2020 Year in Review: USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series
The Illinois State Fairgrounds has been a home away from home of sorts for Justin Grant throughout his USAC Silver Crown career.After all, it’s where the 29-year-old Ione, Calif. driver earned his first pole with the series in 2015, where he won his first series race in 2017 and where he captured his first USAC National championship in 2020.
The one-mile patch of dirt in Springfield, Ill. has been the host of championship racing since 1934, but never before had it been the stage for a championship celebration, albeit one of the subdued variety on a frigid Sunday afternoon in mid-October where race time temperatures dipped into the 40s.
Grant entered the Silver Crown season finale in somewhat familiar territory. He stood atop the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car standings for much of 2017 and 2020 with Sam McGhee Motorsports and TOPP Motorsports, respectively, then finished as the runner-up in each of the last two Silver Crown seasons before, ultimately, coming up just shy of reaching the pinnacle on each occasion.
Although he hadn’t yet been on the other side of the championship equation, Grant had a unique introspective outlook on how he approached the rigorous mental exercise that involved a title hanging in the balance at Springfield.
“I really wasn’t nervous today at all,” Grant admitted. “I’ve been here, and I’ve lost them before, and I survived. I thought if I lost another one, I’ll be alright. If we win one, we’ll be alright, but just a little happier.”
However, what was a most unusual twist in this most uncommon of all seasons throughout the sports landscape was the two-month long break in the schedule that preceded the final race at Springfield due to rain outs and COVID-19. Among the twists were the addition and rescheduling of Springfield to the schedule in mid-September that added another date to the calendar in what wound up as the shortest Silver Crown season since 1979.
During the eight-week break, Grant’s 22-point lead over five-time champion Kody Swanson remained intact, unwavering, as it awaited one last showdown. Grant laid down the fastest time in qualifying to win the pole for Springfield’s Bettenhausen 100, displaying his commitment to not making this merely a leisurely Sunday drive. Grant was dead-set on making this day fully climatic by delivering both a victory and a championship in his Hemelgarn Racing/NOS Energy Drink – Super Fitness – Hemelgarn Enterprises/DRC/Speedway Ford.
Grant led the first 10 laps until surpassed by eventual winner Kyle Larson, but remained in the hunt, and ran 2nd with five laps remaining in the 100-mile event. Grant began to close on Larson to pressure him for the race win on the 95th lap when Grant became entangled with a lapped car in turn two. As Grant got sideways and fought to retain control, for everyone else on the premises, they believed they had witnessed Grant’s championship season flash before their eyes.
For Grant, though, the championship wasn’t top of mind at the point. He was there to win, and as he dropped to 3rd in the order, his hopes of a race victory were dashed, which was first and foremost on his mind at that juncture.
“I was caught up in trying to win the race and I think I was more frustrated about losing the race there than the championship at the moment.”
Once the kerfuffle was had run its course, Grant gathered it up and that was where championship mode finally set in as he made sure to protect the tires, ride it out and keep everything intact for the final five miles of his championship run.
Grant’s most recent series title prior to 2020 came with the Bay Cities Racing Association Midgets in 2007. He made the move to Indiana in 2009 with just a little bit of money in his pocket but possessed an insurmountable amount of hunger, will and drive to succeed in the sport. Initially serving as a crew member for Jeff Walker Racing’s sprint car team, Grant literally worked his way into the driving seat for Baldwin Brothers Racing to become the USAC National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year a year later in 2010.
A stint with car owner Mark Hery that saw Grant win his first career USAC Sprint race in 2012 was nearly derailed later that year by a serious rollover in an Ohio highway accident. After recovery, Grant fought back to reach victory lane once again but shortly thereafter, found himself on the sidelines contemplating his future in the sport throughout the summer of 2016.
That same year, however, Grant forged a foundation in Silver Crown racing with owner Chris Carli, then Ron Hemelgarn, that has seen Grant steadily progress into the championship caliber driver he is today. It’s something that Grant couldn’t even comprehend just a handful of years ago when he started his racing journey.
“It means a lot to me,” Grant said. “I’ve been wanting to be a USAC racer since I was six years old. Being a USAC champion, I never really thought I would be in this position. At one time, I never thought I’d even get to race a USAC car growing up. It was never really anything I looked at, like “I’m going to be a USAC champion one day.’ I just kept getting to the next race and the next race and then, here we are.”
Grant had finished 4th, 3rd, 2nd and 2nd in the Silver Crown standings over the past four years between 2016-19, but in 2020, he was the only driver with three top-five and four top-ten finishes in his five starts.
He also became the ninth driver to win the Silver Crown driving title without the aid of a single victory, joining Jimmy Caruthers (1975), Billy Cassella (1976), Ken Schrader (1982), Dave Blaney (1984), Steve Butler (1988), Tony Stewart (1995), Bud Kaeding (2007) and Levi Jones (2011).
Nonetheless, Grant regularly had a car to win throughout the 2020 season. A flat right rear tire while running second in the opener at Selinsgrove (Pa.) Speedway relegated the team to a 16th place finish and a 16th place standing in the points. A solid 4th place finish in the follow-up race on the pavement of Salem (Ind.) Speedway moved Grant into 3rd in the driver standings, then into 2nd overall in the points with a 5th place result at Indiana’s Lucas Oil Raceway.
Grant overcame a 10-point deficit at the Indiana State Fairgrounds by finishing 8th after starting 20th on the grid, while an early race back straightaway flip cost Swanson dearly. Grant led by 22 entering Springfield, and ultimately finished out with a 46-point advantage to conclude the season, the closest final margin of victory for the championship since 2016.
Meanwhile, team owner Hemelgarn’s car entrant title also presented a rarity as one of just a few select teams to win both a USAC Silver Crown and an IndyCar championship. Hemelgarn, with driver Buddy Lazier, won the 2000 Indy Racing League crown.
Leader Card Racers snagged the inaugural Silver Crown champion with driver George Snider in 1971 and again in 1979 with Bobby Olivero as the pilot, while also garnering USAC National (IndyCar) Championships with Rodger Ward in 1959 & 1962, and Bobby Unser in 1968.
Likewise, A.J. Foyt won the “IndyCar” championship as a driver/owner in 1975, then once again, this time solely as an owner, at the advent of the IRL with drivers Scott Sharp in 1996 and Kenny Brack in 1998. Foyt, aboard his own A.J. Foyt Enterprises machine, collected the 1972 Silver Crown title as both a driver/owner. In 1999, Foyt, now teamed up with George Snider as co-owners, were the Silver Crown entrant champions with a combination of drivers, including Mike Bliss, Jimmy Sills and Dave Steele.
Justin Grant, his family & the Hemelgarn Racing crew celebrate after winning the 2020 USAC Silver Crown championship Sunday at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
(Chris Pedersen Photo)
Vel’s Parnelli Jones Racing burst onto the scene, winning three consecutive IndyCar titles with Al Unser in 1970, and Joe Leonard in 1971-72. Success continued in the following two years for the team on the USAC Dirt Track Championship trail with Unser claiming the Silver Crown title in 1973 and Mario Andretti doing so in 1974, both for Vel’s Parnelli.
The man who was instrumental in Hemelgarn and Lazier’s 2000 IRL championship as chief mechanic was Dennis LaCava, the same man who served in the same role for Grant’s 2020 Silver Crown title. Grant finds most of his gratification in winning the title for the team, doing his part on the track to win the title for the team he’s worked with for the past four successful seasons.
“I’m thrilled to win this championship, but especially for Dennis (LaCava), who has worked very hard to get to this point, and for Ron (Hemelgarn) who gives us what we need to do it. It just feels good to get it done for those guys.”
Additionally, Kyle Larson returned to the Silver Crown Champ Cars after an eight-year hiatus and went two-for-two in both of his series appearances, first winning the Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds (after starting 22nd) and the season closer at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. In doing so, he became the 15th driver to win at all three of the Midwest dirt miles of Indy, Illinois, and Du Quoin, which he won in 2011.
Shane Cottle earned a new record as the driver with the longest gap between Silver Crown race wins, following up his 2007 Du Quoin triumph with a score just shy of 13 years later in the 2020 season opener at Selinsgrove, Pa. After starting in the 23rd position, Cottle was plagued with engine problems in qualifying, then was involved in an accident just before halfway that required replacement of both the right and left rear tires, then stormed back through the pack, leading just the final two laps to win the inaugural Bill Holland Classic.
Kody Swanson extended his Silver Crown victory streak to seven years with an unprecedented fifth consecutive win in the Joe James-Pat O’Connor Memorial on the paved high banks of Salem (Ind.) Speedway, breaking Pancho Carter’s long held record in the event between 1974-77.
Kody’s younger brother, Tanner Swanson, became the winningest USAC Silver Crown driver in Lucas Oil Raceway history with his sixth career victory at the .686-mile paved oval during the Carb Night Classic, a record he held alongside both Mike Bliss and his big brother.
Bryan Gossel earned Rookie of the Year honors with the series after finishing 9th in the final standings. He became the first Silver Crown Rookie of the Year to hail from the state of Colorado, and the first in any USAC National division since Mike Gregg with the Midgets in 1973.
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2020 USAC SILVER CROWN STAT LEADERS:
Most Wins: 2-Kyle Larson
Driver Champion: Justin Grant
Owner Champion: Hemelgarn Racing #91
Top Rookie in Points: Bryan Gossel
Most Laps Led: 127-Kyle Larson
Most Top-Fives: 3-Justin Grant
Most Top-Tens: 4-Justin Grant
Most Fast Qualifying Times: 2-Kody Swanson
Most Feature Starts: 5-Matt Goodnight, Bryan Gossel, Justin Grant, Kyle Robbins, Kody Swanson & Chris Windom
Biggest Charger of the Year: David Gravel (26th to 2nd) on Oct 18 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds
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2020 USAC SILVER CROWN SCHEDULE & RESULTS
Aug 9: (D) Selinsgrove, PA – Selinsgrove Speedway
WINNER: Shane Cottle (Curtis Williams #81)
Aug 15: (P) Salem, IN – Salem Speedway
WINNER: Kody Swanson (Nolen Racing #20)
Aug 21: (P) Brownsburg, IN – Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis
WINNER: Tanner Swanson (Bowman Racing #02)
Aug 23: (D) Indianapolis, IN – Indiana State Fairgrounds
WINNER: Kyle Larson (Sean Michael Motorsports #19)
Oct 18: (D#) Springfield, IL – Illinois State Fairgrounds
WINNER: Kyle Larson (Sean Michael Motorsports #19)
———————— KEY DEFINITIONS ————————-
(D) represents a dirt event
(P) represents a pavement event
# represents a daytime event
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2020 USAC SILVER CROWN DRIVER POINT STANDINGS:
POS. PTS. DRIVER
1 266 Justin Grant, Ione, Calif.
2 220 Kody Swanson, Kingsburg, Calif.
3 212 Chri
4 189 Matt Goodnight, Winchester, Ind.
5 186 Kyle Robbins, New Castle, Ind.
6 184 Shan
7 168 Aaro
8 162 Shan
9 161 Brya
10 159 Mike Haggenbottom, Levittown, Pa.
11 156 Logan Seavey (R), Sutter, Calif.
12 151 Patri
13 148 Travi
14 146 Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, Calif.
15 143 C.J. Leary, Greenfield, Ind.
16 131 Bobby Santos, Franklin, Mass.
17 131 Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, Okla.
18 121 Jake Swanson (R), Anaheim, Calif.
19 111 Kyle Cummins (R), Princeton, Ind.
20 107 Austi
21 101 Kyle Hamilton, Danville, Ind.
22 101 Kevin Thomas Jr. (Cullman, Ala.)
23 95 Chad Kemenah (R), Alvada, Ohio
24 85 Dere
25 85 Dave Berkheimer, Mechanicsburg, Pa.
26 84 Ronn
27 77 Kyle O’Gara (R), Beech Grove, Ind.
28 73 Tann
29 71 Carm
30 68 Russ Gamester, Peru, Ind.
31 67 Davi
32 63 John Heydenreich, Bloomsburg, Pa.
33 61 Davi
34 60 Case
35 58 Jaco
36 55 Eric Gordon, Indianapolis, Ind.
36 55 Case
38 48 Jimm
39 46 Matt Westfall, Pleasant Hill, Ohio
40 45 Terr
41 43 Joe Liguori, Tampa, Fla.
42 35 Bria
43 35 Kyle Steffens, St. Charles, Mo.
44 33 Tyle
45 33 Dann
46 31 Toni Breidinger, Hillsborough, Calif.
47 31 Chri
48 27 Aust
49 21 Jim Anderson, Joliet, Ill.
50 21 Jake Simmons (R), New Palestine, Ind.
51 19 Bren
52 18 Terr
53 10 Dall
54 10 Just
55 10 Stev
(R) represents a USAC Silver Crown Rookie
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2020 USAC SILVER CROWN OWNER POINT STANDINGS:
POS. PTS. ENTRANT, TEAM LOCATION
1 266 Heme
2 232 Klat
3 220 Nole
4 212 Good
5 189 Good
6 186 KR Racing, Greenfield, Ind. (#7)
7 184 Curt
8 168 Sam Pierce, Daleville, Ind. (#26)
9 162 Five Three Motorsports, Joliet, Ill. (#53)
10 161 Bryan Gossel, Fort Collins, Colo. (#06)
11 159 John Haggenbottom, Bristol, Pa. (#24)
12 156 Prest
13 151 Patri
14 148 Welpo
15 146 Sean Michael Motorsports, York Springs, Pa. (#19)
16 143 Leary Racing, Greenfield, Ind. (#30)
17 131 DJ Racing, Boca Raton, Fla. (#22)
18 121 DMW Motorsports, Phoenix, Ariz. (#10)
19 111 Pink 69 Racing, Evansville, Ind. (#69)
20 107 Nemir
21 101 Chris Dyson Racing, Pleasant Valley, N.Y. (#9)
22 95 Hamp
23 85 Dere
24 85 Berk
25 84 Ronn
26 77 SFHR Development, Indianapolis, Ind. (#1)
27 73 Bowm
28 71 John Stehman, Halifax, Pa. (#52)
29 68 Game
30 67 Mark Swanson Encore Team, Des Moines, Iowa (#21)
31 63 Nick Bohanon-A.J. Felker Racing, Jeffersonville, Ind. (#37)
32 61 Byrn
33 60 Chuc
34 58 Wils
35 55 Brad & Tara Armstrong, New Palestine, Ind. (#78)
36 55 Patt
37 48 Two-
38 46 West
39 45 Terr
40 43 Will
41 35 Dick & Deborah Myers, Waterford, Mich. (#94)
42 35 Gord
43 33 Hans Lein, Edgerton, Wisc. (#97)
44 33 Dann
45 31 Brei
46 31 Chri
47 27 Les & Patty Butler, Kaufman, Texas (#47)
48 21 Kazm
49 21 Tim Simmons, Cabot, Ark. (#3)
50 19 Bren
51 18 Todd Satterthwaite, St. Louis, Mo. (#23)
52 10 Dall
53 10 DMW Motorsports, Phoenix, Ariz. (#110)
54 10 McQu
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2020 USAC SILVER CROWN ROOKIE DRIVER POINT STANDINGS:
POS. PTS. DRIVER
1 161 Bry
2 156 Log
3 121 Jak
4 111 Kyl
5 95 Ch
6 84 Ro
7 77 Ky
8 71 Ca
9 67 Da
10 60 Case
11 48 Jimm
12 21 Jake Simmons, New Palestine, Ind.
13 19 Bren
14 10 Dall
15 10 Just
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RACE WINS:
2-Kyle Larson (Aug 23 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Oct 18 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds)
1-Shane Cottle (Aug 9 at Selinsgrove Speedway)
1-Kody Swanson (Aug 15 at Salem Speedway)
1-Tanner Swanson (Aug 23 at Lucas Oil Raceway)
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LAPS LED:
127-Kyle Larson
120-C.J. Leary
66-Kody Swanson
60-Tanner Swanson
49-Bobby Santos
15-Tyler Courtney
10-Justin Grant
2-Shane Cottle
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TOP-FIVE FINISHES:
3-Justin Grant
2-Kyle Larson, C.J. Leary, Aaron Pierce & Bobby Santos
1-Brady Bacon, Derek Bischak, Shane Cockrum Shane Cottle, Bryan Gossel, David Gravel, Kyle Hamilton, Carmen Perigo, Kyle Robbins, Logan Seavey, Kody Swanson, Tanner Swanson, Jacob Wilson & Chris Windom
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TOP-TEN FINISHES:
4-Justin Grant
3-Shane Cockrum, Logan Seavey, Kody Swanson & Chris Windom
2-Brady Bacon, Shane Cottle, Kyle Cummins, Matt Goodnight, Kyle Larson, C.J. Leary, Aaron Pierce, Kyle Robbins & Bobby Santos
1-Derek Bischak, Russ Gamester, Eric Gordon, Bryan Gossel, David Gravel, Mike Haggenbottom, Kyle Hamilton, Patrick Lawson, Joe Liguori, Austin Nemire, Kyle O’Gara, Carmen Perigo, Casey Shuman, Jake Swanson, Tanner Swanson & Jacob Wilson
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FEATURE STARTS:
5-Matt Goodnight, Bryan Gossel, Justin Grant, Kyle Robbins, Kody Swanson & Chris Windom
4-Dave Berkheimer, Shane Cottle, Mike Haggenbottom, Patrick Lawson, Aaron Pierce & Travis Welpott
3-Brady Bacon, David Byrne, Shane Cockrum, John Heydenreich, Chad Kemenah, Austin Nemire, Logan Seavey, Jake Swanson & Kevin Thomas Jr.
2-Terry Babb, Derek Bischak, Casey Buckman, Kyle Cummins, Russ Gamester, Kyle Hamilton, Kyle Larson, C.J. Leary, Jimmy Light, Kyle O’Gara, Carmen Perigo, Bobby Santos, Matt Westfall & Ronnie Wuerdeman
1-Jim Anderson, Toni Breidinger, Tyler Courtney, Brian Gerster, Eric Gordon, David Gravel, Terry James, Joe Liguori, Danny Long, Austin Mundie, Casey Shuman, Jake Simmons, Kyle Steffens, Tanner Swanson, Chris Urish, Jacob Wilson & Brent Yarnal
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FATHEADZ EYEWEAR FAST QUALIFYING TIMES:
2-Kody Swanson
1-Justin Grant, Kyle Larson & C.J. Leary
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TOP “ROOKIE” FINISHER OF THE RACE:
Aug 9: Selinsgrove Speedway – Bryan Gossel (4th)
Aug 15: Salem Speedway – Kyle O’Gara (7th)
Aug 21: Lucas Oil Raceway – Kyle O’Gara (19th)
Aug 23: Indiana State Fairgrounds – Logan Seavey (3rd)
Oct 18: Illinois State Fairgrounds – David Gravel (2nd)
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KSE RACING PRODUCTS “HARD CHARGER” OF THE RACE:
Aug 9: Shane Cottle – Selinsgrove Speedway (23rd to 1st)
Aug 15: Austin Nemire – Salem Speedway (15th to 6th)
Aug 21: Lucas Oil Raceway – Patrick Lawson (21st to 7th)
Aug 23: Indiana State Fairgrounds – Kyle Larson (22nd to 1st)
Oct 18: Illinois State Fairgrounds – David Gravel (26th to 2nd)
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WILWOOD BRAKES 13TH PLACE FINISHER:
Aug 9: Ronnie Wuerdeman – Selinsgrove Speedway
Aug 15: Kyle Hamilton – Salem Speedway
Aug 21: Lucas Oil Raceway – Matt Goodnight
Aug 23: Indiana State Fairgrounds – Ronnie Wuerdeman
Oct 18: Illinois State Fairgrounds – Jake Swanson
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QUALIFYING RACE WINS:
1-Aaron Pierce
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ALL-TIME USAC SILVER CROWN STATS
ALL-TIME USAC SILVER CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP RACE WINS:
1. [30 wins] Kody Swanson
2. [23 wins] Jack Hewitt
3. [17 wins] Brian Tyler
4. [16 wins] Dave Steele
5. [15 wins] J.J. Yeley
6. [14 wins] Dave Darland & Chuck Gurney
8. [12 wins] Jimmy Sills
9. [11 wins] Bobby East
10. [10 wins] Gary Bettenhausen, Mike Bliss & Bobby Santos
13. [9 wins] Tracy Hines
14. [8 wins] Tanner Swanson & Chris Windom
16. [7 wins] Jerry Coons Jr., Rick Hood & George Snider
19. [6 wins] Tom Bigelow, Russ Gamester, Kenny Irwin Jr., Jason Leffler, Ken Schrader & Al Unser
25. [5 wins] Mario Andretti, Donnie Beechler, Pancho Carter, Jay Drake, Tony Elliott, Bud Kaeding, Sheldon Kinser & Larry Rice
33. [4 wins] Kyle Larson, Jeff Swindell & Rich Vogler
36. [3 wins] Steve Butler, Shane Cockrum, Cameron Dodson, A.J. Fike, Levi Jones, Kasey Kahne, Jim Keeker, Steve Kinser, Bobby Olivero, Johnny Parsons, Aaron Pierce, Ron Shuman, Tony Stewart, Tyler Walker & Paul White
51. [2 wins] Pat Abold, Brady Bacon, Steve Chassey, Bryan Clauson, Shane Cottle, Tyler Courtney, Larry Dickson, Billy Engelhart, A.J. Foyt, Jeff Gordon, Justin Grant, C.J. Leary, Ryan Newman, Joe Saldana, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Cole Whitt, Josh Wise & Doug Wolfgang
69. [1 win] Teddy Beach, Christopher Bell, Jeff Bloom, David Byrne, Marvin Carman, Shane Carson, Bob Cicconi, Herb Copeland, Bruce Field, Aaron Fike, Chet Fillip, Bob Frey, Eric Gordon, Kyle Hamilton, John Heydenreich, Gary Hieber, Shane Hmiel, Shane Hollingsworth, Jimmy Horton, Jackie Howerton, Kevin Huntley, Kenny Jacobs, Bubby Jones, Keith Kauffman, Jimmy Kite, Chuck Leary, Eddie Leavitt, Jason McCord, Jim McElreath, Lealand McSpadden, Mat Neely, Brad Noffsinger, Stevie Reeves, Wayne Reutimann Jr., Danny Smith, Kevin Thomas, Rich Tobias Jr., Chris Urish, Billy Vukovich & Jacob Wilson
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ALL-TIME USAC SILVER CROWN DRIVER CHAMPIONS:
1971: George Snider, 1972: A.J. Foyt, 1973: Al Unser, 1974: Mario Andretti, 1975: Jimmy Caruthers, 1976: Billy Cassella, 1977: Larry Rice, 1978: Pancho Carter, 1979: Bobby Olivero, 1980: Gary Bettenhausen, 1981: Larry Rice, 1982: Ken Schrader, 1983: Gary Bettenhausen, 1984: Dave Blaney, 1985: Rick Hood, 1986: Jack Hewitt, 1987: Jack Hewitt, 1988: Steve Butler, 1989: Chuck Gurney, 1990: Jimmy Sills, 1991: Jeff Gordon, 1992: Steve Butler, 1993: Mike Bliss, 1994: Jimmy Sills, 1995: Tony Stewart, 1996: Jimmy Sills, 1997: Dave Darland, 1998: Jason Leffler, 1999: Ryan Newman, 2000: Tracy Hines, 2001: Paul White, 2002: J.J. Yeley, 2003: J.J. Yeley, 2004: Dave Steele, 2005: Dave Steele, 2006: Bud Kaeding, 2007: Bud Kaeding, 2008: Jerry Coons Jr., 2009: Bud Kaeding, 2010: Levi Jones, 2011: Levi Jones, 2012: Bobby East, 2013: Bobby East, 2014: Kody Swanson, 2015: Kody Swanson, 2016: Chris Windom, 2017: Kody Swanson, 2018: Kody Swanson, 2019: Kody Swanson, 2020: Justin Grant
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ALL-TIME USAC SILVER CROWN OWNER CHAMPIONS:
1971: Leader Card, 1972: A.J. Foyt Enterprises, 1973: Vel’s Parnelli Jones, 1974: Vel’s Parnelli Jones, 1975: George Middleton, 1976: Louis Seymour & Sons, 1977: David LeFevre, 1978: Johnny Capels, 1979: Leader Card, 1980: Delrose-Holt Racing, 1981: Johnny Vance, 1982: Steve Enslow, 1983: Delrose-Holt Racing, 1984: Ralph DePalma, 1985: Damon Fortune, 1986: Bob Hampshire, 1987: Bob Hampshire, 1988: Kenneth Jarrett Farms, 1989: Junior Kurtz, 1990: Bob Consani, 1991: Fred Ede, 1992: Kenneth Jarrett Farms, 1993: Del McClure, 1994: Gary Stanton, 1995: Glen Niebel, 1996: Stanton Racing, 1997: Foxco, Inc., 1998: Goetz Racing, 1999: Snider/Foyt Racing, 2000: Terry Riggs, 2001: Paul Cook Racing, 2002: East/Stewart Racing, 2003: East/Stewart Racing, 2004: East/Stewart Racing, 2005: East/Stewart Racing, 2006: Leffler/BK Racing, 2007: BK Racing, 2008: RW Motorsports, 2009: BK Motorsports, 2010: Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, 2011: Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, 2012: RW Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian Racing, 2013: Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, 2014: DePalma Motorsports, 2015: DePalma Motorsports, 2016: DePalma Motorsports, 2017: DePalma Motorsports, 2018: DePalma Motorsports, 2019: Klatt Enterprises, 2020: Hemelgarn Racing
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ALL-TIME USAC SILVER CROWN ROOKIES OF THE YEAR:
1981: Jack Hewitt, 1982: Keith Kauffman, 1983: Rick Hood, 1984: Dave Blaney, 1985: Steve Butler, 1986: Kenny Jacobs, 1987: Jeff Swindell, 1988: Gene Lee Gibson, 1989: Jimmy Sills, 1990: Eric Gordon, 1991: Stevie Reeves, 1992: Jim Keeker, 1993: Randy Tolsma, 1994: Kenny Irwin Jr., 1995: Chuck Leary: 1996: Ryan Newman, 1997: Jimmy Kite, 1998: Todd Kane, 1999: Paul White, 2000: Kasey Kahne, 2001: Aaron Fike, 2002: Matt Westfall, 2003: Ron Gregory, 2004: Aaron Pierce, 2005: Josh Wise, 2006: Mat Neely, 2007: Cameron Dodson, 2008: Steve Arpin, 2009: Kody Swanson, 2010: Bryan Clauson, 2011: Kyle Larson, 2012: Kyle Hamilton, 2013: Chris Windom, 2014: Caleb Armstrong, 2015: C.J. Leary, 2016: Casey Shuman, 2017: Joss Moffatt, 2018: Kyle Robbins, 2019: Derek Bischak, 2020: Bryan Gossel
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ALL-TIME USAC SILVER CROWN FAST QUALIFYING TIMES:
1. (31) Kody Swanson
2. (21) Jimmy Sills
3. (19) Dave Steele
4. (17) Tracy Hines
5. (14) Jerry Coons Jr.
6. (13) J.J. Yeley
7. (10) Bobby East
8. (9) Chuck Gurney, Jason Leffler & Rich Vogler
11. (8) Dave Darland, Russ Gamester, Levi Jones & Johnny Parsons
15. (7) Jack Hewitt, Tanner Swanson & Josh Wise
18. (6) Gary Bettenhausen, Tom Bigelow, Steve Chassey & Justin Grant
22. (5) Larry Dickson, Kenny Irwin Jr., Aaron Pierce, Larry Rice, Jeff Swindell & Al Unser
28. (4) Donnie Beechler, Steve Butler, Bryan Clauson, Jay Drake, Tony Elliott, Rick Hood, Jim Keeker, Kyle Larson, Brad Noffsinger, Joe Saldana, Ron Shuman, George Snider, Brian Tyler & Greg Weld
42. (3) Mario Andretti, Mike Bliss, Pancho Carter, Shane Cottle, Tyler Courtney, Robby Flock, Shane Hmiel, Sheldon Kinser, Ryan Newman, Bobby Santos & Ken Schrader
53. (2) Dave Blaney, Ed Carpenter, Dane Carter, A.J. Fike, Shane Hollingsworth, Bud Kaeding, Lee Kunzman, C.J. Leary, Chuck Leary, Jon Stanbrough, Brad Sweet, Kevin Thomas Jr., Tyler Walker, Jacob Wilson & Chris Windom
68. (1) Mark Alderson, Brady, Bacon, Teddy Beach, Christopher Bell, Bob Cicconi, Derek Davidson, Cameron Dodson, Pablo Donoso, Thad Dosher, Paul Durant, Billy Engelhart, Bob Ewell, Chet Fillip, Stan Fox, Damion Gardner, Gene Lee Gibson, Eric Gordon, Jeff Gordon, Davey Hamilton, Jac Haudenschild, John Heydenreich, Gary Hieber, Tray House, Jackie Howerton, Kenny Jacobs, Jon Johnson, Bubby Jones, P.J. Jones, Kasey Kahne, Keith Kauffman, Steve Kent, Steve Kinser, Arnie Knepper, Michael Lewis, Lealand McSpadden, Warren Mockler, Mat Neely, Paul Pitzer, Roger Rager, Wayne Reutimann Jr., Bill Rose, Randy Tolsma, Billy Vukovich, Bruce Walkup & Doug Wolfgang
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ALL-TIME USAC SILVER CROWN STARTS:
201-Dave Darland
199-Russ Gamester
198-Brian Tyler
176-Jerry Coons Jr.
172-Tracy Hines
163-Jack Hewitt
151-Johnny Parsons
147-Tony Elliott
141-Eric Gordon
128-George Snider
125-Gary Hieber
114-Chuck Gurney
113-Bud Kaeding & Jimmy Sills
111-Dave Steele
110-John Heydenreich
108-Kody Swanson
103-A.J. Fike
100-Aaron Pierce & Larry Rice
94-Jay Drake & Paul White
91-J.J. Yeley
90-Tom Bigelow
88-Mark Alderson
84-Jason McCord
83-Gary Bettenhausen
79-Donnie Beechler & Levi Jones
77-Rich Vogler
76-Larry Dickson
74-Steve Chassey & Chris Windom
73-Ryan Newman & Rich Tobias Jr.
72-Bobby East
71-Robby Flock & Sheldon Kinser
70-Steve Butler
68-Billy Engelhart
67-Joe Saldana
66-Brad Noffsinger
65-Jerry Nemire
62-David Byrne & Ron Shuman
60-Randy Bateman & Wally Pankratz
59-Bill Rose
58-Rick Hood
57-Shane Cottle & Bobby Santos
55-Gary Irvin
54-Tom Capie, Shane Hollingsworth & Jacob Wilson
53-Chet Fillip, Justin Grant & Jason Leffler
52-Wayne Reutimann Jr.
49-Tony Stewart
48-Mike Bliss
47-Bob Cicconi & Ken Schrader
46-Jim Keeker & Bentley Warren
45-Derek Davidson, Austin Nemire, Jeff Swindell & Billy Vukovich
43-Kenny Irwin Jr. & Tyler Walker
42-Patrick Lawson & Jon Stanbrough
41-Dane Carter, Shane Cockrum, Danny Milburn & Tanner Swanson
40-Aaron Fike, Andy Hillenburg, Warren Mockler & Chip Thomas
39-Tray House & Jim McElreath
38-Bobby Olivero
37-Pancho Carter, Duke Cook, Todd Kane, Chuck Leary, Rusty McClure, Billy Puterbaugh Jr., Roger Rager & Chris Urish
36-Ed Carpenter, Ron Dunstan & C.J. Leary
34-Ronnie Burke, Davey Hamilton, Kevin Huntley, Greg Staab & Kevin Thomas
33-Cary Faas, Jimmy Kite & Josh Wise
32-Matt Goodnight & Brent Kaeding
31-Steve Cannon, Ron Gregory, Arnie Knepper, Jim Mahoney, Mat Neely & Stevie Reeves
30-Tim Barber, Teddy Beach, Jeff Bloom, Zach Daum, Stan Fox, Manny Rockhold, Jerry Russell & Matt Westfall
29-Rocky Hodges & Michael Lewis
28-Brady Bacon, Dave Blaney & Bill Puterbaugh
27-Brad Armstrong & Bryan Clauson
26-Terry Babb, Steve Buckwalter & Dan Drinan
25- Kasey Kahne, Joe Liguori, Nick Lundgreen & Kyle Robbins
24-Pat Abold, Derek Hagar, Kenny Jacobs & Jerry Miller
23-Cameron Dodson
22-Billy Cassella, Kevin Doty, Bob Frey & Mike Haggenbottom
21-Kyle Hamilton, Walt Kennedy & Davey Ray
20-Bill Baue, Dave Feese, John Starks & Randy Tolsma
19-Bruce Field, Brian Gerster, Gene Lee Gibson, Shane Hmiel, Jimmy McCune, Lealand McSpadden & Casey Shuman
18-Rollie Beale, Jackie Burke, Mike Murgoitio, Al Unser & Jonathan Vennard
17-Jimmy Caruthers, A.J. Foyt, Sammy Sessions, Travis Welpott & Kramer Williamson
16-Tyler Courtney, Pablo Donoso & Kevin Thomas Jr.
15-Paul Clark, P.J. Jones & Bruce Walkup
14-Jarett Andretti, Billy Boat, Carl Edwards, Chris Fetter, Jeff Gordon, Bubby Jones, Keith Kauffman, Ralph Liguori, Boston Reid, Danny Smith, Smokey Snellbaker, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. & Jerry Weeks
13-Robert Ballou, Dave Berkheimer, Patrick Bruns, Tyce Carlson, Dana Carter, Jim Childers, Jac Haudenschild, Jackie Howerton, Jon Johnson, Greg Leffler, Andy Michner, Brian Paulus, Billy Wease, Rodney Weesner & Bud Wilmot
12-Brad Fox, Mike Gregg, Mike Hess, Billy Pauch, Ricky Shelton & Bill Tyler
11-Mario Andretti, J.C. Bland, Justin Carver, Hud Cone, Craig Dori, Taylor Ferns, Dickie Gaines, David Gough, Terry James, Steve Kinser, Cory Kruseman, Lee Kunzman, Kyle Larson, James McElreath, Bobby McMahan, Joey Moughan, Rex Norris III, Mike Peters, Tad Roach, Greg Weld & Greg Wilson
10-Derek Bischak, Ronnie Day, Gary Gray, Richard Griffin, Coleman Gulick, Bob Harkey, Page Jones, Terry Kawell, Jim Moughan, Kenneth Nichols, Terry Pletch, Jack Runyon, Robert Smith & Robbie Stanley
9-Bobby Adkins, Chuck Amati, Caleb Armstrong, Toni Breidinger, Karl Busson, Bob Evans, Bryn Gohn, Wayne Hammond, Jim Hurtubise, Rebel Jackson Jr., Chappy Knaack, Eddie Leavitt, Danny Long, Larry Martin, Joss Moffatt, Johnny Petrozelle, Paul Pitzer, Johnny Rutherford & Kyle Steffens
8-Joe Axsom, Christopher Bell, Cole Carter, Mel Cornett, Chris Cumberworth, Doug Didero, Paul Durant, Ray Joe Fager, Larry Gates, Ken Hamilton, Darl Harrison, Roy Hicks, Rod Holshouser, Dakota Jackson, Mike Johnson, Frankie Kerr, Thiago Medeiros, Jan Opperman, Lee Osborne, Junior Parkinson, Greg Peterson, Aaron Pollock, Tracy Potter, Steve Siegel, Ryan Smith, Sammy Swindell, Rick Treadway, Lennie Waldo, Carl Williams & Doug Wolfgang
7-John Andretti, Eric Butze, Rob Chaney, Lou Cicconi Jr., Chris Dyson, Bob East, Perry Ferrell, Nick Fornoro Jr., Joe Gaerte, Cody Gallogly, Damion Gardner, Cody Gerhardt, Brian Hayden, Jesse Hockett, Blake Hollingsworth, Tony Hunt, Paul Huntington, Chad Kemenah, Paul Koch, Joe McCarthy, Austin Mundie, Michael Roselli Jr., Hunter Schuerenberg, Alex Shanks, Pete Shepherd III, Mark Smith, Mike Thomas, Billy Whitaker & Mitch Wissmiller
6-Justin Allgaier, Jim Anderson, Michael Annett, Mike Brooks, Bill Burks Jr., Kellen Conover, Palmer Crowell, Ryan Durst, Bob Ewell, Spike Gehlhausen, Kenny Gentry, Darren Hagen, Tom Hessert III, Larry Hoppes, John Hubbard, Marc Jessup, Doug Kalitta, Kevin Koch, Bill Kojis, Mike Lichty, Jeff Mitrisin, Don Nordhorn, Brian Seidel, Jimmy Stinson, Jerry Stone & Mike Winblad
5-Sport Allen, Todd Beach, Barry Camp, Larry Cannon, Mark Cassella, Bryan Gossel, Davey Hamilton Jr., Dallas Hewitt, John Hunt, Brad Kuhn, Rich Leavell, Donnie Lehmann, Jimmy Light, Mario Marietta, Brad Marvel, Mack McClellan, Kevin Olson, Steven Russell, Red Stauffer, Mike Stroehle, Neil Shepherd, Jake Simmons, Sleepy Tripp, Terry Uehling, Cole Whitt & Rip Williams
4-Tony Armstrong, Steve Arpin, John Batts Jr., Mike Brecht, Jimmy Brewer, David Bridges, Ray Bull, Keith Burch, Keith Butler, Shane Carson, Herb Copeland, Casey Diemert, Lee Dunn, Danny Ebberts, Murray Erickson, Ray Evans, Scott Hansen, Don Hawley, Steve Kent, Dereck King, Steve Knepper, Mike Larrison, Mike Ling, Bobby Marcum, Von McGee, Wes Miller, David Mirk, Kyle O’Gara, Rodney Ritter Jr., Billy Shuman, Dean Shirley, Donny Schatz, Tim Siner, Billy Vukovich III, Clark Templeman, Kevin Whitesides, Leon Thickstun, Miranda Throckmorton & Ronnie Wuerdeman
3-Steve Adams, Johnny Anderson, Ed Angle, Robin Bank, Justin Barger, John Barrick, Kipp Beard, Doug Berryman, Merle Bettenhausen, Art Bisch Jr., Kevin Bloomstran, Annie Breidinger, Lee Brewer Jr., Rick Brown, Casey Buckman, Dave Burns, Gary Cameron II, Keith Campbell, Marv Carman, Roy Caruthers, Wayne Chinn, Bill Compton, Tim Cox, Erin Crocker, Troy DeCaire, Thad Dosher, Tommie Estes Jr., Dean Franklin, Jeff Gardner, Emmett Hahn, Darryl Haugh, Kelly Kinser, Lance Kobusch, Red Kunstbeck, Ricky Logan, Steve Long, Jim Malloy, Mike Martin, Zach Martini, Jason McDougal, Bob Meli, Larry Moore, Ryan Moore, Aaron Mosley, Mike Ordway, Gary Patterson, Gary Ponzini, Rusty Rasmussen, Wayne Reutimann, Robbie Rice, Travis Rilat, A.J. Russell, Zach Schiff, Frankie Schneider, Ryan Scott, Logan Seavey, Terry Shepherd, Ron Smoker, Chase Stockon, Kevin Studley, Jake Swanson, Brad Sweet, Buz Tapply, Cale Thomas, Dick Tobias, Rick Ungar, Korey Weyant, Tony Weyant, George White, Jim Whiteside & Greg Wooley
2-Michael Adkins, Mike Andreeta, Tommy Astone, Todd Bammer, Randy Bauer, Dave Baumgartner, Dean Billings, Austin Blair, Dan Boorse, Ken Brewer, Shane Butler, Steve Carithers, Tim Clark, Jason Conn, Stan Constant, Johnny Coogan, Kyle Cummins, Frank D’Alonso, Daryl Daugherty, Tom Davies, James Davison, Greg DeCaires, Duke DeRosa, Scott Edmiston, Dean Erfurth, Jay Ervine, Mike Fedorcak, Billy Felts, A.J. Foyt IV, Stewart Friesen, Greg Furlong, Leon Gentry, Mike Gigot, Joe Gosek, Rick Goudy, Chuck Gurney Jr., Randy Hannagan, Scott Hatton, Jon Herb, Jordan Hermansader, Sparky Howard, Bill Hudson, Bruce Jennings, Jerry Karl, Kevin Kierce, Mike Lauterborn, Steve Lotshaw, Ed Lynch, Garry Lee Maier, Troy Matchen, Jay Maupin, Randy Mausteller, Van May, Roger McCluskey, Mike McCreary, Frank McDaniel, Lyn McIntosh, Dustin Morgan, Mike Mosley Jr., Larry Neighbors, John Nervo, Lynn Paxton, Carmen Perigo, Chris Phillips, Scott Pierovich, Troy Regier, Rick Salem, Joey Schmidt, Howie Sewell, David Shain, Rick Sipes, Jigger Sirois, Mark Sokola, Randy Standridge, Nelson Stewart, Rodney Stone, Rob Summers, Kevin Swindell, Al Thomas, Troy Thompson, Troy Vaccaro, Butch Wilkerson, Charlie Workman, Salt Walther, & Jack Ziegler
1-Bobby Allen, Taylor Andrews, Dakoda Armstrong, Jon Backlund, Tom Ball, Steve Barnett, Steve Barth, Jarid Blondel, Chad Boat, Ray Bragg, Jerry Bruce, Bob Brutto, Will Cagle, Daryl Campbell, Don Carr, Kent Christian, Drew Church, Henry Clarke, Troy Cline, Kevin Conway, Donnie Crawford, Wally Dallenbach, Bobby Davis Jr., Brad Davis, Charles Davis Jr., Bob Davison, Brian DeFord, Terry Doss, Brad Doty, Rodney Duncan, Jesse Dunham, Sondi Eden, Andrew Felker, Elvin Felty, Dan Ford, Michael Ford, Andy Forsberg, Jeff Forshee, Ronnie Franklin, Pete Frazier, Danny Frye Jr., Jeff Galas, Ronnie Gardner, Rickie Gaunt, Cheryl Glass, David Gravel, Gary Griffith, Brett Hearn, JoJo Helberg, Jim Hettinger, Nathan High, Larry Hillerud, Ted Hines, Jimmy Horton, Brian Hosford, Rick Howerton, Steve Irwin, Jim Jackson, Earnest Jennings, Rickey Jennings, Matt Jewell, Kraig Kinser, Dana Laliberte, Harold Leep, Jeff Leka, Ryan Litt, Ed Lynch Jr., Pepi Marchese, David McCreary, Dave McGough, Paul McMahan, Joe Melnick, Thomas Meseraull, Curt Michael, Jim Mills, Mark Monico, Mike Mosley, Jack Moulton Jr., Peter Murphy, Rick Muther, Fred Neighbors, Greg Nelson, Kevin Newton, Kyle Nicholas, Don O’Keefe, Jimmy Parsons, Billy Pauch Jr., Dave Peperak, Stan Ploski, Art Pollard, Jerry Potter, Richard Powell, Patrick Quinn, Ron Rae, Fred Rahmer, Robbie Ray, Byron Reed, David Reutimann, Jim Reynard, Randy Roberts, Joe Roush, John Ryals, Eddie Sachs Jr., Doug Saunier, Bill Schemonia, Shane Scully, Jon Sciscoe, Ron Semelka, Steve Sheppard Jr., Danny Shouse, Grant Simpson, Anthony Simone, Carl Smith, Steve Smith, Mike Spencer, Darren Spiers, Greg Stephens, Robert Stout, Charlie Swartz, Fred Tegarden Jr., Todd Thomas, Tanner Thorson, Bud Tingelstad, Eric Todd, Rick Tomasik, Eric Trousdale, LeRoy Van Conett, Kaylene Verville, Todd Wanless, Curt Waters, Jeff West, Brent Whited, Bryan Whited, Eddie Wirth, Kyle Wissmiller, Kent Wolters, Mike Woodring, Ken Woolley, Tiffany Wyzard & Brent Yarnal
Sources: Richie Murray – USAC Media
2020 USAC Silver Crown champion, #91 Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.), at speed at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. (Chris Pedersen Photo)