70th Anniversary Of DuQuoin IL Magic Mile Racing Next Weekend

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*70th Anniversary of First Auto Race on DuQuoin “Magic Mile�??*



DuQuoin, IL-(August 27, 2016)-This Labor Day weekend marks the 70th
birthday for automobile racing on the famed “Magic Mile�?? at the picturesque
DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in southern Illinois.  A hall of fame roster of
drivers have seen action on the DuQuoin clay which has produced some of the
most famous and infamous moments in American auto racing.



William Hayes, owner of the local Coca-Cola bottling plant envisioned a
fair in southern Illinois that rivaled yet complimented the established
state fair in Springfield.  He purchased 30 acres land on the south side of
the small southern Illinois community and in 1923 launched the first
DuQuoin State Fair.  In 1939 the Hayes group purchased reclaimed strip mine
land adjacent to the fair property and increased the size of the
fairgrounds to 1200 acres.  The reclaimed mine land helped give the fair
its appearance of lakes and camping areas, in addition over 1400 trees were
planted as part of the landscaping effort.



Near the end of World War II construction began on a new one mile dual
purpose race track to replace the half mile track and small wooden
grandstand that were used for horse and auto racing.  The half mile
grandstand burned to the ground during the summer of 1945 and as a result
the new grandstand had to be rushed to be able to host fairgoers for
entertainment that year.  Steel shortages from the war prevented the
grandstand from being completed and the ban on auto racing, which had not
yet been lifted, prevented cars from taking to the track.



Actually August 31 of this year will mark the exact date that auto racing
was first contested on the mile long ribbon of dirt as in 1946 Labor Day
fell on September 2 of that year.  Thus, on Saturday August 31, 1946 sprint
cars took to the mile before a large crowd in the grandstand which did not
yet have the classic roof over the stage area.  CSRA star Jimmy Wilburn won
the 25 mile event, two days later Hal Cole took a 10-mile feature on the
new track.  Cars returned in 1947 with Wilburn setting a new track record
of 36.91 and winning a 25 mile feature in sprint cars on August 30, while
Ray Knepper won a 10-mile feature on Labor Day.  Despite the success of the
first events Hayes had bigger plans for his facility.



Petitioning for and gaining sanction for a AAA 100-mile national
championship race during the winter Hayes scheduled the event for Labor day
1948 and to the surprise of many scheduled a second one in October.  The
fair race was won by future Indianapolis 500 winner Lee Wallard while the
still date in October turned tragic.  A cool day with a small crowd watched
as popular national driving champion Ted Horn flipped in turn 4 early in
the event and later passed away at the local hospital.  The accident made
national headlines and gave rise to the annual Ted Horn 100 national
championship race during the DuQuoin State Fair.



Champ cars and midgets returned in 1949, with stock cars added in 1950.
1950 also marked the first time a DuQuoin championship car race was rained
out and not rescheduled.  Over the next five and one half decades auto
racing fans by the thousands made the Labor Day weekend pilgrimage to
DuQuoin for the motor sports program.  The list of participants in those
programs currently fills more than one auto racing hall of fame.  Jimmy
Bryan, Fred Lorenzen, A.J. Foyt, Rodger Ward, Jack Bowsher, Don White,
Butch Hartman, Al Unser, Mario Andretti, Gary Bettenhausen, Dean Roper,
Jack Hewitt and Frank Kimmel are just a few of the names who have visited
DuQuoin’s lakeside victory lane.



A new tradition continues Labor Day weekend with the first all night time
racing program on the mile.  The USAC Ted Horn 100 takes place on Saturday
night September 3, with the ARCA General Tire Grabber stock car race on
Sunday night September 4.



Pit gates are scheduled to open on Saturday, September 3 at 1:00 PM, with
the grandstands at 4:00, hotlaps at 5:00, and racing at 7:00 with Modified
heats followed by the Ted Horn 100 presented by Casey's General Store.  The
ARCA Racing Series, presented by Menards comes to town on the following day
for the General Tire Grabber 100 presented by Federated Car Care.



Sunday pits will open at 10:00 AM, with grandstands opening at 1:00 PM.
ARCA practice will be on track at 2:30 with Modifieds trackside for hotlaps
at 3:35.  Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell will take place at
5:30 with the Modified feature to follow at 6:30.  The green flag is
scheduled to drop on the General Tire Grabber 100 presented by Federated
Car Care at 8:00 PM.



Advance discount tickets are available, reserved and general, for $25 each
day through the DuQuoin State Fair box office or through the Track
Enterprises office.  Tickets for children 11 and under are $10.  Day of
race purchases at the gate are $5 more at $30 per person.  The DuQuoin
State Fairgrounds ticket office can be reached by calling 618-542-1535,
while the Track Enterprises number is 217-764-3200.



For full info on the event, visit www.trackenterprises.com.