Chuck Gurney receives congratulations from Rich Vogler after Gurney won
the Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. – John Mahoney Photo
Indianapolis, Ind. (September 11, 1982) – Chuck Gurney won the Hoosier Hundred Saturday at the Indiana State Fairgrounds but partly owed his win to Rich Vogler’s breakdown with only 10 laps to go.
Gurney, 33, of Livermore, Calif., found himself in victory lane after Vogler’s car lost a U-joint only 10 miles from the finish line.
“It’s too bad his car broke but I’d be lying if said I wasn’t happy when I saw him pull over,” Gurney said from victory lane.
“I thought he (Vogler) was having problems because I could see him looking down in the cockpit from the 70th lap on. I really didn’t think he could last another 30 miles.”
Gurney didn’t dominate the race. He shared the lead with Steve Chassey, Bobby Olivero, and Vogler during the hour and six minutes it took to go the distance.
Chassey, starting outside on the front row, took the lead at the green flag. He paced the first 39 laps before experiencing problems with his rear brakes. Olivero took over briefly, leading laps 40 and 41 before Vogler took command at lap 42. Vogler lost the lead briefly to Gurney on the 69th round. After three trips around the track, Gurney drove too deep into the corner and gave the lead back to Vogler.
Vogler was enjoying a comfortable lead until he slowed, then headed for the pits on lap 91.
“The bell housing worked it was loose and finally the U-join broke,” Vogler explained. “I saw it flapping around down there about 10 laps before it let go.”
“I knew if it exploded it would probably break my legs, but I told myself, ‘The hell with it, I can’t pull in, I’m leading.’”
Three of the top contenders were out of the running early in the race.
Sheldon Kinser rammed into Gary Bettenhausen as he tried to take third place on the sixth lap. Six-time Hoosier Hundred winner A.J. Foyt, who started 13th, was involved in a six-car tangle on the 20th lap and was sent to the pits for good.
Olivero, driving A.J. Watson’s car, finished second followed by Bill Engelhart. Mark Alderson was fourth followed by rookie Keith Kauffman.
Results –
1. Chuck Gurney
2. Bobby Olivero
3. Bill Engelhart
4. Mark Alderson
5. Keith Kauffman
6. Ron Shuman
7. Roger Rager
8. Steve Cannon
9. Ken Schrader
10.Arnie Knepper
11.Larry Rice
12.Rich Vogler
13.Steve Chassey
14.Gary Gray
15.Jeff Bloom
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