[Pavement Dave]

https://www.facebook.com/PavementPou...4743386895024/

[Rapid Rick]

Hate to hear that open wheel doesn't have a claim to this historic classic. One of my favorites since I was a kid in the 60's. I know things change, but this race has been one of the most exciting for Silver Crown in recent years.

[Stevensville Mike]

Elaboration of Pavement Dave's original post:

JOE JAMES / PAT O’CONNOR MEMORIAL TO BE HEADLINED BY MODIFIEDS IN 2022

December 30, 2021 - The recent December 27 release of the 2022 Salem Speedway schedule on social media revealed that the Joe James / Pat O’Connor Memorial will be headlined by modifieds on June 11, 2022. The news came as a shock and disappointment to many long-time fans of the event. The event has been contested by sprint cars and USAC Sliver Crown cars since its inaugural running in 1953.

New promoter Bill Kniesly confirmed to Pavement Pounders last June that he lost a substantial amount of money the last time the event was held in 2020 as a USAC Silver Crown event. The situation didn’t get any better when he was forced to cancel last year’s event the week of when a very low car count was anticipated.

This year’s event will be the 63rd running of the race. Until the format change, it would have been the second oldest sprint car race in the nation, behind only the 74th Pay Less Little 500. The race should be a lot older but hasn’t been held on seven occasions for weather and the tracks temporary closer.

The format change will put an end to one of the most storied events in American motorsports history. The event was at one-time a spring bord to the Indy 500. If you could win the Joe James / Pat O’Connor Memorial at Salem Speedway, you could win anywhere in the world.

The winners list features the best of the best in open wheel racing. Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones, Eddie Sachs, A.J. Foyt, Bobby Unser, Gary Bettenhausen, Rich Vogler, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kody Swanson, and even O’Connor himself have won the event. A modified winner will now put his name on the winners list.

The event inaugurated in 1953 to pay homage to Joe James who lost his life in a sprint car accident at San Jose, California on November 5, 1952. Local North Vernon fan favorite O’Connor’s name was added to the event after he perished in the 1958 Indy 500.

Calls to Must See Racing and the new 500 Sprint Car Tour reveal that Salem Speedway didn’t contact either of them inquiring about dates at the speedway. Both series could easily have sanctioned the event and gladly added it to their schedule.

The new format change may be dictated by cost and economics. But these sanctions may also have been able to bring sponsorship that could have saved the event and made it more economical for the track. The track shouldn’t be fully blamed for the format change, its never a good thing when a speedway loses money hosting events in the current era of promotion.

To many, putting the event to rest, or even another track hosting it as a sprint car event temporarily, might be another option. Once Salem Speedway found the right financial opportunity, the event could be returned. Anderson Speedway might be a solid temporary home as O’Connor found victory lane at the track in Mutual Racing Association competition multiple times early in his career.

But for now, unless things change, one of the most iconic and historic auto racing events in American motorsports history will alter its course. Will next year’s modified winner truly understand the importance of the event when they are handed their trophy? Will they even have an understanding of the men they were racing in honor of or lost their life competing in this very event?

Nothing lasts forever and the Joe James / Pat O’Connor Memorial is living proof of that. So long old friend.

JOE JAMES / PAT O’CONNOR MEMORIAL

1953 – Larry Crockett (AAA)
1954 – Pat O’Connor
1955 – Bob Sweikert
1956 – Eddie Sachs (USAC)
1957 – Pat O’Connor
1958 – Eddie Sachs
1959 – A.J. Foyt
1960 - Parnelli Jones
1961 – Parnelli Jones
1962 – A.J. Foyt
1963 – Roger McCluskey
1964 – Mario Andretti
1965 – Bobby Unser
1966 – Mario Andretti
1967 – Sonny Ates
1968 – Rollie Beale
1969 – Sammy Sessions
1970 – Gary Bettenhausen
1971 – Rollie Beale
1972 – Lee Kunzman
1973 – Tom Bigelow
1974 – Pancho Carter
1975 – Pancho Carter
1976 – Pancho Carter
1977 – Pancho Carter
1978 – Rich Vogler
1979 – Greg Leffler
1980 – Greg Leffler
1981 – Eddie Leavitt*
1982 – Larry Rice**
1983 – NO RACE HELD
1984 – NO RACE HELD
1985 – NO RACE HELD
1986 – NO RACE HELD
1987 – NO RACE HELD
1988 – Bob Frey
1989 – Wayne Hammond
1990 – Rich Vogler
1991 – Steve Butler
1992 – Jim Mahoney
1993 – Jim Keeker
1994 – Kenny Irwin Jr.
1995 – Tony Stewart
1996 – Chet Fillip
1997 – Dave Steele
1998 – Jay Drake
1999 – Dave Darland
2000 – Eric Gordon
2001 – Tracy Hines
2002 – Ed Carpenter
2003 – Michael Lewis
2004 – Dave Steele
2005 – Brian Tyler
2006 – Bryan Clauson
2007 – NO RACE HELD
2008 – Jacob Wilson
2009 – Tracy Hines
2010 – Shane Hmiel
2011 – Jo Jo Helberg (Must See Racing)
2012 – Brain Olson
2013 – Brain Olson
2014 - Brian Gerster
2015 – Brian Gerster
2016 – Kody Swanson (USAC)
2017 – Kody Swanson
2018 – Kody Swanson
2019 – Kody Swanson
2020 – Kody Swanson

[ronmil]

They are spinning in their graves! What a travesty!
Glad I got to see it when it was the real thing, a 100 lap feature!

[HurstBros0]

In 1985 it was ran at North Vernon... Allen Barr won it. If there is a dispute to that fact, the trophy Barr is holding is in Dad's basement with Joe James/Pat O Connor engraved on the tag...

[sprinter14]

I think I can hear Ozzy Osbourne warming up in the background ..........

"Times have changed and times are strange"
"Here I come, but I ain't the same"
"Mama, I'm coming home"

[sprinter14]

Well, if you didn'tget the hint, the Pat O'Connor Memorial is returning to his hometown of North Vernon, Indiana as a BOSS sprint car event at the Rock Crest Raceway!