Indiana Open Wheel - AAA Dirt Cars

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- - AAA Dirt Cars (https://www.indianaopenwheel.com/showthread.php?t=26585)

I thought since we had USAC cars might as well post some AAA cars.

Chuck Stevenson (16) passes Bobby Ball on the way to winning the 200-miler at Milwaukee, Aug. 24, 1952
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...45/chuck52.jpg

Detroit, Aug. 30, 1952: Jimmy Reece (44, right) was the pole sitter. Paul Russo drove the Belanger 99 to second place. Behing him is Mike Nazaruk. In the center, Andy Linden.
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q.../52detroit.jpg

Tony Bettenhausen, Belanger 99
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...g45/bett51.jpg[COLOR="Black"]

---------- Post added at 11:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:16 PM ----------

Tony Bettenhausen, the 1951 champ, leads Henry Banks, the 1950 champ, at Milwaukee, June 10, 1951.
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...1tonybanks.jpg

Re: AAA Dirt Cars

Racerdog, keep those pix of AAA cars coming, even USAC if they're 1950's & 1960's. They are appreciated,
mlight9.

Re: AAA Dirt Cars

Rex Mays 1946 Hoosier Hundred
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...exmayshh46.jpg

Ted Horn 1946 Hoosier Hundred
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...45/tedhorn.jpg

Springfield, Aug. 16, 1952. Front row, Mike Nazaruk, pole, and Jack McGrath. Row 2: Bill Schindler (the race winner) and Jim Rigsby. Row 3: Troy Ruttman and Gene Hartley. Row 4: Buzz Barton and Neal Carter. Row 5: Henry Banks and Jimmy Reece. Row 6, Ebe Yoder and Bobby Ball. Row 7, Joe James and Walt Faulkner. Row 8, Tommy Hinnershitz and Manuel Ayulo. Row 9, Chuck Stevenson and Sam Hanks.
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...og45/52spr.jpg

Start of the Milwaukee 200-miler. On the pole, Bob Sweikert; next to him, Bobby Ball. Second row, Sam Hanks, inside, and Jim Rigsby. Third row, Bill Schindler, inside, and Jack McGrath. Fourth row, No. 84, Bob Scott.
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...g45/52milw.jpg

Re: AAA Dirt Cars

Great photos keep them coming. I attended the first hoosier hundred and have not missed to many since. Nothing better than dirt cars, although I do miss the sounds of the Offys and the DOH Fords.

Re: AAA Dirt Cars

Joe,

Can you or anyone else tell me about the track in Detroit. Is it the fairgrounds track or someplace else? Great photos. Keep them coming.

Re: AAA Dirt Cars

That is the fairgrounds track. Only mile track in Michigan that ran cars.

The track is still there but has not been used in years.

Re: AAA Dirt Cars

it's tough to find AAA stuff but I'll keep digging. A great many of the AAA things I find tend to be about a select few drivers and/or cars. For today I'm going to post based entirely on one certain car. This car won more AAA races than any other including Indy. I'm not sure if it won as many races as the dean van Lines dirt car but the Dean car was both AAA and USAC and for this we'll go by AAA. The car I am talking about is the Bellanger 99.

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...dog45/bel4.jpg

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...g45/belden.jpg

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...leewallard.jpg

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...ngeradfull.jpg
Following from a newspaper article wrote back then that appeared in Murrell Belanger's hometown newspaper.

The famous No. 99, owned by Murrell Belanger, is the only world champion racer in the first 100 years of Lowell's history. Built and prepared for all its races in the second floor machine shop of the Belanger Farm Equipment Co. on Mill Street, the $45,000 racer took first money and trophy in 9 out of 14 races over the country in 1951 to pile up a huge total of points and win the coveted championship.
Belanger, a Lowell and Crown Point business man, was given a huge reception both here and in the county seat where he was presented trophies by racing notables.

Lee Wallard of Alton, New York, drove the car to victory in the 500 on Memorial Day but suffered severe burns in a race in Pennsylvania a week later while driving another car, and Tony Bettenhausen of Tinley Park, Ill., finished the season in 99.

1951 Record of No. 99
Indianapolis, 500 mile --- First
Milwaukee, 100 mile --- First
Langhorn, Pa., 100 mile --- First
Darlington, S.C., 100 mi. --- Second
Milwaukee, 200 mile --- Tenth
Springfield, Ill., 100 mile --- First
DuQuoin, Ill., 100 mile --- First
DuQuoin, Ill., 200 mile --- First
Syracuse, N.Y., 100 mile --- First
Detroit, Mich., 100 mile --- Fourth
Denver, Colo., 100 mile --- First
San Josea, Calif., 100 mile --- First
Phoenix, Ariz., 100 mile --- Thirteenth
Bay Meadows, Calif., 150 mile --- Second

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...beltrailer.jpg

Re: AAA Dirt Cars

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speedwrench (Post 148191)

That is the fairgrounds track. Only mile track in Michigan that ran cars.

The track is still there but has not been used in years.

Speedwrench,

Thanks for the info. I have been past that track and wondered when I saw the pictures if it was one and the same. I wish they could resurrect the joint and have a Silver Crown show there.

Re: AAA Dirt Cars

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mud Packer (Post 148522)

They've tried to get racing in at the fairground a couple of times in the last few years - not sure that the plans included the mile - but the neighbors shot it down big time.