For the third straight event, there will be a larger ARCA Menards Series field this year than there was last year. After only 16 drivers competed in the messy ARCA event at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds last season, 21 are entered for this weekend’s event.
One reason some drivers are running both events is due to the Performance Seed Dirt Double. Jesse Love won the race at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, also called the Springfield Mile, earlier this season and he has a chance to claim the $50,000 prize if he wins DuQuoin too.
Otherwise, the driver with the best average finishing position of the two ARCA dirt track events this season will claim a $5,000 prize. Considering first place at DuQuoin pays a base purse of $6,000, the extra prize money is a large financial incentive for ARCA competitors.
Even with a DNF last year at DuQuoin, Love finished 10th. The two-time ARCA Menards Series West champion is optimistic for this year’s 100-lap race at the 1-mile dirt track.
“But yeah, DuQuoin’s going to be important too,” Love told Racing News Now. “Going to be hard to win there like it always is but I feel really confident in myself. I feel pretty loose and like I said, confident. I feel really good. DuQuoin will be fun. The car will be good so just got to do what we did this weekend [winning at the Illinois State Fairgrounds] and should be fine.”
With his win at the Springfield Mile, @jesselovejr1 is now eligible to earn the Performance Seed Dirt Double $50k bonus if he wins at DuQuoin on Sept. 4 👀 pic.twitter.com/yYlPnWrW4g
— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) August 22, 2022
Despite a last-lap horrendous crash, Buddy Kofoid piloted the No. 15 Venturini Motorsports Toyota to a runner-up finish at the Springfield Mile. He is not competing at DuQuoin though. Instead, Corey Heim will drive the No. 15.
By only competing at DuQuoin and not at the Springfield Mile, Heim is ineligible for the bonus money. Nevertheless, he will have a fast No. 15 Toyota.
Heim also has run well in ARCA dirt events. He won the 2021 Springfield Mile event, and he boasts one top five – third place in 2019 – and two top 10s in his two DuQuoin starts.
Corey Heim gets the big win at Springfield! Great race today!@ARCA_Racing @MenardsRacing @ILStateFair @TEIRacing @NASCARRoots pic.twitter.com/xkWOc3stu0
— CraigsCache (@CraigsCache) August 22, 2021
Ryan Unzicker finished third in the 2022 Springfield Mile event, and he has three top fives and seven top 10…
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