[FishBurger]

+Back to the dirt for this weeks look back at racing. This one on a Sunday afternoon at the Action Track.

Time Trials - 41 Cars - Track Record 22.76 by Johnny Rutherford on 8/15/65

89 Don Thomas..................25.42 G & J Engr.
94 Rocky Fisher..................26.40 Weyant
-8 Bruce Walkup.................26.23 Forberg
21 Carl Williams..................25.79 Williams
20 Tom Bigelow..................25.32 Ezra Brooks
-1 Al Smith.........................25.54 Dunseth-Leffler
84 Jim Bob Luebbert............26.42 Midwest Mfg.
-7 Chuck Booth...................26.27 Hart & Jones
24 Gary Bettenhausen..........24.71 Willie Davis
91 Charlie Masters...............26.62 Morse
80 Chuck Engel...................25.93 Wachholz (Ford)
67 Tom Campbell................27.09 Magnuson
32 Dee Jones......................25.94 LeFevre
-9 Hal Minyard....................24.85 Rodeo Bar
92 Greg Weld......................25.02 STP Oil Treatment
95 John Tenney...................26.61 Holloway Bros.
74 Steve Krisiloff.................25.45 K & K Racing Enterprises
90 Bill Hunter......................31.56 Whitt
118 Don Brown....................24.89 Mechanical Rabbit
195 Karl Busson...................25.25 Cedoz
-4 Larry Dickson...................25.26 Smith Speed Shop
42 Herman Wise....................DNQ R Z - Flipped
44 Wib Spalding...................25.68 Green Constr.
12 Mickey Shaw...................26.27 Lang's Service Center
-2 A.J. Foyt.........................25.23 Watson (Ford)
69 Ray Lee Goodwin.............26.43 Lockard
11 Johnny Parsons, Jr...........26.52 W & W Mold
14 Johnny Capels.................26.95 Al Unser
-3 Rollie Beale......................25.35 Lay's Transmission
111 Lee Robinson.................26.50
34 Arnie Knepper..................26.51
105 Bill Puterbaugh...............25.97 Verney Bros.
27 Steve Kennick..................25.89 Babe Stapp
54 Jerry "Scratch" Daniels......24.71 Tingelstad - Fast Time
83 Sammy Sessions...............25.76 GAPCO
99 Jay Woodside....................26.36 Besecker
-6 Bob Pratt..........................28.15
22 George Snider...................24.77 Murrell
78 Denny Zimmerman............26.64 Don Colling (Ford)
15 Ralph Liguori.....................DNQ Competition Engr.
18 Aldo Andretti.....................DNQ Edmonds (Ford)

First Heat - 8 Laps -3:28.83

24 Gary Bettenhausen...............3
54 Scratch Daniels....................2
22 George Snider......................1
-9 Hal Minyard..........................5
118 Don Brown.........................4
92 Greg Weld...........................6

Second Heat - 8 Laps - 3:26.22
118 Don Brown.........................3
92 Greg Weld............................1
-2 A.J. Foyt...............................2
195 Karl Busson........................4
-4 Larry Dickson........................5
20 Tom Bigelow.........................6

Third Heat - 8 Laps - 3:27.21

195 Karl Busson........................3
-4 Larry Dickson........................2
20 Tom Bigelow.........................4
-3 Rollie Beale...........................1
89 Don Thomas.........................6
74 Steve Krisiloff.......................5

Semi-Feature - 10 Laps - 4:27.89

20 Tom Bigelow.........................2
74 Steve Krisiloff.......................4
89 Don Thomas.........................8
-1 Al Smith...............................5
44 Wib Spalding........................3
83 Sammy Sessions...................1
21 Carl Williams.........................6
27 Steve Kennick.......................7
80 Chuck Engel..........................9
32 Dee Jones............................10
105 Bill Puterbaugh...................12
94 Rocky Fisher........................11

Note: - Previously established track records for 8 laps (3:09.52 by Chuck Hulse) and 10 laps (4:10.61 by Dee Jones) both set on 8/15/65 were not broken today.

Feature - 50 Laps - No Time

22 George Snider......................17
54 Scratch Daniels......................2
24 Gary Bettenhausen........The Winner
92 Greg Weld...........................11
-2 A.J. Foyt..............................10
118 Don Brown........................16
-3 Rollie Beale...........................3
-4 Larry Dickson.......................12
195 Karl Busson.........................7
83 Sammy Sessions...................4
20 Tom Bigelow........................14
44 Wib Spalding.........................6
74 Steve Krisiloff........................8
21 Carl Williams.........................5
27 Steve Kennick......................15
89 Don Thomas........................13
80 Chuck Engel.........................9
-1 Chuck Booth.........................18 Driver Change

+This was Gary Bettenhausen's first USAC Sprint win and it broke a run of six consecutive wins that had been run up by Larry Dickson. Larry would win 6 more by season's end and Gary would total 7 wins in that, his rookie year. The start of the "Larry & Gary Show"?
+The time trial flip by Herman Wise about halfway in turns 1 and 2 was a nasty looking deal. Feared for his well being but he was O.K.
+I loved those Sunday afternoon shows (I know......I'm in the minority) but back then for me it was Sat. nites at The 'Burg and Sun. afternoons at a USAC show somewhere.
+There was an "In Memoriam" page in the program for Gary Congdon - 9/24/67, Jimmy Knight - 5/11/67, Jimmy Clark - 4/7/68, and Billy Foster - 1/20/67.
+Got the fever...............is it April yet???

[ronmil]

Not familiar with Jimmy Knight. Billy Foster was killed at Riverside, CA while on a qualifying run in Rudy Hoerr's Dodge. A brake drum exploded and Billy hit the wall in turn nine. Nice man; first Canadian to run at Indy. Got his autograph at DuQuoin in 1966.

[CTtoPA]

Herman Wise pretty much flipped right off the push truck. There is(was) a series of the flip somewhere on this board.

Posted via Mobile Device

[cecil98]

I was definitely there for this one! They brought in Tommy Hinnershitz to prepare the track and they wound up with a wall of mud going down the middle of the back chute, splitting it into two lanes. Bettenhausen and "Scratch" put on a great show and until I saw this thread, I couldn't remember which one finally won the featch. I also believe this was the day that Herman Wise dumped the bronze colored Zeigler sprinter qualifying....oh, and AJ was walking around in the muddy pits in alligator skin shoes before the show got started.

[Pat O'Connor Fan]

41 cars and the USAC deal was 6 cars per heat race, using the "progressive format" -- for a lot of car/driver combinations this led to hot lap, time trial, and then go home.
And, yes, I was there.

[dave]

Jimmy













Jimmy Knight was a great midgeteer. Very fast on pavement. I think he built his own midget but not sure.

[Bruce Harrison]

I count 14 drivers in that field who drove in the 500, and a couple more who tried but didn't qualify.

[Mud Packer]

Thanks again Marv. I was still a few years away from moving to the Hoosier State so I really enjoy these trips down the sprint car path. Keep em coming.

I learned something new today. Didn't realize that they didn't take all of the cars from qualifying to either a qualifying or heat race. Some mighty fine drivers loaded up and headed home after qualifying. A real nice car count for sure.

[CRA91]

That was a very stout group of drivers running that race!!!

[FishBurger]

Originally Posted by dave Jimmy Knight was a great midgeteer. Very fast on pavement. I think he built his own midget but not sure.

Did a bit of research with GOOGLE and found that Jimmy Knight did indeed build midgets (3 or 4 according to a poster on one forum). He was killed at San Jose in '67.