I watched USAC champ, sprint, and midgets (even USAC stock cars at DuQuoin) back in the '50s. Also saw quite a few IMCA sprint car races during that same timeframe. Even watched A. J. Foyt drive his first USAC champ car event back then. My wife asked him about that specific event a couple years ago at an IRL event, and A. J. said, "yup, he's right. That was my first champ car race."
Hey, she didn't need to ask him -- I knew I was right
I don't recall when I first saw Super Duke drive, but I do remember him shutting up Louie Liguino (sp?) one time at the Indy mile. Louie was taking care of Tim Delrose's champ dirt car at the time, and was giving Duke a bunch of crap about how "the kid working with me" could drive better than Duke. It came down to Louie wanting to bet Duke that "the kid" (midget driver Tom Mislich) could outrun Duke in their street vehicles right there on that track. Duke's response which shut up Louie was, "OK, you're on, but you have to have your fat a$$ sitting right there in the seat next to me".