Hut Hundred?
 

Someone please educate me before I get to Granite City next Wednesday: Where does the "Hut" in Hut Hundred come from? Thanks in advance.

Re: Hut Hundred?
 

From what I've always been told, it started out as a play on how people who aren't from Terre Haute, often mispronounce the city's name. As in "Terra Hut". Even some of the TV commercials for the old CBS/Columbia Record Club would pronounce it that way. It sounded catchier than Haute Hundred, so the name stuck.

Jerry

Re: Hut Hundred?
 

I was always told that the locals in Terre Haute pronounced it "Terre Hut". Which is obviously where it was run for many years. Dont hold that for truth as I have absolutely no clue what is fact and what is fiction on this front.

Re: Hut Hundred?
 

Nobody FROM Terre Haute pronounces it that way. Nobody that I've ever heard, anyway.

Re: Hut Hundred?
 

I am also a local and have not heard that pronunciation either. I have heard more than once that an early supporter was a liquor store called the Bottle Hut was the origin. Don't think it has existed for a long time. Have not lived here my entire life so I can't say for sure.

Re: Hut Hundred?
 

I never thought we would see the day when a race that originated in Terre Haute at the famed half mile,and was named after the city of Terre Haute or the nickname for the city, would end up in Granite City, IL, with the same name as when it was in Terre Haute. This truly displays how today's world is....traditions just get swept aside and disregarded. Some of the best midget races I have ever seen where at THAT. I will never forget the 95 Hut Hundred with Kenny Irwin and Tony Stewart tangling during a slider in turn 2 in identical Steve Lewis cars. I think there is a painting out there of that moment somewhere.....thats how you know it was a historic moment...if they make a painting of it! I bet there were no paintings made from last years Hut Hundred and won't be one this year either....I know last years race was great, and I am sure this one will be great as well. Tri-State and Granite City are great facilities, but.........They just need to leave "The Hut" in Terre Haute, and get a new name.

Should change the name to Pontoon 100..

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Or maybe just the Beach Hundred.

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Re: Hut Hundred?
 

"Honda Hundred" would make good business sense...........So that will never happen......:47:

Re: Hut Hundred?
 

Still amazes me that Pizza Hut didn't jump at the chance to be the presenting sponsor of the Hut Hundred.:16 So many marketing possiblities to go along with that. Apparently Mr. Obvious had the day off or something.:14:

Re: Hut Hundred?
 

Wasn't it the Pizza Hut 100 originally[circa 1966]?

Re: Hut Hundred?
 

I have seen the hut 100 at Terre Haute, Putnamville and Lawrenceburg in the past. It has to be the most traveled race ever. If you remember the last one at Terre Haute, it was short on cars and had page after page on this board complaining about it. On top of that the crowd was terrible. Guys don't want to run their midgets on big tracks because of the cost. I do agree with you I have seen a couple of pretty good Hut 100s at Terre Haute

Re: Hut Hundred?
 

If you had your way, the race would be dead. Like Brent said, the cars and fans neither one continued to support this event. And that was heartbreaking to me, to see the race slowly die. I grew up in that infield, so believe you me, you have no more emotional attachment to the Hut Hundred than I do. I was glad to see Tom Helfrich basically pull the race out of the trash can and keep it alive. In fact, he hosted three of the best Hut Hundreds in many years. But, again, fans from this region didn't show up in droves to support the event. The cars did, but they didn't. So it became no longer financially feasible for them to host it. Enter Tri-City Speedway and Kevin Gundaker. Not only do you have an old school racing promoter in Gundaker, that actually goes out and builds anticipation for his events, but you also have what has become the most exciting midget track in the country to run the race at. No, it's not held in the city I was born in any more. But, it has moved on to a couple of tracks that have and will serve the memory of this great race well. I look at it like they're memorializing one of the truly great yearly racing events, by keeping the name.

I've had this race circled on my calendar since the day they announced it.


Jerry