Quote:
Originally Posted by Indy
To do you one better there was only 4 foreign drivers who participated in the 500 from 1970 through 1980. Jack Brabham, Vern Schuppan, Clay Ragazzoni and Cliff Hucul. If you add 67, 68 and 69 you would have to add 5 drivers. Jim Clark, Jochen Rindt, Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill and Dennis Hulme. The last all American race was 1980 if you count Italian born Mario Andretti as an official American after changing citizenship. By 1993 foreign drivers were dominating the race with 14 in 93, 16 in 94 and 19 in 95. In 1996 the first year of the IRL there were 10 foreign drivers. Unfortunately by 1995 NASCAR popularity was already making huge strides into taking over the nations racing preference.
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David Hobbs and Graham McRae were foreign born and started the 500 during the 70's.
Donald Davidson has said several times on his radio show during the Month of May, that the largest crowd in 500 history was the 1989 race. In the 1989 race, you had 10 drivers that were foreign born, 11 had short track experience and the rest of the field were American road racers or in the case of Rick Mears,an off road racer. So why did the 1989 race have over 400,000 fans in attendance?
