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Terre Haute Action Track

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Coordinates: 39°25′13″N 87°25′15″W / 39.420315°N 87.420884°W / 39.420315; -87.420884
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(Redirected from Hut Hundred)
Terre Haute Action Track
Turns 1 and 2 at the Action Track at the 2008 Hulman Classic
LocationHoney Creek Township, Vigo County, near Terre Haute, Indiana, United States
Coordinates39.4203, -87.4209
OwnerVigo County Fair Assoc
OperatorTrack Enterprises/Bob Sargent
Broke ground1949
Opened1952
Closed1988-1989, 2007
Former namesThe Action Track
Major eventsUSAC National Midget Series: Hut Hundred (until 2009)
USAC National Sprint Car Championship: Tony Hulman Classic, Don Smith Classic
USAC Silver Crown Series: Sumar Classic
SurfaceDirt
Length0.5 miles (0.8 km)
Turns4

Terre Haute Action Track (also The Action Track) is a half-mile dirt racetrack located at the Vigo County, Indiana, fairgrounds on U.S. Route 41 along the south side of Terre Haute, Indiana. The track hosts annual United States Automobile Club (USAC) midget car, sprint car and Silver Crown events. Notable drivers that have competed at the track include A. J. Foyt, Jeff Gordon, Parnelli Jones, and Tony Stewart.[1] The track has held events sanctioned by USAC, its predecessor American Automobile Association (AAA), and the World of Outlaws.[2]

History

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The track opened on June 15, 1952.[3] It closed for a short period beginning in 1987 and reopened in 1990.[3] It closed again in May 2007 for the rest of the season after it lost its race card because it broke a local curfew.[4] The promoter had to stop the event early.[2] As of the start of the 2008 season, Rich Vogler's 13 feature wins is the most in track history.[5]

Promoters

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The track was promoted by Don Smith in the 1960s.[4] By 2008, the track had been run by a series of promoters and attendance dwindled.[2] Most sanctioning bodies holding events at the track dropped it from their schedule and only a few events were held in recent years.[2] The track lost its United States Automobile Club (USAC) events in mid-2007.[4] In 2008, the DHK Promotions LLC group took over running the track.[4] DHK Promotions was named for its founders: then-retired Major League Baseball player Brian Dorsett, then-active (later retired) Indy Racing League driver Davey Hamilton and then-active (later retired) Indianapolis 500 radio announcer Mike King.[4]

In 2009 DHK Promotions added a new partner, changed its name to Action Promotions LLC and announced a schedule of six special events that took place at the historic half-mile clay oval starting Saturday, May 2. [citation needed]

Chris Novotney, a Wabash Valley native who grew up attending sprint car races at the famed track, spent 2008 overseeing the reconstruction of the track surface and the installation of a new track drainage system. Novotney joins Brian Dorsett, Davey Hamilton and Mike King in the group that is now known as Action Promotions, LLC.[citation needed]

Since 2012, the track is operated by Terre Haute Motorsports, a partnership between Bob Sargent and Reece O'Connor.[citation needed]

As of 2018, the track was still under the operation of Track Enterprises and company owner Bob Sargent. Adam Mackey, who is a co-promoter at the facility, announced a more extensive schedule for the 2018 season which features 10 events, significantly more than in recent years.[citation needed]

In 2023. Bill Rose of BR Promotions became the next Promoter to help keep the facility alive; otherwise no promoter would have been in charge for the 2023 race season.

Media

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Track events are no longer broadcast as Crossroads Communications is no longer affiliated with the Track.[citation needed] In 2009 WTHI Hi-99 became the official track station, though the races were not broadcast.[citation needed]

Hut Hundred

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The track held the major midget car racing event since 1954.[6] Event winners include AJ Foyt, Tony Bettenhausen, Don Branson, Tony Stewart, and 1990 winner Jeff Gordon.[6] Rich Vogler won the event eight times, including six in the seven years between 1983 and 1989.[6] Al Herman won the first event in 1954.[6] In 2009 the event was not held and in 2010, it moved to the Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Indiana. The Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana hosted the race in 1987. The 1989 race was held at the Lawrenceburg Speedway. In 1988, 2000 and 2001, the Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, Indiana hosted the race.

Winners

Results References:[7][8][9] [10][11][12]

Hulman Classic

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One of USAC non-wing sprint car racing's biggest races had its inaugural running at the Terre Haute Action Track in 1971. Named the Hulman Classic in honor of Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman (who was still alive at the time), the race falls during the week of the Indianapolis 500. In its inaugural year, the race paid a total purse of $28,538 ($214,700 today) and was televised on ABC's Wide World of Sports, becoming the first televised sprint car race in history.[13] In its early years, it was not uncommon for drivers to race both the Hulman Classic and the Indianapolis 500 in the same week.[14] As of May 2017, the Hulman Classic was USAC's longest annually-contested event, and had been held at the Terre Haute Action Track every year except for a brief interruption from 1988 to 1991, when the event was held at Indianapolis Raceway Park.[15]

Winners
Year Driver Car # Team
1971 George Snider 29 Louis Seymour
1972 Bruce Walkup 29
1973 Joe Saldana 25
1974 Gary Bettenhausen 24
1975 Pancho Carter 4
1976 Jan Opperman 64 Bill Smith
1977 Jim McElreath 8
1978 Dick Tobias 17
1979 Pancho Carter 44
1980 Eddie Leavitt 7
1981 Sheldon Kinser 6 Ben Leyba
1982 Chet Johnson
1983 Jack Hewitt 51
1984 Rick Hood
1985 Ron Shuman
1986 Rich Vogler
1987 Steve Butler 1
1988 Steve Butler
1989 Rich Vogler 69 Hoffman
1990 Jeff Bloom
1991 Eric Gordon
1992 Cary Faas
1993 Dave Darland
1994 Cary Faas Steve Chrisman
1995 Jack Hewitt 63 Bob Hampshire
1996 Doug Kalitta
1997 J. J. Yeley
1998 Cary Faas
1999 Terry Pletch
2000 Jay Drake
2001 Tracy Hines
2002 Jon Stanbrough 57H Paul Hazen
2003 J. J. Yeley
2004 Cory Kruseman 21 Tony Stewart
2005 Levi Jones 2B Scott Benic
2006 Daron Clayton 92 Clayton
2007 Jon Stanbrough 53 Fox
2008 Levi Jones 20 Tony Stewart
2009 Levi Jones 20 Tony Stewart
2010 Jerry Coons Jr. 69 Hoffman
2011 Chris Windom 5x Baldwin
2012 Bud Kaeding 29k BK
2013 Jerry Coons Jr. 10E Monte Edison
2014 Dave Darland 71p Steve Phillips
2015 Robert Ballou 12 Ballou
2016 Robert Ballou 1 Ballou
2017 Kevin Thomas Jr. 9K KT Motorsports
2018 Tyler Courtney
2019 Chase Stockon 32
2020 Chris Windom 19
2021 Chris Windom
2022 Robert Ballou
2023 Brady Bacon 69 Hoffman

Sumar Classic

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The USAC Silver Crown Series first visited Terre Haute in 1980. The series returned in 1995, with the race named Sumar Classic 100, after the local-based 1950s USAC racing team Sumar Racing. Trademark Sumar Classic Owned by BR Promotions.

Winners

References

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  1. ^ Taylor, Dave (2008-04-09). "Action Track sponsorship means opportunities for motorsports students". Indiana State University. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
  2. ^ a b c d O'Leary, Mike. "New Group Is Breathing Life Back Into Terre Haute". National Speed Sport News. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
  3. ^ a b "Terre Haute Action Track". NA-Motorsports.com. 2007-05-04. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
  4. ^ a b c d e Pearson, Craig (2008-03-01). "Promoters rev up Action Track schedule". Tribune-Star. Archived from the original on 2013-01-05. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
  5. ^ "The History of the Terre Haute Action Track". Official website. Archived from the original on 2008-06-16. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
  6. ^ a b c d "Terre Haute Hut Hundred preview". Motorsports.com. 2006-09-04. Archived from the original on 2006-12-27. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
  7. ^ "Browse by track: Terre Haute Action Track". UltimateRacingHistory.com. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  8. ^ "Terre Haute: Hut Hundred results". motorsport.com. 2003-09-26. Archived from the original on 2006-12-27. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  9. ^ "USAC: MCI WorldCom National Midget Car Series Race Results, Hut Hundred". The Auto Channel. 1999-09-03. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  10. ^ Boyer, Marty (2006-09-08). "54th Clabber Girl "Hut Hundred"". MidgetMadness.com. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  11. ^ "Terre Haute USAC Results". SpringSpeedway.com. 2006-09-10. Archived from the original on 2008-12-05.
  12. ^ True Speed: My Racing Life by Tony Stewart, Bones Bourcier, Mark Bourcier; Publisher: New York : HarperEntertainment, ©2003.; ISBN 0-06-103166-6, ISBN 978-0-06-103166-3; Retrieved July 22, 2008
  13. ^ Ealy, Kyle (2010-05-28). "The Tony Hulman Classic; The first 10 years". Midwest Racing Archives. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  14. ^ Hughes, David (2016-05-29). "'500' drivers often raced at T.H. Action Track". Tribune-Star. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  15. ^ Murray, Richie (2017-05-22). "Ballou Goes For Unprecedented 3-in-a-Row Wednesday in 47th Hulman Classic". USAC Media. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
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