Following up on a few loose ends:
Gregg (Seadog) - I believe the "31" driven that day by Wally Dallenbach was actually a blue "3n1" (Mataka?) out of New Jersey, so numbered to commemorate 3 feature wins in one day by Mario Andretti.
I recall that sprinter also being driven by Jerry Karl at times.
Chad - Man, they told you right about Grandpa being a great qualifier, and not just in sprint cars. He sat on the front row at Indy (1961 maybe?) and he was most spectacular in the Champ Dirt cars. I remember him coming out late at IFG a time or two, running up on top where no one else had yet ventured, and throwing a rooster tail of dirt over the fence while laying down a lap good for an up front start in the Hoosier 100. I'll be looking you up at Eldora.
Lee Booth - For some long forgotten reason, I didn't attend the 5/9/65 Eldora USAC event, also won by Jud Larson. One of the few Eldora USAC shows I've missed. Sorry.
Cowboy - You're exactly right Tim. Branson was the first car out to time trial on 4/3/66 in Jud Phillips' Leader Card #6. His NTR time of 17.81 was the only sub 18 flat run of the 32 car field. Arnie Knepper in the Wergland #14 won the feetch over Roger McCluskey, Jud Larson, Bobby Unser, Don Branson, Larry Dickson, Mario Andretti, Ronnie Duman, Dick Gaines, Al Smith, Wib Spalding, Greg Weld, Johnny Rutherford, and Chuck Allen. This was a race also notable by the spectacular track exit over the turn 2 fence into the creek on the backstretch by Johnny Rutherford. I talked briefly with Greg Weld as he sat in the #92 on the front straight awaiting a restart. He was clearly shaken and very concerned, not yet knowing the extent of JR's injuries. Two badly broken arms kept him out the rest of that season. Clearly very bad, yes, but we had feared the worst. Two weeks later (4/17/66) Larry Dickson waxed a 35 car field in the Nessler #29 on a very bad track (according to my notes
). Dickson's #29 and Knepper's #14 (4/3/66 winner) both carried Spotoil sponsorship.
RichH - I believe the 4/4/64 event you asked about was actually contested on 4/5/64. Trivial difference, especially since this is another Eldora show I failed to attend. Won by Rutherford, as you said, I have some pictures of a wild arse flip by my boy, Bud Tingelstad. He walked away. Sorry, I can't provide more details.
To All - Many Thanks for your favorable reactions to these retro threads I post from time to time. I enjoy the heck out of reading comments by oldtimers like myself who were there and others, young and old, who wish they had been.
