53rd Horn Memorial USAC Silver Crown Race Postponed until September 6!

Rain Postpones 53rd Horn Memorial Until Saturday Night, September 6

DuQuoin, IL August 31, 2003--Heavy rains that began Friday in southern Illinois forced the postponement of the 53rd running of the Ted Horn Memorial USAC Weld Racing Silver Crown race scheduled for today at the DuQuoin State Fair, until Saturday night, September 6.  Several inches of rain fell in the DuQuoin area Friday and Saturday, leaving the "Magic Mile" coated with about four inches of mud.  After consulting with the National Weather Service and finding more rain forecast for the area, Track Enterprises CEO Bob Sargent and USAC officials made the decision to postpone the event until the next weekend, as several hours would have been required to make the surface raceable.

A large field of USAC Silver Crown cars had pulled on to the fairgrounds in anticipation of a great day of racing, sponsored at DuQuoin by the Southern Illinoisan newspaper.  While the washout was disappointing to many, the rescheduling of the prestigious Horn Memorial actually has a history making bright side, as the postponement paves the way for the first ever night race at DuQuoin for the long-wheelbase Silver Crown machines!  In fact, the postponement also makes for a unique "tripleheader" weekend in Illinois for the USAC contingent, as the USAC Sprint Cars and Midgets will be at the Route 66 Raceway in Joliet for a sprint and midget doubleheader Friday night September 5, and many of the USAC stars and fans are expecting to make the four hour trek down Interstate 57 for the first ever night time Silver Crown race at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds.  

Sunday's postponement of the Horn Memorial marks the first time in ten years that the race has been rescheduled due to weather, and only the sixth time in history that a championship dirt car race has been affected by rain at DuQuoin.  The 1950 and 1962 races were cancelled due to weather and not run, while rain shortened events in 1951, 1972 and 1974.  The 1994 event was rescheduled due to rain, also to the following Saturday.

The ARCA Federated-Southern Illinois 100 for the RE/MAX Series stock cars, featuring NASCAR star Ken Schrader is still scheduled for tomorrow, Labor Day barring any additional inclement weather.  UMP Modifieds are slated to run with the ARCA series as well. 

Pit gates for the 53rd Horn Memorial, the first under the new lights, will open at 2:00 September 6, with the grandstand slated to open at 4.  Practice begins at 5, with qualifying slated for 6:30.  Racing is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.  On the card with the Silver Crown machines will be the UMP Modified Series.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children and can be obtained through Track Enterprises at 217-764-3200, or the DuQuoin State Fair Box Office, or at Ticketmaster outlets.  More information can be obtained on the World Wide Web at www.usacracing.com, or at www.trackenterprises.com.