THIS DATE IN USAC HISTORY: MAY 17
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (May 17, 2020)………Sunshine makes history, Gamester grabs his first and Galedrige a Slinger surprise. It all occurred on this day in USAC Silver Crown, National Sprint and National Midget history, May 17.
Three-time USAC National Midget champion Jimmy Davies collected the USAC Midget victory in the third and final stop held at the 25th Street Fairgrounds in Columbus, Ind. on May 17, 1964.
Coming into the 1970 season fresh off his first career USAC National Sprint Car title in 1969, Gary Bettenhausen won at Indianapolis Raceway Park on May 17 for his second win of the season, although he’d come up short to Larry Dickson in the final standings at the height of their “Larry and Gary Show” rivalry with the series.
Russ Gamester’s long and successful career burgeoned with his first career USAC National Midget victory on May 17, 1985 at Santa Fe Speedway in Hinsdale, Ill.
Steve Butler’s banner year of 1986 culminated with the first of four USAC National Sprint Car championships in a five-year span for the Kokomo, Ind. driver, but he kicked off that initial title season with his first win of ’86 on May 17 at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, Ind.
Pat Abold joined the famed Hoffman Auto Racing team as a pavement specialist in 1997 after a highly successful east coast Supermodified career. It only took until the second race for the New York driver to reach USAC Silver Crown victory lane with a win on May 17, 1997 at IRP.
J.J. Yeley produced a reign of terror on the USAC National trail in 2003, which included a record total of 24 combined victories during his historic Triple Crown season. However, it took him five races to finally reach his first USAC Sprint Car win of the year for the new Tony Stewart Racing team, at the Terre Haute Action Track, on May 17, 2003.
Bradley Galedrige stunned the field in the USAC Midgets’ first visit to Wisconsin’s high-banked, paved Slinger Super Speedway in 24 years on May 17, 2008, the only career win for the native Californian.
Dave Darland notched a Spring USAC Sprint win at Bloomington Speedway on this date in 2013, while Tanner Swanson was victorious in the Silver Crown series the following year at Lucas Oil Raceway in Clermont, Ind. in 2014.
In 2019, a Midget/Sprint doubleheader at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Ill. resulted in Tyler Courtney’s early-season USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget prowess reaching historic levels in becoming the first driver to win four of the first six races to start a season on his way to the championship. Chris Windom, meanwhile, collected his second USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car win of the year later that same night – the first to win twice with the series in the sixth event of the year.
MAY 17 USAC NATIONAL WINNERS: (Through 2019)
1964: Jimmy Davies, USAC Midget at the 25th Street Fairgrounds – Columbus, Ind.
1970: Gary Bettenhausen, USAC Sprint at Indianapolis Raceway Park – Clermont, Ind.
1985: Russ Gamester, USAC Midget at Santa Fe Speedway – Hinsdale, Ill.
1986: Steve Butler, USAC Sprint at Lincoln Park Speedway – Putnamville, Ind.
1997: Pat Abold, USAC Silver Crown at Indianapolis Raceway Park – Clermont, Ind.
2003: J.J. Yeley, USAC Sprint at the Terre Haute Action Track – Terre Haute, Ind.
2008: Bradley Galedrige, USAC Midget at Slinger Super Speedway – Slinger, Wisc.
2013: Dave Darland, USAC Sprint at Bloomington Speedway – Bloomington, Ind.
2014: Tanner Swanson, USAC Silver Crown at Indianapolis Raceway Park – Clermont, Ind.
2019: Tyler Courtney, USAC Midget at Tri-City Speedway – Granite City, Ill.
2019: Chris Windom, USAC Sprint at Tri-City Speedway – Granite City, Ill.