$25,000 First Financial Triple Crown Bonus Posted for USAC Race Winner Illinois and DuQuoin State Fairs!!!!

A “Triple Crown” once again calls attention to traditional American championship racing as twenty-three year old Californian Josh Wise attempts to become the first winner in 27 years of an open wheel racing trifecta by capturing the last two legs of the the First Financial Bank “Triple Crown” of the United States Auto Club Silver Crown Championship Series. Wise already has the 54th Hoosier Hundred trophy from the Indiana State Fairgrounds on his mantle, and if he can capture the 46th Tony Bettenhausen 100 at Springfield on August 19 and the 56th Ted Horn 100 at DuQuoin on September 3 he will pocket a cool $25,000 bonus posted by First Financial Bank of Terre Haute Indiana.

National championship style racing had a “Triple Crown” from 1971 until 1980 consisting of 500 mile races at Indianapolis, Pocono and Ontario. In 1978 Al Unser became the only driver to win the triple crown by capturing the Indianapolis 500, the Schaefer 500 at Pocono and the California 500 at Ontario. If Wise can win the next two one mile dirt track events on the USAC Silver Crown schedule, the driver of one of two Tony Stewart-Mopar cars in the series can join the four time Indy winner as just one of two drivers to capture an open wheel championship racing “Triple Crown”.

Wise faces a difficult task as a number of drivers will be attempting to keep him from collecting the $25,000 bonus. History is also not on Wise’s side as just thirteen men in auto racing history have won racing events on all three of the dirt miles at Indianapolis, Springfield and DuQuoin and just seven of those drivers turned the trick in upright championship dirt track machines. Further, since 1953 just four drivers, Jimmy Bryan. A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Jack Hewitt have won the Hoosier Hundred, the Tony Bettenhausen 100 at Springfield and the Ted Horn 100 at DuQuoin in the same year!

The First Financial “Triple Crown” bonus was the idea of First Financial Bank CEO Don Smith, a long time auto racing enthusiast and former Indianapolis and USAC car owner and Track Enterprises CEO Bob Sargent, the promoter for auto racing at the Indiana, Illinois and DuQuoin State fairs. “We are thrilled that First Financial Bank has brought the “Triple Crown” concept to national championship dirt track racing,”, said Sargent. “Don Smith has been a long time supporter of auto racing, especially the Silver Crown cars with his sponsorship of the legendary Gary Bettenhausen and of Jeff Swindell, both frequent winners in the Silver Crown cars on the dirt miles. I am certain that the $25,000 bonus posted plus the tradition and history of the three 100-mile dirt track races will generate a lot of interest among fans and competitors alike.”

Josh Wise led just one lap, the last one, passing teammate Levi Jones to win a thrilling Hoosier Hundred. The Wisconsin born Wise is the current one lap track record holder at Springfield and continues his quest for the First Financial “Triple Crown” bonus on Saturday, August 19 at the Illinois State Fair. Should he capture the 46th Tony Bettenhausen 100, he would need only to capture the 56th Ted Horn 100 at DuQuoin on Sunday night, September 3 to pocket over $34,000 at DuQuoin, the largest payday in DuQuoin State Fair auto racing history.

Tickets for both the 46th Bettenhausen 100 and the 56th Horn 100 are on sale now at the Illinois State Fair box office at 217-782-1979, the DuQuoin State Fair box office at 618-542-1535, at Track Enterprises at 217-764-3200 or at any Ticketmaster location. Fans can follow the progress of Josh Wise in his quest for the First Financial Triple Crown at www.usacracing.com.