Jerry
Unser made it a clean sweep at Illiana Speedway, setting fast time, winning the
trophy dash, his heat race, and the 100-lap feature for USAC stock cars. – Stan
Kalwasinski Collection
Schererville, Ind. (July 24, 1957) – Jerry Unser, a 24-year-old Californian burning for his first shot at the Indianapolis “500,” boosted his stock another notch Wednesday night as he swept all possible racing honors at Illiana Speedway.
Driving a 1957 Ford, the bespectacled resident of Long Beach posted the top qualifying time, added victories in the trophy dash and 10-lap preliminary, and capped the evening by breezing through the USAC-sanctioned 50-mile feature.
Unser and his fired up #92 obviously possessed more speed than any of the other 22 late models stocks in competition. He burst head from his pole position and maintained a small but safe margin throughout the contest.
Unser, one of the nation’s fastest rising young drivers, won the Pike’s Peak test just three weeks ago.
Chicago’s Fred Lorenzen and his 1956 Oldsmobile took over the runner-up spot as contenders Les Snow (after 30 laps) and then Dave Hirschfeld (after 70 laps) dropped out with mechanical woes.
Unser, heeding the “easy” signals from his pit crew, admitted afterwards he drove only fast enough to win. His speedy but careful driving was characteristic of all involved since the race went caution-free.
Whitey Johnson of Hammond, driving his 1956 Pontiac, fell a lap behind but nosed out Al Swenson of Glen Ellyn, Ill., for third place. Swensen piloted a 1956 Plymouth.
Some of the color was missing from Illiana’s first night of racing this summer due to the absence of several “big name” stars.
Neither Dick nor Jim Rathmann put in an appearance. Pat O’Conner of North Vernon’s pole winner at Indianapolis last May, was ill and his 1957 Pontiac was driven by Tony Bettenhausen.
Substitute driver Bill Cheesbourg of Tucson, Ariz., won a 10-lap run in O’Conner’s car but Bettenhausen couldn’t get it going in the 100-lap main event. His pit crew of Ray Nichels and Tiny Worley were working on the car after only two laps.
Bettenhausen, who actually arrived without a car, was the only big-name driver to participate and he was almost gone before he started. Johnnie Parsons of Van Nuys, Calif., was also present but without a ride as well.
Illiana owner/promoter Harry Molenaar explained that part of the difficulty lay in the fact that the program was postponed from the previous week and several expected drivers had commitments they were unable to break.
Bettenhausen, the outspoken fan favorite from Tinley Park, Ill., noted that several well-known drivers were jumping commitments to the United States Auto Club to run on outlaw tracks.
He hinted that a showdown may be around the corner involving USAC’s top brass and several of it’s drivers.
Results –
1. Jerry Unser
2. Fred Lorenzen
3. Whitey Johnson
4. Al Swensen
5. Bob Denny
6. Don Oldenberg
7. Mason Bright
8. Gordon Gorman
9. Fred Hoff
10.Iggy Katona
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