SPRINGFIELD IL (8-16-07) - Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.

That's what Bobby Gerhart Racing (BGR) is saying headed into this Sunday's 45th annual Allen Crowe 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds mile-dirt in the state capital city of Springfield.

They're also saying that ARCA RE/MAX Series veteran driver Ron Cox, subbing for the injured Bobby Gerhart, will be aboard the No. 5 car for the 100-mile ride on the historic and world's fastest mile-dirt track.

And there's more. In a one-race deal, Pennsylvania-based John Hay Cigars will be featured as the title sponsor for the race, which showcases alongside the 155th annual Illinois State Fair, ongoing since 1853.

Founded in 1882 in Newmanstown, Pennsylvania, John Hay Cigars (johnhaycigars.com) specifically chose the event in Springfield because of John Hay's (1838-1905) connection to President Abraham Lincoln, who practiced law in Springfield for 25 years prior to becoming our nation's 16th President.

Hay (left), whose name the cigar company is named after, was born in Salem, Indiana in 1838 and graduated from Brown University before practicing law in Springfield, Illinois in 1861. When Lincoln became President, he made Hay his Assistant Private Secretary in the White House becoming a close associate of Lincoln during the Civil War.

"We are very happy to be a sponsor of BGR," said John Hay Cigars President Dave Patrick. "We've planned this trip to Springfield since the beginning of the year. We really appreciate our company's historical connection to Springfield. To be able to showcase John Hay Cigars with the BGR team in Springfield is very exciting. We would certainly like to wish Bobby well during his recovery. We'll definitely be pulling for the BGR team."

Gerhart, injured at Pocono Raceway on August 4th, continues to recuperate in his hometown of Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Under a physician's care, the 5-time Daytona winner is undergoing daily therapy while he continues to run his business and race team from Lebanon.

"I'm feeling better," said Gerhart. "I just got approved to drive a street car, and I just got back from therapy.

"It's going to be very hard to watch the BGR hauler leave the driveway and not be in the game. Outside of Daytona and Talladega, we were looking forward to running Springfield more than anywhere, especially with John Hay Cigars on board.

"I want to thank John Hay Cigars for standing by our team through all of this," added Gerhart. "I appreciate their support in our decision to go with Ron Cox. We believe that Ron is certainly capable of getting the job done at Springfield. We're proud to have him in the BGR line-up."

The 1999 ARCA RE/MAX Series Rookie of the Year, Cox has 127 career ARCA RE/MAX Series starts and placed in the top-10 in national championship points 4 times. His career-best race finish was 3rd at Berlin Raceway; however his next best run of 4th came on the Springfield mile-dirt in 2003.

"I'm really looking forward to getting back behind the wheel on Sunday at Springfield," said Cox. "I'm also really pleased to be able to fill in for Bobby and wish him a speedy recovery. The BGR team and I are looking for a good solid finish. Honestly, the mile-dirts were always my favorite; I can't think of another place I'd rather be racing at. We're real excited."

The BGR team, with Brian Keselowski most recently at the controls, answered with a 5th place finish last Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway.

"We are looking to carry some momentum from Nashville last week after a solid top-5 with Brian," said BGR crew chief Bill Gerhart. "I think Ron and the BGR team could surprise a lot of people on Sunday."

He'll have plenty to surprise. With entrants from Ken Schrader, 8-time series champion and 5-time Springfield winner Frank Kimmel, 1999 series champ Bill Baird, rookie sensation Michael McDowell and defending race winner Justin Allgaier, this year's entry list is, without question, one of the most competitive stock car fields ever assembled on the historic oval, with ongoing racing since 1910.

The ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series joins the ARCA RE/MAX Series for this weekend's racing action at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. The trucks race alongside the USAC Silver Crown Series Saturday afternoon before the ARCA RE/MAX Series takes center stage Sunday afternoon. The 45th Allen Crowe 100 is scheduled to roll off at 1:00pm local Central time.

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