Allen Crowe Memorial 100

The Allen Crowe Memorial 100 is an ARCA RE/MAX Series stock car race held annually on the Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack during the Illinois State Fair.

Allen Crowe

Born November 12, 1928 in York, Illinois, Allen Crowe died in New Bremen, Ohio on June 2, 1963 from injuries sustained in a Sprint Car race at New Bremen Speedway.Allen cut his teeth at the now defunct Springfield Speedway. He started in Stock cars and moved up fast. He soon became a first class racer, winning the Missouri-Illinois stock car title. He began racing in the USAC Championship Car Series, racing in the 1961 through 1963 seasons with 15 starts, including the 1962 and 1963 Indianapolis 500 races. He finished in the top ten 6 times, with his best finish of 5th in 1962 at Syracuse. [http://www.freewebs.com/springfieldsspeedway/index.htm Springfield Speedway memories]

Race History

The first Allen Crowe Memorial was held August 25, 1963. [http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist3.php?trackid=2 Ultimate Racing History] That race was won by NASCAR driver, Curtis Turner. [http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/race.php?raceid=318 Ultimate Racing History]

UASC era

USAC's Stock Car division sanctioned the race from the race's inception in 1963, until the series' demise in 1984.1972's race was an odd occurance, in that Al Unser won the USAC Stock car race on Saturday, and then won the USAC Championship Dirt Car race the following day. [http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist3.php?trackid=2 Ultimate Racing History] The feat has never been repeated in the years since.

Co-Sanctioning

As USAC was downsizing its Stock car division, the 1983 and 1984 running of the Allen Crowe Memoraial was co-sanctioned with ARCA.

ARCA era

ARCA took over as sole sanctioning body in 1985. Beginning in 1989, the race was re-named the Coors Allen Crowe Memorial 100. In 1999, 2000, and 2001, the race was re-named the "Par-A-Dice 100", due to a new sponsor of the race. The race resumed the Allen Crowe Memorial moniker in 2002, and has kept it since.

Race Winners

≠After setting a 100-mile record that has never been eclipsed, Marshman was killed later that year. [http://www.motorsport.com/magazine/feature.asp?C=Special&D=2001-07-31 Motorsport.com]
*Race Winners since 1983: Frank Kimmel 6, Bob Keselowski 3, Dean Roper 3, Bill Baird 2, Bobby Bowsher 2, Tim Steele 2. Tied with 1 each -Justin Allgaier, Bob Brevak, Bob Hill, Bobby Jacks, Ken Schrader, Billy Thomas.
*Pole Winners since 1983: Bob Hill 3, Bob Brevak 2, Frank Kimmel 2, Damon Lusk 2, Lee Raymond 2, Ken Schrader 2, Tied with 1 each - Justin Allgaier, Jack Bowsher, Glenn Brewer, Ed Dixon, AJ Fike, Bobby Jacks, Bob Keselowski, Tracy Leslie, Scott Stovall, Bob Strait. [http://arcaracing.com/tracks_detail.cfm?trackID=229 ARCAracing.com]

Tragedies

There have been no deaths in the race attributed to crashes, however Four-time Allen Crowe Memorial 100 winner Dean Roper, who's son Tony Roper was killed in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race 10 months earlier, suffered a heart attack on lap 17 of the 2001 race. Roper's car slowed on the frontstretch, then hit the inside retaining wall. He was unconscious when medical help arrived, but was later pronounced dead at Springfield Memorial Hospital. [Howard Richman: "Racer Dean Roper died of a broken heart." The Kansas City Star (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service) August 26, 2001 ] [http://www.stockcarracing.com/thehistoryof/37798_arca_veteran_dean_roper_death/index.html Stock Car Racing magazine] [http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0884855.html InfoPlease.com] [http://stockcarracing.automotive.com/49569/37798-arca-veteran-dean-roper-death/index.html "ARCA Veteran Dean Roper Dies" article provided by Circle Track Magazine]

References