The first auto race I ever saw in person was on dirt. It was the 1958 Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. It was part of USAC’s Championship trail. which included the Indianapolis 500, Milwaukee, Trenton, Sacramento, and Du Quoin, Illinois- a mix of pavement and dirt tracks. Somewhere in the next two years I went to a sprint race on dirt. Needless to say, I was captivated.
Dirt tracks eventually faded from the public eye and from major racing series, but I still remember what fun those races were. I loved the flying dirt, and was impressed witht he car control the drivers displayed, wheel their powerful machines sideways through the turns.
Last night Indianapolis Motor Speedway brought some of that back with the opening round of Indiana Sprint Week. The track has hosted the BC39 midget races for several years now. Don ‘t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the times I have watched them. Sprint cars, however, are a n entirely different beast, while sprinters are not as nimble as the midgets, they are larger and have more power. Basically, they throw more dirt and are a bigger handful on the short tracks.
Justin Grant, last night’s feature winner, admitted to not really liking the short tracks. I can see why. They are a lot of work.
Sprint cars had a 20 lap exhibition race as part of the BC39 last September. Last night was the first full Sprint car program at the IMs dirt track. I think it was fitting to add the sprinters to complement the midget program. It makes for a full return to the roots of the 500.
Through the Dust and Smoke
The 35 lap feature race had some of the best racing I have seen this year. The heavy air created a dust cloud which hung in turn 2. The occasional breeze blew the dust into t5urn three where your intrepid reporter sat. I am still shaking dust out of my hair and eyes. Of course, small chunks of dirt from turn also showered the spectators.
Robert Ballou, who started on pole and led the first 19 laps, lost two cylinders and his emitted plumes of white smoke the rest of the way. In turn 2, the smoke and the dust combined to make the cars nearly disappear for a second or two. Ballou somehow finished third.
Justin Grant was the driver of the night. He set a track record in qualifying at 12.039 seconds, finished second in his heat races, and started the feature in fifth. He held off Logan Seavey, who started eighth, for the win.
Grant is a great driver. He knows when to go high, when to go low, and when to attack. I could see it in his heat race. Grant relentlessly goes right after people. The only reason he did not win his heat was there wasn’t enough time in a 10 lap heat, which was interrupted by a couple of caution flags. If I were a driver, Grant is the last person I would want to see coming up behind me.
It’s a shame we will never see him in IndyCar or the Indianapolis 500. I saw Grant in the BC39, which he also won. He was by far the best driver in the field.
Now that IMS has fully returned to its roots, I need to follow the Speedway’s lead. I am going to plan to got more sprint and midget programs next year. There are a couple of dirt tracks I have wanted to go to, but time and priorites have kept me from attending. Next year, that changes.
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 