1973 Hoosier Hundred

[@Ever443]

Back when real race car drivers ran everywhere, in every type of car

[@arthurvillegas5586]

To my father and me A.J.Foty and Al Unser are best drivers all time. Al Unser WON races when they say. I know.

[@mustangjohhny]

What a field of drivers!

[@Red-dg1kp]

The BEST IN THE WORLD !!!

[@RalphLaak]

We would go to it everyear and also the stockcar race...nomore than a parking lot and concert venue today...

[@arthurvillegas5586]

Thank you for posting the video. Al Unsner did Great he WON again and title,too.

[@healthyone100]

AL was a great sprint car driver most people only know him from Indy, look at his record!

[@arthurvillegas5586]

@@healthyone100 I know and my father knew, too about Al Unser and A.J. Foyt careers in sprints and in Indycar we saw them more in Indycar and came here at the home track before and Al Unser Jr raced here and WON. Al Unser is my favorite race driver of all time. A.J. Foyt is my father's all time favorite race driver.

[@arthurvillegas5586]

@@healthyone100 The track here by where I live in California have now fixed lights on the track and had events at the fairgrounds and hopefully race more. I would to promote more again. I'm fixing the family house 🏠 my father made with my mother they both passed way I promised them I would fix it. I'm doing it and will get it done soon, I hope.

[@Allan-ts1ux]

Aj came to Knoxville Iowa one night and got beat by our local Earl Wagner.. Earl was really cool. I was his paperboy in 5th grade and could not believe he was like the best racer ever back then in 63 .

[@shredhead4604]

THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS! 🤙🏁🇺🇸

[@WallerJerry]

I was at that race, it was a really good one.

[@bobbyblenio4571]

Finally…something Good on KZbin 🤑💥

[@brianlockwood5649]

Those were the days. Real Drivers that didn’t matter if it was dirt or pavement, oval or road course.

[@tsf5-productions]

I noticed in this dirt car U.S.A.C. sanctioning race, the Indiana State Fair Ground's mile oval had plastic drop cloth sheeting around the outside of most (if not all) the outer perimeter of the track. Good idea for the main dirt throwing the cars do. I was just entering my second year in college at age 23. Missed this event, whereas I would have made it, I think, seven or eight years straight to see. This type of racing puts "hair on a driver's chest (if he had none)" with full concentration driving needed. I enjoyed those "old days" of racing! The DOHC Indy 255 Ford engine was my favorite of the various powered engines. I remember the first one at the "Hoosier Hundred " back in '67. Bruce Walkup won the pole position for that race. Saw many-a-good driver in those dirt races...many have passed on but as of to date: (9-8-2023), The "King" of those from past - Foyt - is still around.

[@8253gunner]

Thanks for the comments. Here is a link to my KZbin Channel and a video I put together on the DOHC engine used in the Champ Dirt cars in that era. I think you will find it interesting. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3-pZJuug7egqZo

[@YZXRYDR]

0:15 "There are others here," as Greg Weld comes into focus while exchanging banter with Al Unser.

[@ronaldrussell5481]

I might have been at that race, I can't remember, but went to one H-100 in early 70's.

[@ccrider00]

Best form of auto racing!!!!!!👍

[@badgumby9544]

I could hear the races at the Fairgrounds from my house. Could also usually here the cars running at IMS.

[@manga12]

thank the fairboard for taking that all away, they limestoned the mile now its only good for harness horses not even quarters or thoroughbreds let alone cars, could have at least saved the inner half for racing but noo noo we cant have that history must be sperned racing capital of the world or not progress for the sake of change, cant have cars or cycles for two days out of the year, maybe I could have left it be if I could have seen it in 21 like was planned but they could not wait 1 month to start putting down limestone, its a rip off man even though the promotors had one more set for last week of the month, the hundred was the most prestegious and was thee crown jewel event of dirt champ cars, and the most organic form of american racing there is it was on fair grounds and back roads it started out in open wheel coups and roadster style cars, this was and is it the very roots and with any luck usac will find a way to get the hundred back on dirt even if not a full mile more laps can always be turned to make the 100 miles, but every one of the drivers the officials at usac the promotors know this is supposed to be ment for the state fair and track of champions like it is here

[@arthurvillegas5586]

My Father and I saw the races and showed it on TV Al Unser and A.J.Foyt would race on dirt and paved oval tracks in Indycar. My Father liked A.J.Foyt and l liked Al Unser and we saw them raced at Ontario, California track. Al Unser Jr. WON on the local dirt track here in California by where I live. No racing at the tracks. The dirt setting there. I like to promote there. We raced and promoted kart racing.

[@DaveWrightKB9MNM]

I lived not far from there and my dad and I went to quite a few. Even the motorcycle races.

[@SteveMagr]

13:20 Merle Bettenhausen interview 1973

[@frenzalrhomb6919]

Didn't Garry Bettenhausen come over here to Australia and race Midgets for a couple of our seasons? I'm pretty certain he did, racing in Sydney at the old Sydney Showground Speedway. A.K.A ... The "Royal" as it was owned and run by the Royal Australian Agricultural Society or R.A.S for short, though the Royals themselves never had a hand in the running of the place, and certainly never came to a Speedway meeting there, or anywhere else that I'm aware of. (Our "racing season" is in the off season, for the U.S of A)

[@Raellives]

Love this!

[@willardwilliamson6778]

I'm bummed the end of the race is not included.

[@NewGroupFreedomTrust]

awesome history

[@chuckg6039]

Are these today's Silver Crown cars? If so, are they the exact same design as today?

[@8253gunner]

Yes, these would be today's Silver Crown cars. I believe it is the same design. These cars have a longer wheelbase than sprint cars and are primarily designed to run on mile dirt tracks.

[@frenzalrhomb6919]

@@8253gunner Australian Sprintcar Fan here. Many, many years ago, when I wore a "younger Man's clothes," an Australian Sprintcar driver of great note (at least locally) bought a second hand "Champ Car" frame out here, put a regular 350 Chevy in it, and using mostly locally made bits and pieces like the rear cone and front coverings, and it past out rule book, and he then ran it with considerable success all around Australia. After all, the national governing body is call the "Australian Modified Sprintcar Association" or the "Modified Sprintcar Association of Australia" I forgot which. And another thing is, that most of the equipment they ran back then, they'd have built themselves, or helped one another to build. Very few drivers could ever afford to buy or import equipment from the U.S of A, as most Australian Sprintcar Drivers of the day, were really not much more than your "weekend Warriors", like an owner of a local Petrol Station (Gas Station in America) or the a Smash Repairs Worksop, (Body Shop in America) might be silly enough to want to sink his hard earned money into the World of Speedway and Sprintcar Racing in particular, and with a few "delusions of grandeur" put himself on the line, to pursue something he loves ... dirt track racing!!

[@movracefan]

Do you have the finish of the race? Also, do you have any other races?

[@8253gunner]

No, I don't. This video was originally uploaded by another person and they mis-labeled it as a 1976 event and didn't refer to it as the Hoosier Hundred. I copied the video and re-uploaded with a proper title of 1973 Hoosier Hundred. Not sure why the finish was not captured because that would be interesting to see.

[@blackcatjim]

My god, where did this come from? Thank you!

[@8253gunner]

I found this video already posted on KZbin under the title of "1976 Indianapolis Dirt Racing", I copied the video and re-uploaded it with a correct title and the correct year of 1973.

[@arthurvillegas5586]

All the drivers went to race at my local dirt oval track by there I live, the track has a Great history and is setting there part of the fairgrounds. Need to get racing going again. The fairgrounds dont lend themselfs. Agree with to race. Yes,near by and other areas tracks. Alot of racing before, here sprint cars and short track stock cars.

[@leechjim8023]

The video cut off too soon!👎

[@hornhospital]

Asphalt's for getting there, dirt's for racing!

[@arthurvillegas5586]

The track I mention is in California and stock cars and spint cars drivers go to Arizona and California race tracks that is Good but, should be racing here, too. Sad right here things cost alot but,need agree and race be Good maybe,one day.

[@nedkline886]

this is when men were racing

[@rudymontana4515]

Dirt track racing is so minor league. I lived in Indy at this time ,we called it the hillbillie 500.

[@8253gunner]

How could you call it the hillbillie 500 when the drivers were the same ones that competed at the Indy 500? Far from minor league.

[@mercoid]

These are the kinds of tracks on which every one of these drivers developed and honed their skills. Not only that, but it takes a very high level of specialized skill in itself to run on dirt tracks. In terms of a personal challenge I’ll go so far as to say many of these high level drivers relish this style of racing equal to any other.

[@joefell7845]

Engage brain before starting tongue. 👅

[@gregorygolden1296]

People like you haven't a clue about what it takes to race on dirt. Probably don't know shit about asphalt either.

[@benwatkins7600]

Agreed!@@joefell7845

[@mikehalling8046]

There were 24 drivers in the race, yet only 6 were introduced before the race WTF.