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DuQuoin's "Ted Horn 100" Sunday in Southern Illinois

Ted Horn was one of America’s greatest race drivers. Between 1936 and 1948 he forged an Indianapolis 500 record like none ever seen before or since. Those nine consecutive starts resulted in no finish worse than fourth! Despite the lack of an Indianapolis 500 victory, he captured the American National Championship three times in a row (1946-1947-1948) before a late-1948 accident at the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds claimed his life. This Sunday night, his memory will again be celebrated as the USAC Silver Crown Championship Cars contest the “Ted Horn 100” at the beautiful one-mile DuQuoin dirt track.

It’s round nine of the 2015 USAC Silver Crown season and with the final three series appearances on dirt it appears defending champion Kody Swanson holds the best cards entering Sunday’s event.

Swanson has won seven of the last nine Silver Crown races on the dirt and won at DuQuoin in 2010. But, the last three DuQuoin races have produced first-time Silver Crown winners: Kyle Larson in 2011, Chris Urish in 2013 and Shane Cockrum last year!

Cockrum won at Terre Haute this year and the Benton, Ill. native offers a real threat to Swanson Sunday. Fellow Illinois driver Chris Windom of Canton will also rate among Sunday favorites after winning this year’s Silver Crown race at Belleville, Kans.

Swanson’s drive toward a possible repeat series championship may rest on performances by Jerry Coons Jr. and A.J. Fike Sunday. Coons was second at Belleville and third at Terre Haute, while Fike’s best finish came in a third in the Toledo, Ohio opener. Coons trails Swanson by 79 points and Fike, of Galesburg, Ill., is 48 behind Coons.

A number of drivers hope to continue the string of DuQuoin first-time winners, including “top-10” drivers C.J. Leary, Austin Nemire, Jacob Wilson and Rex Norris III.

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