AJ on the throttle in AJ Watson's sprint car, with the Ford four-cam engine for power at Terre Haute in 1968. I believe this was his only sprint car appearance that year. It's incredible when you realize at this time he was already a three-time 500 winner, had won dozens of Indy car races, and other races of all kinds, claimed multiple championships, took LeMans and was still racing sprint cars.
It's not FLo bashing. It's simple economics, no fans in stands no track,just another worthless shopping center coming to a former legendary facility near you.
My first visit to Terre Haute in 1970, right out of high school, 2 years after this photo. It’s an entirely different era in racing these days. Don Smith of Terre Haute First National Bank. Foyt had already won the Indy 500 THREE times when this photo was shot, was always told Foyt raced there as a personal favor to Don Smith and Tony Hulman ( wouldn’t doubt it if Tony added some cash to AJ’s wallet but maybe not?) Stories I have read said he was grateful for the part that The Action Track played in propelling his career. Think about it, you don’t think knowing Foyt was running a sprint car there helped put a lot of butts in the seats? Plus there were other Indy 500 drivers that ran too. Sadly that doesn’t happen these days. Don Smith was a promotor and a salesman and always had big crowds. USAC never ran any tracks that were less than a 1/2 mile in those days. I remember the Hulman Classic that Jan Oppermann won in 1976 paid over $12,000 to win ( biggest sprint car purse at that time) and was broadcast live on Wide World of Sports…… All because of Don Smith!
This is good news, but if the fairgrounds do indeed need money and support. Maybe they should try harder to work with whoever gets the lease. I hope this works out.
Im guessing USAC's renting it and both work on finding the people to prep it.
Met Don Smith in 2010. He said him AJ and Hulman were good friends and would spend time at his compound hunting, fishing and more likely drinking. Also said the racers made him, not the other way around, It was his job to not screw it up.
Got to see his collection, Building two was almost all pace cars he had for the track. Some Indy garage doors from before the fire and some one offs and eclectic stuff.
