Silver Crown (SC)

The United States Auto Club's Silver Crown car, which traces its lineage back to the very first open-wheel cars that raced on county-fair horse tracks a century ago.

In the 1960s, Indycar design went to low-slung, mid-engine cars derived from Formula One technology of that time, so in 1971 USAC designated a separate championship, dubbed Silver Crown today, for the descendants of the classic upright, front-engine, tube-frame beasts that had dominated Indycar competition for decades. As more major races were held on 1.5-mile and larger superspeedways, USAC developed a new set of technical specifications for Silver Crown cars that reflected the safety, aerodynamic and other requirements for a car capable of 170+ mph laps around big racetracks.

New-look cars were constructed by several manufacturers, including BEAST, Riley and DRC. The iRacing model is by Indianapolis-based C&R and was designed by C&R owner Chris Paulsen and former Lola and Reynard Indycar designer Bruce Ashmore. There's no question but that the new-look Silver Crown car is the fastest front-engine, open-wheel, oval-track racer in history. It is also an excellent training tool for oval-track drivers, both those with open-wheel aspirations and those aiming for a stockcar career, as they transition from short tracks to superspeedway racing.

So, if it's an oval-track driving challenge you're looking for, this car will provide that and more. With 819 methanol-fueled horsepower at the rear wheels of a car that weighs 1,650 pounds, excess acceleration is always available. A driver who can wheel this car around quickly and not put it in the fence is skilled indeed.