Chuck Gurney put on a dominating performance in winning the 31st annual
Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
By Robin Miller
Indianapolis, Ind. (September 10, 1983) – There have been three United States Auto Club dirt car races at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in the past 12 months.
But only one winner…
Chuck Gurney, a USAC regular in the 1970s who has become one of the country’s fastest commuters, flew in from California again and dusted off the competition to win the 31st annual Hoosier Hundred.
It was Gurney’s second straight victory in what used to be dirt racing’s showcase event. And, coupled with his triumph in May’s 60-lapper here, it gave the 32-year-old driver three wins in a row on the 1-mile slick, sandy surface.
His official winning margin over runner-up Sheldon Kinser was either 15 seconds or half a lap. Regardless of how it’s measured, the worst crowd in Hoosier Hundred history (estimated 7,000) witnessed an out-an-out rout.
Starting on the front row, Gurney gobbled up pole-sitter and fast qualifier Ken Schrader on lap 10 and was seen only periodically after that – when the yellow came out. But it didn’t matter how close everyone got bunched up on the restart, because when the flagman waved the green flag, Gurney waved goodbye.
“The car and I got along together real well,” understated the Pleasanton, Calif., native said. “It handles great, and the motor is strong.”
Some of Gurney’s competitors think is powerplant is either illegal or aided by nitrous oxide. “They screamed last May when we won but the tech officials found nothing,” said Gurney. And they’re going to tear it down right now and we knew that coming into the race. But I got news for ‘em. It’s legal.”
It would be nice to write about all of the great racing behind Gurney but that would be fiction. Kinser, who started sixth, kept busy holding off Larry Rice for second in the only close race for position.
Besides Gurney, the quickest driver out there may have been Kramer Williamson, who started 18th and finished fourth. Johhny Parsons Jr. also displayed some nifty passing on a one-groove track, starting 22nd and finishing fifth.
Schrader, who nearly broke Parson’s nine-year-old qualifying record, lost an engine on lap 33. Seve Chassey, who was comfortably in second place behind Gurney most of the day, pulled in on lap 70 when his motor failed.
Kevin Olson, the defending USAC midget champion, did a nice, tidy job in his dirt debut, with an eighth place finish.
Results –
1. Chuck Gurney
2. Sheldon Kinser
3. Larry Rice
4. Kramer Williamson
5. Johnny Parsons Jr.
6. Gary Gray
7. Joe Saldana
8. Kevin Olson
9. Mark Alderson
10.Billy Vukovich
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