayne County Speedway in Wayne City, Ill. with the 10th running of the Jason Leffler Memorial Presented By Peoples National Bank featuring the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship.
On Saturday afternoon, August 19, the USAC Silver Crown series takes on the Illinois State Fairgrounds, then it’s due east on Saturday night at Macon Speedway with USAC National Midgets.
Advance tickets for the Illinois State Fair races are available by calling the Track Enterprises office at 217-764-3200, by calling the Illinois State Fair box office at 217-782-1979, or by stopping by the Illinois State Fair box office. Advance sale discounted tickets for the ARCA Menards Series event on Sunday, August 20, can be purchased in Central Illinois area Menards stores for a price of just $20.
