By TADD HAISLOP WWW.ARCARACING.COM SEPTEMBER 1, 2021
Based on the events of the last couple weeks, the one-mile clay oval on the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in DuQuoin, Illinois, is exactly what Corey Heim wants to see on Sunday.
Heim cruised to victory in the ARCA Menards Series’ only other dirt race on the 2021 schedule, the Springfield Mile at the Illinois State Fairgrounds on Aug. 22. He did so a couple days after watching rival Ty Gibbs dominate at Michigan International Speedway.
Again, the series is heading to a dirt track on
the heels of a convincing victory for Gibbs, now the championship points leader after leading every lap last week at the Milwaukee Mile and breaking a points tie with Heim.The opportunity for Heim to again strike back on a dirt track makes Sunday’s Southern Illinois 100 presented by Lucas Oil one of the biggest races of the 2021 ARCA Menards Series season.
Tickets to Sunday’s Southern Illinois 100 are available. The race will broadcast live on MAVTV Motorsports Network (8 p.m. CT / 9 p.m. ET) with a live stream available on NBC Sports Gold’s TrackPass.
Southern Illinois 100 presented by Lucas Oil at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
Because he hogged all six available bonus points at Milwaukee in addition to winning the race, Gibbs has an 11-point lead over Heim heading into the DuQuoin race, his largest advantage of the season.
In comparison, after Gibbs’ win at Michigan, he had a seven-point lead over Heim before the latter won at Springfield to draw even atop the standings.
The clay ovals in Springfield and DuQuoin are nearly identical, so Heim will feel confident Sunday having controlled the race two weeks ago. Including that event, the driver of the No. 20 Toyota for Venturini Motorsports has a pair of top-five finishes and has never finished outside the top 10 in four dirt races in the ARCA Menards Series dating back to 2019.
Gibbs, on the other hand, has just one top-five finish — his second-place run a couple weeks ago at Springfield — in his three ARCA dirt starts. The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota has never raced at DuQuoin on the platform.
Unlike he did last week in a combination event with the ARCA Menards Series East, Gibbs will not benefit from a teammate in the field at DuQuoin. Heim will have two, with VMS fielding both Jesse Love in the No. 15 Mobil 1 Toyota and Toni Breidinger in the No. 25 VMS Toyota on the dirt.
Another notable entry at DuQuoin is racing veteran and area fan favorite Ken Schrader, the 66-year-old who will make his first ARCA Menards Series start since 2019.
Schrader, a four-time ARCA winner at his home track, will race Sunday for Andy Hillenburg as part of his attempt at the “DuQuoin Triple.” He also plans to race in both the USAC Silver Crown Ted Horn 100 and the Oldani Memorial Modified race at the track over the weekend.
Dirt track ringer Ryan Unzicker is also entered at DuQuoin, and the El Paso, Illinois, native will look to make up for a disappointing finish at his home track in Springfield. He finished 13th after radiator issues took him out of the race after 23 laps.
Unzicker has 21 ARCA Menards Series starts dating back to 2003, and all but one (Salem Speedway in 2003) have come on the dirt at either Springfield or DuQuoin.
The complete entry list for Sunday’s Southern Illinois 100 at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds can be found here.
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