PIT BOX: One driver in line for potential $34k payday as ARCA heads to DuQuoin State Fairgrounds

A potential $34,500 payday for Brent Crews is on the table as the ARCA Menards Series heads to the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds dirt mile this Sunday night for the running of the Southern Illinois 100 (9 p.m. ET on FS2/FloRacing).

Crews enters the second race of the Performance Seed Dirt Double as the driver eligible to claim the $20,000 bonus for sweeping the two dirt miles on the ARCA Menards Series schedule following his victory at the Illinois State Fairgrounds on Aug. 20. If Crews were to win at DuQuoin and all contingency his met, in addition to the bonus, he would add $14,500 to his victory earnings.

DuQuoin is one of the more traditional events on the ARCA Menards Series schedule, having first hosted the series way back in 1957 when Jerry Unser claimed his only ARCA triumph. The venue hosted four ARCA events in the 1950s before welcoming the series back in 1983.

Among the drivers to visit Victory Lane through the years at DuQuoin are Fred Lorenzen, Dean Roper, Lee Raymond, Bob Keselowski, Bob Strait, Bob Schacht, Frank Kimmel, Tony Stewart, Ken Schrader, Parker Kligerman, Chris Buescher, Grant Enfinger, Austin Theriault, Christian Eckes, Landen Lewis and, most recently, Ryan Unzicker.

Ticket information for Sunday’s Southern Illinois 100 is available here. Below is everything to know about the event.

Southern Illinois 100 at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

Brent Crews has a lot of reasons to win Sunday’s Southern Illinois 100 at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds — more than 34,000 reasons, to be exact.

That’s the total purse Crews would take home should he complete a sweep of the two one-mile dirt ovals on the ARCA Menards Series schedule, which includes the $20,000 Performance Seed Dirt Double bonus as well as the typical ARCA Menards Series race-winning purse payout.

Crews will pursue that big payday aboard the No. 25 Toyota for Venturini Motorsports, but there are several drivers looking to prevent him from claiming the extra money.

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They include Jesse Love, who finished second at DuQuoin one year ago after a back-and-forth battle with eventual race winner Ryan Unzicker. Andres Perez de Lara, who scored a career-best runner-up result at the Illinois State Fairgrounds a few weeks ago, could also be a contender Sunday night.

Dirt-racing veteran Kelly Kovski is back for another round of ARCA Menards Series racing, and William Sawalich, fresh off his second ARCA Menards Series victory of the season at the Milwaukee Mile, will try to bag his first dirt triumph for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Will Kimmel is scheduled to make his season debut in the family No. 69, and Clayton Weatherman is set to make his first ARCA Menards Series start since 2016 for Andy Hillenburg’s Fast Track Racing.

Other notable entries include Frankie Muniz, Sean Hingorani, Sean Corr and Christian Rose.

The full entry list for Sunday’s Southern Illinois 100 will be available later this week.

RACING REFERENCE:

• Previous ARCA races at DuQuoin
• ARCA Menards Series drivers at DuQuoin

RACE FACTS:

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the Southern Illinois 100 is limited to 30 starters plus provisionals. This event will run under the 2023 ARCA Menards Series rules, procedures, regulations and specifications.

QUALIFYING: One lap qualifying. No adjustments or repairs may be made on car after taking the green flag at Start/Finish line. All cars must make a qualifying attempt, and all drivers must practice before they can qualify.

RACE PIT STOP: Break pit stop procedure. Break at or near the conclusion of lap 50. All cars will be required to make at least one pit stop prior to last 10 laps of race. No adding or moving tires to or from pit box once race has started. (Learn about all of ARCA’s pit stop procedures here.)

TIRE ALLOTMENT: Per ARCA Rulebook, maximum tire usage for this event (purchased at track plus maximum 4 from-home tires) is 16. Maximum number of tires allowed in pit box for use in race is eight (8).