[davidm]

Mario Andretti won a 30 lap USAC Sprint Car feature on the 1/2 mile dirt Cumberland Speedway in July of 1966. I've read (On the Internet) this was the first race USAC required cages on the sprints. I've also been told that USAC didn't require then until 1970.

Could this have instead been the first race a sprint car was entered in a USAC race with a cage? Thanks!

BTW USAC Eastern Sprints will be at Greater Cumberland Raceway Saturday April 11th 2020!

[jonboat15]

I just finished up a really good book about Bob Tattersall and it read as if cages were a new thing on midgets in early 1969, and it was quite a controversial subject. I'm pretty sure I've read about roll cages before 1969 but not sure when they started or became mandatory in the USAC. Nice to hear about the race in 2020 in Cumberland, that will be a new track for me to visit.

[double checkered]

The backdrop of the speedway is amazing. (Most of the tracks over there have nice scenery). I just attended a regular show when I was working in the area. Started almost an hour late. Nice facility though. Sweet covered grandstand. Hope it's a good show. Hit up Shooter's at the top of the hill and get some Dirty Blonde wings.

[TommyTipover]

It was the first race that a sprint car raced with a cage in USAC. Here's a quote from a write-up about the race. "Roll cages made their debut in the USAC sprints when car owner Ken Brenn brought his Offy to the track with the protective covering for driver Larry Dickson. That signalled Gus Linder's pit crew to install a similar cage atop Linder's Banas Ford."

[jim goerge]

I"ve read in Sprint Car & Midget that there were guys who didn'T want cages, cuz their way of thinking was cages were for super mods, not sprint cars

[jonboat15]

Originally Posted by TommyTipover It was the first race that a sprint car raced with a cage in USAC. Here's a quote from a write-up about the race. "Roll cages made their debut in the USAC sprints when car owner Ken Brenn brought his Offy to the track with the protective covering for driver Larry Dickson. That signalled Gus Linder's pit crew to install a similar cage atop Linder's Banas Ford."

Thanks for bringing up Ken B. He owned some of the most beautiful midgets on the east coast and always had good talent behind the wheel of those machines. Ken just loaned another one of his stable to the EMMR in PA, the car was nick named Phyllis ( some say named after Phyllis Diller..sp) and it had plenty of top ranked drivers in the seat. Ken is a special person to all of the historic midget lovers out east.
Thank you Ken.

[jonboat15]

Originally Posted by jim goerge I"ve read in Sprint Car & Midget that there were guys who didn'T want cages, cuz their way of thinking was cages were for super mods, not sprint cars

From what I have read is a lot of old school drivers didn't like cages because it made the driver willing to take more chances because he might not get his melon smashed. Slide jobs were part of the deal before cages, but with cages bad slide jobs became something drivers could survive from. Sliders are just a part of the sport we love now.

[Pitdad]

Originally Posted by jonboat15 From what I have read is a lot of old school drivers didn't like cages because it made the driver willing to take more chances because he might not get his melon smashed. Slide jobs were part of the deal before cages, but with cages bad slide jobs became something drivers could survive from. Sliders are just a part of the sport we love now.

That's exactly the reasoning. The cage made it too tempting to drive recklessly. I've heard old school football coaches make the same pitch for football helmets and pads. Take the facemask off and you'll have fewer concussions. I won't try to argue the logic.

[mc/rider]

To all the posters,nice history lesson .Thank you

[davidm]

Thanks everyone! I knew this would be the place to get my answer. You all are the best!