USAC Silver Crown Series Named as the Featured Division for the 2016 James/O’Connor Memorial
57th Annual Open Wheel Classic Set For Saturday Night, August 13th
SALEM, IN, Dec 10 – The United States Auto Club is set to return to Salem Speedway Fueled by the Hoosier Lottery for the first time in six years in 2016, as the USAC Silver Crown Series takes center stage for the 57th annual Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial on Saturday night, August 13th.
“We are certainly excited to have USAC returning as the sanctioning body for the 57th running of the Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial,” said track general manager Richard Deaton. “USAC has played a very significant role in the storied history of Salem Speedway. It’s great to have the Silver Crown Series, one of the most diverse open wheel groups in the country, associated with this historic race.”
USAC Silver Crown Series Director of Competition Andy Hillenburg is equally excited about the return of USAC to Salem.
“I couldn’t be more proud that USAC is returning to Salem Speedway,” said Hillenburg. “The relationship between USAC and Salem dates back many years. I’m so pleased that the connection has been re-established.”
This marks the first time in the long history of the race that the Silver Crown Series has served as the headline division. The past 56 races have been sprint car events.
A successful Silver Crown test took place at Salem in early November, when Wisconsin’s David Byrne spent an afternoon on the .555-mile high banked track.
“I’m ready to come back,” said Byrne, after turning his first ever laps on the Salem oval.
USAC Racing Director Levi Jones, who oversaw the Salem test, was happy with the results.
“Everything went as well as we had hoped,” said Jones. “We’re excited to bring USAC back to Salem and are looking forward to an excellent race.”
The honor roll of past James/O’Connor victors reads like a “who’s-who” in open wheel racing history with such names as Bob Sweikert, A.J. Foyt, Parnelli Jones, Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser, Pancho Carter, Rich Vogler and Tony Stewart gracing the list of former winners.
The 75-lap Silver Crown race will be the longest open wheel race at Salem in nearly 50 years. Not since the 1968 James/O’Connor Memorial race, which was a 100-lap event, have the open wheelers gone more than 50-laps on the Salem track.
USAC last served as the sanctioning body for the Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial during the 2010 season, when Shane Hmiel held off Tracy Hines and Bryan Clauson to capture the 30-lap sprint race.
One hundred and thirty-eight USAC feature races have been contested at Salem since Pat O’Connor won the inaugural USAC Salem sprint race on June 17, 1956.
Tickets, both reserved and general admission, are currently selling for the Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial and can be purchased by calling 812-883-6504 or 1-888-246-7223.
The entire 2016 Salem Speedway Fueled by the Hoosier Lottery schedule will be released in early January.
WHAT IS A USAC SILVER CROWN CAR
An often asked question is: What is a Silver Crown car? Basically, they are the same cars that raced at Indianapolis for many years prior to the roadster and rear-engine era. Subtle changes, including new bodywork, have improved the breed, but the basic design of these cars has changed little since this type of car sat in the winner’s circle at Indy. USAC Silver Crown cars compete on both dirt and asphalt tracks of up to 1.25-miles in length. Silver Crown cars are often mistakenly referred to as sprint cars. While they look much the same, Silver Crown cars have a longer wheelbase and different engine specifications than sprint cars.
Sources: Salem Speedway