Inaugural Hoosier Dome midget race

Rapid Rick · 1/19/24, 7:48 PM

These cold temperatures remind me of todays date January 19, 1985. Minus 52 degrees wind chill. When Dad and I got to the car after the race the battery was dead. A good hearted race fan gave us a jump saved us that cold night.

Stevensville Mike · 1/19/24, 8:34 PM

Not so much racing, but 50 years ago today, Notre Dame beat UCLA in basketball in South Bend to end their 88 game winning streak. It was on the local news. The one thing I never knew is that for Bill Walton, UCLA's big star, it was the first game he ever lost, not only in college at UCLA, but in HIGH SCHOOL, too!

That was jaw dropping!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sexkoWvbiUI

Digger Phelps said it was the first time when the student body stormed the court. Nowadays, storming the court is as common as using salt and pepper.

TQ29m · 1/19/24, 9:21 PM

Had a lot of friends went that first night, horror stories were told for days, some people were really fortunate that they made it home ,glad now I missed it, but we made up for it, got to race at the coliseum, and the dome twice later

Pitdad · 1/19/24, 9:32 PM

1985 race would have been a sight to see! My only trip was in 2000. Was in Indy for work and on a whim, convinced my coworker to go see the midgets. The conference had an indoor go kart outing at Stefan Johansson’s karting center and when it was done, I suggested we catch the midget race. A foot of snow outside, but warm and dry in the dome! JP lead pretty much the whole thing with a busted tie rod. Good thing pavement cars have right hand steering. He carried that left front as it flipped and flopped back and forth uselessly. I thought he was screwed by a late race caution, but they could not get him to bobble and he brought home a winner.

TQ97 · 1/19/24, 9:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rapid Rick

These cold temperatures remind me of todays date January 19, 1985. Minus 52 degrees wind chill. When Dad and I got to the car after the race the battery was dead. A good hearted race fan gave us a jump saved us that cold night.

My Dad took my brother and I. My brother was 20, I was 10. When the wind hit me as we hit those doors, I froze, literally and figuratively, couldn’t walk. My brother had to pick me up and carry me to the car. We just joked about this last week leaving Chili Bowl when I asked if he could carry me to the car. 😂

motorhead748 · 1/20/24, 6:57 AM

Good friend Steve Bixler, my brother’s and myself drove my 69 mercury cyclone from sw Ohio for the race. We all huddled in the front seat for the ride home and on 74 we passed a guy in a gremlin with the rear window knocked out!!

TQ29m · 1/20/24, 9:47 AM

Still have the Cyclone?
I don't have my 63 split window corvette either!

ronmil · 1/20/24, 11:53 AM

I didn’t attend the first one, but I attended all the rest except 1987. Not sure which year it was, but I believe it was late eighties, the actual temperature was -25, wind chill was -50. My 1982 Oldsmobile 98 Regency struggled to get up to operating temperature. Cold drive back to Evansville.

mlamb · 1/20/24, 1:10 PM

I can’t remember who won that race? I thought I was there. Was it Nick Fonoro, if it was I was there also.

duel · 1/20/24, 1:34 PM

We drove 240 miles to that dome race in a tin can cargo van. Had to put a heater under the oil pan and got jump started at our cold hotel next day. Snowmobile suites on. Cardboard in front of radiator to get heat. 69 North coming home a car maybe every 10 miles we would see. Pretty scary looking back.