Great tribute to Jan, and yes, he was the best sprint car driver on dirt track EVER, and he was a great friend. I'll always cherish our times together.
@davidwiner85718 ай бұрын
Oppy made racing on dirt at the cushion look so beautiful and easy
@daleolson3506 Жыл бұрын
Miss you robin
@georgegould6672 жыл бұрын
Thanks Robin I was honored to watch Jan Opperman race sprint cars at Phillips Field in Tampa , as he said full tilt !
@shaunstrasser1 Жыл бұрын
RIP Jan and Robin
@randalpennington18224 жыл бұрын
Loved Jan, I raced against him at Lernerville and Jennerstown Pa.. he was always nice to me. I was a young sprint driver at the time and he respected everyone and was a class act. I remember him and Kenny Weld passing me into turn 4 in a 100 lap race, Jan slid out and hit the fence then bounced off and took the lead from Kenny. Good ole days.
@faithijn83382 жыл бұрын
GOD Bless you for a nice Tribute to my cousin Jan. Yes his mom & dad June & Jim took care of Jan all those years, my Aunt June was my dad’s sister.
@davidhollifield16615 жыл бұрын
My uncle was Dick Bogar, owner of the 99. Got to see Jan win a lot in 72 all over central PA. Selinsgrove, Williams Grove, Port Royal, Lincoln. Absolutely the best sprint car driver I ever say.
@pkell73153 жыл бұрын
I saw the Hippie race at port ! The very best.
@troyvalentinoriedel9 жыл бұрын
Excellent job Robin. I was a kid in PA in the 70s and I saw Jan run many times - mostly at Williams Grove - but at other tracks as well. He was indeed one of the best EVER on dirt. What a shame how it all ended for him. But those who watched him will never forget the "Original Outlaw" ... the "Racing Hippie". RIP Jan, and thanks for the memories.
@robertlyman2278 Жыл бұрын
Used to watch Jan when he came to Knoxville Ia when I was growing up 👍👍👍
@Josey_Wales8 жыл бұрын
Great racer, great story! Heartbreaking how he spent the last years of his life.
@vince065us9 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much for telling Jan's story.He was a devout christian man.
@rw0508563 жыл бұрын
Robin, I loved this...such a good job telling the story of an amazingly talented driver Thank you!
@TheBlade19527 жыл бұрын
I met Jan at Port Royal back in the 70's. Jack Gunn had lured Jan to come East and race. No matter how busy he would be, he would always take time to stop and say hi. He was a class act.
@saddletramp69354 ай бұрын
Saw him once or twice at Tri city speedway in pa. He was good. I liked him because of his hair. Eff the haters.
@MrDhess685 жыл бұрын
I was fortunate to watch him race in Tulsa in 78, took one of Jack Links cars and brother did he put on a clinic that night. We met him after the race and to this day he left a big impression on me as one of the best behind the wheel and a man of such strong faith..broke my heart to hear his health deteriorated then passed away. He was truly one of a kind.
@karlpiehl76667 жыл бұрын
Had the opportunity to race against Jan at Devils Bowl Speedway several times. His record speaks for its self. He was a dedicated Christian and often held a bible study in his motel room for the other racers and their crews. He was also very friendly with the fans.
@richpagoria46119 жыл бұрын
The best dirt track racer I ever saw, bar none. He usually made the rest of the field look like amateurs, no matter who he was racing. He was the kind of man you don't see in racing anymore, and that's too bad.
@p.rossopperman46995 жыл бұрын
Comments like yours mean a lot to some people......Thank you Rich Pagoria
@aaronanderson76194 жыл бұрын
@@p.rossopperman4699 the man is an open wheel icon. Or a god. Happy holidays.
@p.rossopperman46994 жыл бұрын
@@aaronanderson7619its still amazing hearing comments like yours...... just want to say thank you Aaron Anderson
@Richard_Ray9 жыл бұрын
Robin, love these video of the past greats and the stories you share! Keep em' coming.
@ackack25606 ай бұрын
Great video, two legends in one video.. may they rest in peace
@pkell73153 жыл бұрын
Saw the Hippie race at the port !
@EmpEntTV9 жыл бұрын
Thanks Robin for the story, never had the privilege of seeing Jan in a sprint car but did see him race at Ontario Motor Speedway in an Indy Car. One of the greatest legends of dirt racing!
@jimheckert53835 жыл бұрын
Thanks Robin. Your the best ,enjoy your work.
@doctorgarbonzo25253 жыл бұрын
Great job as always Robin, Jan was the Robby Gordon of his time
@GregBrownsWorldORacing Жыл бұрын
Posthumous Thanks Miller! This guy's so much tougher than I've ever been. Once I'd been hit in the nose like that, I'd have retired. My goggles would have been filled with blood and tears & I'd have quit.
@klyter217 жыл бұрын
Never saw Jan race because he was before my time going to the Central PA tracks, but I know my dad thought very highly of him. Was reading an Open Wheel magazine in the 80s or maybe early 90s and there was an article on Opperman. Dad had to read it!! I've read and heard he could drive ANYTHING to victory!
@boomerpo80649 жыл бұрын
Great story about a racing stud
@bryonkidder61996 жыл бұрын
Thanks for your knowledge!
@RichardLWittII9 жыл бұрын
Great vid. I was at Jennerstown that night....a memory I wish I didn't have.....
@vince065us8 жыл бұрын
Jan's first year at Indy was in 1974.He was in the same rookie class as Tom Sneva,Johnnie Parsons,Jr.Pancho Carter,Jr. and Bill Simpson.
@johncotton54232 жыл бұрын
I love sprint car racing
@rickropka6293 жыл бұрын
I remember buying a t-shirt to support him and my dad and some guys in the pits at Williams Grove passed the hat (I think his Mom was there selling T-shirts during the WoO Eastern Swing) (or it was just a big draw local race...I can't remember) and there was several thousands given to his family that evening. I didn't know much about him (when he was East my Dad never seemed to be able to see him but he still talks about his Indy run) and I was impressed by what I learned that evening and also how he was truly respected.
@tadroid38583 жыл бұрын
Ah, Viceroy! The sponsorship that killed the Marlboro deal.
@mikew34945 жыл бұрын
Thanks Robin...
@bobfearick22973 жыл бұрын
A DAM GOOD MAN AND A BIG HEARTTHAT HAD SOME BAD HEAD INJURIES
@ferdterguson1242 жыл бұрын
The original outlaw
@debihughlett9998 Жыл бұрын
He was my cousin.
@gregj8317 жыл бұрын
Thanks Robin for posting this. I was at that feature at Dayton Speedway when Jan beat Pancho. Everyone assumed Pancho would run away with another one on that day but here came Jan out of nowhere. He was driving a brown colored sprinter that I think was sponsored by Siebert? Jan wasn't supposed to do what he did as like you said "he was a dirt track God." I think Pancho was more surprised than anyone! The sprinters were absolutely scary over at Dayton Speedway. They were so damned fast!
@donolbers94463 жыл бұрын
Jan's 1971 sprint car season went quite well for him. By the time of the Knoxville Nationals, Singer had come up with a winning version of the 400ci Chevy, that soon became the engine of choice in outlaw circles. Cahill Bros. Sprinter?
@Kevin_7476 жыл бұрын
I saw Jan race at the old Lakeside in Kansas City. He was a tough ass driver for sure.
@propinch6 жыл бұрын
Well done Robin!
@randydubin71188 жыл бұрын
A Cigarette Brand Sponsor telling a race car driver to cut his hair? Man, those were the days in AOWR.
@ferdterguson1242 жыл бұрын
Grizz and mops
@jennifursun33039 жыл бұрын
when did this program air never heard of it
@craigontheboat7 жыл бұрын
You forgot to mention He Qualified the Routh Packing #8 Car in the Indy 500 1976 which he started dead last and finished 16th before rain stopped the race.
@gregj8314 жыл бұрын
I certainly remember that. He obviously made up a lot of ground before rain stopped the event. My favorite was Tom Bigelow and he started right next to Jan in 32nd and he also moved up and was running 14th when they called it. I once saw a picture of Jan, Tom and none other than Mario Andretti at the infamous 'Last Row Party' from that year and they looked as if they were having quite a bit of fun.
@StopyerBitchin7 жыл бұрын
Jan won the USAC Midget race at Dayton in August of 76. Then returned two weeks later and won the USAC Sprint Car race driving for Bobby Hillin. So you missed a win Robin :-) Thanks for profiling Jan.
@geezer49624 жыл бұрын
Very sad ending for an awesome racer.
@joestephan11117 жыл бұрын
Robin is not correct. Jan Opperman won the NARC Sprint Car feature on the ultra fast Calistoga, CA half-mile dirt in July '78, almost two years after his Indy mile head injuries.
@laudarevsonhunt5 жыл бұрын
your right 7/1/78 NARC Jan Opperman
@craigontheboat5 жыл бұрын
In 1976 He drove the Routh Packing #8 Indy Car owned by Dick Routh. Incorrect photo being held up.