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Different triple crown--of sorts.


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#1 Bob Riebe

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Posted 20 January 2014 - 21:22

I just found out that it was very small number of drivers who drove in three, very well known years ago, races in the U.S.

 

The Daytona stock car race, the Indianapolis 500 and the Anderson Little 500.

 

The small list is:

 

Bill Holland

Dick Rathmann

Jim McElreath

Parnelli Jones

Johnny Rutherford

Larry Dickson

Chet Fillip

 

The first two did not race in the Daytona 500 but did race on the beach course at Daytona.

 

Of drivers still competing as far as I know only Smoke, and Montoya (I think if Montoya drove at Anderson he would be unique as he drove F-1)  could be added to that list if they drove a race at Anderson.

How things have changed from the glory years.


Edited by Bob Riebe, 20 January 2014 - 22:26.


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#2 D-Type

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Posted 20 January 2014 - 21:41

Please excuse my ignorance but what is the Anderson Little 500?  It's not a race that's on my radar.



#3 Ray Bell

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Posted 20 January 2014 - 21:59

You think you need information?

 

It's over a decade now since I asked the simple question on this forum, why is Anderson IN called 'the puncture proof city'?



#4 Bob Riebe

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Posted 20 January 2014 - 22:33

"Puncture Proof City" (because of the vulcanizing done here and the rubber tires manufactured).

 

 

The track hosts the annual  Little 500 on the Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend, the night before the Indianapolis 500. At 500 laps, the race is unusually long for sprint car races, and is considered one of the premier sprint car races. The field consists of 33 cars lined up in eleven rows of three, mimicking the traditional Indy 500 lineup. Many eventual Indy 500 drivers competed in the Little 500 over the years. The 61st edition of the  Little 500 will pay out over $123,000, making it the biggest asphalt sprint car payout in the world

Winners
  • 1949 Sam Skinner
  • 1950 Tom Cherry
  • 1951 Red Renner
  • 1952 Tom Cherry
  • 1953 Bob King
  • 1954 Tom Cherry
  • 1955 Tom Cherry
  • 1956 Bob Cleberg
  • 1957 Johnny White
  • 1958 Wayne Alspaugh
  • 1959 Ronnie Duman
  • 1960 Ronnie Duman
  • 1961 Jim McElreath
  • 1962 Arnie Knepper
  • 1963 Johnny White/Bob Coulter
  • 1964 Dick Good
  • 1965 Bob King/Chuck Taylor
  • 1966 Rollie Beale
  • 1967 Darl Harrison/Cy Fairchild
  • 1968 Karl Busson
  • 1969 Buzz Gregory
  • 1970 Darl Harrison
  • 1971 Herman Wise
  • 1972 Jeff Bloom
  • 1973 Dick Gaines
  • 1974 Larry Dickson
  • 1975 Darl Harrison
  • 1976 Dick Gaines
  • 1977 Jeff Bloom
  • 1978 Don Mack/Curt Kelley
  • 1979 Wayne Reutimann/Danny Smith
  • 1980 Bob Frey
  • 1981 Greg Leffler
  • 1982 Marvin Carman
  • 1983 Marvin Carman
  • 1984 Frank Riddle
  • 1985 Frank Riddle
  • 1986 Dave Scarborough
  • 1987 Bob Frey
  • 1988 Bob Frey
  • 1989 Bob Frey
  • 1990 Bob Frey
  • 1991 Jeff Bloom
  • 1992 Jim Childers
  • 1993 Eric Gordon
  • 1994 Jim Childers
  • 1995 Bentley Warren
  • 1996 Dave Steele
  • 1997 Bentley Warren
  • 1998 Eric Gordon
  • 1999 Chet Fillip
  • 2000 Jim Childers
  • 2001 Eric Gordon
  • 2002 Eric Gordon
  • 2003 Eric Gordon
  • 2004 Eric Gordon
  • 2005 Eric Gordon
  • 2006 Brian Tyler
  • 2007 Eric Gordon
  • 2008 Shane Cottle
  • 2009 Dave Steele
  • 2010 Eric Gordon
  • 2011 Chris Windom
  • 2012 Brian Tyler
  • 2013 Jacob Wilson
 
  •  


#5 arttidesco

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Posted 20 January 2014 - 23:39


 

Of drivers still competing as far as I know only Smoke, and Montoya (I think if Montoya drove at Anderson he would be unique as he drove F-1)  could be added to that list if they drove a race at Anderson.

 

 

Are you not forgetting the pole sitter from last years Great American Race, AJ Allmendinger and Sam Hornish Jr are also still at least semi active IIRC, I'd be surprised if there are not one or two others like Max Papis, Casey Mears or at a stretch John Andretti who could cut the mustard in the AL 500, in fact I'm surprised the last has not.



#6 Ray Bell

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Posted 20 January 2014 - 23:58

Originally posted by Bob Riebe

"Puncture Proof City" (because of the vulcanizing done here and the rubber tires manufactured).....

 

Proving once again that TNF will eventually come through. I would think that's been 13 or 14 years in the waiting, however...

 

Thanks for letting me know.



#7 Lemnpiper

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Posted 21 January 2014 - 01:36

I just found out that it was very small number of drivers who drove in three, very well known years ago, races in the U.S.

 

The Daytona stock car race, the Indianapolis 500 and the Anderson Little 500.

 

The small list is:

 

Bill Holland

Dick Rathmann

Jim McElreath

Parnelli Jones

Johnny Rutherford

Larry Dickson

Chet Fillip

 

The first two did not race in the Daytona 500 but did race on the beach course at Daytona.

 

Of drivers still competing as far as I know only Smoke, and Montoya (I think if Montoya drove at Anderson he would be unique as he drove F-1)  could be added to that list if they drove a race at Anderson.

How things have changed from the glory years.

 

 

   Since the Indy 500  counted in the World Championship  from 1951-1960 would not Holland and Rathmann  already be considered F-1 ?

 

 

 

     Paul



#8 Fulcrum

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Posted 21 January 2014 - 08:59

   Since the Indy 500  counted in the World Championship  from 1951-1960 would not Holland and Rathmann  already be considered F-1 ?

 

 

 

     Paul

No because they never turn a wheel in an F1 car ;)



#9 Michael Ferner

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Posted 21 January 2014 - 18:00

When I saw this topic come up on another forum, I, too, thougt it was an interesting statistic, but what it mainly does is highlighting the maverick nature of the Little 500. It certainly IS one of the major Sprint Car events in the US (and, therefore, the world), but many (if not most) of the Sprint Car greats in history have never competed. Take the "Big Three", Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell and Doug Wolfgang, a combined zero starts at Anderson! I'm not sure any of them ever tried, as qualifying for the race usually isn't that difficult despite long entry lists, with huge gaps from 1st to 33rd. And even before the WoO made Sprint Car racing an almost dirt-track-only sport, some of the best pavement drivers did not bother to try: Troy Ruttman, Duane Carter, Bob Sweikert, Don Branson, Gary Bettenhausen, Pancho Carter,Tom Sneva, not even locals like Jackie Holmes or Sonny Ates, to say nothing of A. J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Gordon Johncock or the Unsers. And even of those who tried, many have an indifferent record.

 

For those who are interested, there is a very good website dedicated to the event: http://www.andersons.../little_500.htm. Better than wikipedia  ;)



#10 Bob Riebe

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Posted 21 January 2014 - 19:23

When I saw this topic come up on another forum, I, too, thougt it was an interesting statistic, but what it mainly does is highlighting the maverick nature of the Little 500.

 

It certainly IS one of the major Sprint Car events in the US (and, therefore, the world), but many (if not most) of the Sprint Car greats in history have never competed. Take the "Big Three", Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell and Doug Wolfgang, a combined zero starts at Anderson! I'm not sure any of them ever tried, as qualifying for the race usually isn't that difficult despite long entry lists, with huge gaps from 1st to 33rd.---- It is so easy that Jan Opperman could qualify no better than 33; Bob Cicconi, who was a very good sprint car driver could qualify no better than 29th after finishing 3rd the year before; that Jerry Blundy could quality no better than 30th the year after qualifying 2nd?

 

And even before the WoO made Sprint Car racing an almost dirt-track-only sport, some of the best pavement drivers did not bother to try: Troy Ruttman, Duane Carter, Bob Sweikert, Don Branson, Gary Bettenhausen, Pancho Carter,Tom Sneva, not even locals like Jackie Holmes or Sonny Ates, to say nothing of A. J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Gordon Johncock or the Unsers. And even of those who tried, many have an indifferent record. ---- So what?

Many who raced at Indy, and Daytona, had indifferent records, although what you consider indifferent is a rank that exists only in your head.

 

.

 

   ;)

``



#11 Jim Thurman

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Posted 21 January 2014 - 20:21

I just found out that it was very small number of drivers who drove in three, very well known years ago, races in the U.S.

 

The Daytona stock car race, the Indianapolis 500 and the Anderson Little 500.

 

The small list is:

 

Bill Holland

Dick Rathmann

Jim McElreath

Parnelli Jones

Johnny Rutherford

Larry Dickson

Chet Fillip

 

The first two did not race in the Daytona 500 but did race on the beach course at Daytona.

 

Of drivers still competing as far as I know only Smoke, and Montoya (I think if Montoya drove at Anderson he would be unique as he drove F-1)  could be added to that list if they drove a race at Anderson.

How things have changed from the glory years.

 

It's an interesting tidbit, but a bit deceptive.

 

Holland only drove at Daytona and the Little 500 because he was suspended from AAA racing [EDIT: Corrected below. Holland raced in the Little 500 several years after his suspension ended].  Fillip's drives came after his Daytona and Indy forays and were mainly to help sell equipment developed by his brother.

 

Several more drivers raced in the Little 500 on their way up to AAA or USAC Championship racing, but, obviously the switch to rear engined cars explains that end.  Figure in series expanding the number of races in a season, leading to drivers not having to jump back and forth between types of cars to make a living and having fewer "off weeks" + sponsorship for a specific series also are major factors.

 

Add in sanctioning bodies that often fined or suspended drivers running unsanctioned events and it's understandable why there weren't more.  In a way, it's surprising even that many managed all three, what with AAA, USAC and NASCAR being quite dictatorial as to where drivers could race.  The "glory days" were a short blip of time created after a judge warned sanctioning bodies of action against them if they didn't co-operate.  The role manufacturers (auto, tires, etc.) played in taking their contract drivers from series to series shouldn't be overlooked as a major factor as well.  Changes, yes, but probably for different reasons than many believe.

 

None of this takes away from the Little 500 being the event it is.  Obviously, the backers of Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart didn't considered the Little 500 important enough to have them race in it to add to their very carefully arranged resumes.  Then again, it wasn't being televised, so that explains that.  Never mind...

 

And big :up: to Eric Gordon. He did things his own way, without help.  Sadly, it's why he never got past USAC/Little 500 level, but at least he has his soul :)


Edited by Jim Thurman, 22 January 2014 - 07:39.


#12 Michael Ferner

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Posted 21 January 2014 - 20:22

Oh dear, Herr Riebe is on the war path, AGAIN. :lol:



#13 Michael Ferner

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Posted 21 January 2014 - 20:26

I don't know when Holland drove at Daytona, but his Anderson start came long after being reinstated by the AAA, in fact long after AAA stopped sanctioning races.

 

Holland only drove at Daytona and the Little 500 because he was suspended from AAA racing.  Fillip's drives came after his Daytona and Indy forays and were mainly to help sell equipment developed by his brother.



#14 Jim Thurman

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Posted 21 January 2014 - 20:36

I don't know when Holland drove at Daytona, but his Anderson start came long after being reinstated by the AAA, in fact long after AAA stopped sanctioning races.

 

Oops, right you are Michael. See what happens when one assumes!  :D  Being that late, then the other end of it applies, that Holland competed at Daytona (and in NASCAR) in 1951 and 1952 because of his AAA suspension and raced in the Little 500 after he dropped from the scene in major series.



#15 Bob Riebe

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Posted 21 January 2014 - 23:51

Oh dear, Herr Riebe is on the war path, AGAIN. :lol:

No I am just replying to your half-baked self promoted authority with all the due respect it deserves but I would like you to define your remark ," with huge gaps from 1st to 33rd." as what does that have to do with anything as it is really no different than Indianapolis?

You must use a lot of soap boxes in a year as you mount them often.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Now as the Little 500 is the day before Indy.

Nowadays anyway, and probably always, no one will do both the same year.



#16 Ray Bell

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Posted 22 January 2014 - 00:05

Good response, Bob...

 

I wonder if Buford ever ran there?



#17 Michael Ferner

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Posted 22 January 2014 - 19:00

Sure! Just follow the link in my initial post, it lists every driver who ever ran at the Little 500. And if you don't find Buford, it's probably because his appearance was mysteriously lost in documentation (again), he was a late entry and not officially listed (again), or the media simply boycotted him (again!).



#18 Ray Bell

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Posted 22 January 2014 - 21:34

You are a nasty bit of work...

 

I'm guessing he'd have been too busy partying at Indy that night.