HURTUBISE CLASSIC GREETED BY FULL MOON ON FRIDAY THE 13TH
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Terre Haute, Indiana (September 11, 2019)………This weekend's 20th running of the Jim Hurtubise Classic will make history this Friday night, September 13, as the first event in USAC history to be held both simultaneously under a full moon and on the date of Friday the 13th.
Friday’s USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car event at the Terre Haute Action Track will be the 18th USAC National race held on Friday the 13th since the club’s inception in 1956.
Tyler Courtney, who won the most recent Friday the 13th USAC National feature in a midget at Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway in April of 2018, is also the most recent winner at Terre Haute, capturing July’s Indiana Sprint Week round.
Furthermore, while no USAC National feature races have been held on Friday the 13th thus far in 2019, Courtney set fast time in both divisions during the Sprint/Midget doubleheader on May 18 in Granite City, Ill. before both features were cancelled due to impending weather.
Weirdly enough, the only other race held on the 13th day of the month in USAC National competition this year was won by, guess who, Courtney, on Saturday, July 13, in a midget in Fairbury, Neb. Could the stars (and the moon and the calendar) align again for Courtney this Friday for the driver who’s won three of the last five at the half-mile?
Jim Mahoney won the first USAC National Sprint Car race on Friday the 13th at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas in 1991. Chuck Rodee won the first ever for USAC Midgets in 1965 at Michigan’s Ionia Free Fair.
Here's a look at the history of USAC National events held on Friday the 13th throughout the years.
FRIDAY THE 13TH USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR SERIES WINNERS:
9/13/1991: Kansas City, KS - Lakeside Speedway - Jim Mahoney
9/13/1996: Mechanicsburg, PA - Williams Grove Speedway - Billy Pauch
7/13/2001: Toledo, OH - Toledo Speedway - Brian Tyler
7/13/2007: Gas City, IN - Gas City I-69 Speedway - Daron Clayton
7/13/2012: Gas City, IN - Gas City I-69 Speedway - Bryan Clauson
11/13/2015: Perris, CA - Perris Auto Speedway - Robert Ballou
FRIDAY THE 13TH USAC NATIONAL MIDGET SERIES WINNERS:
8/13/1965: Ionia, MI - Ionia Free Fair - Chuck Rodee
9/13/1968: Springfield, IL - Springfield Speedway - Bob Wente
6/13/1969: Jackson, MI - Jackson Motor Speedway - Mel Kenyon
8/13/1971: Hales Corners, WI - Hales Corners Speedway - Danny Caruthers
10/13/1972: Chula Vista, CA - South Bay Speedway - Larry Rice
8/13/1982: Springfield, IL - Springfield Speedway - Rich Vogler
9/13/1985: Indianapolis, IN - Indianapolis Speedrome - Rich Vogler
9/13/1985: Indianapolis, IN - Indianapolis Speedrome - Rich Vogler
11/13/1987: Tucson, AZ - Raven Raceway - Sleepy Tripp
6/13/2014: Bloomington, IN - Bloomington Speedway - Christopher Bell
4/13/2018: Kokomo, IN - Kokomo Speedway - Tyler Courtney
Friday’s “Jim Hurtubise Classic” will also have the DIRTcar Modifieds on hand. Pits open at 3pm Eastern, grandstands at 4pm and cars on track at 6:30pm. Adult grandstand tickets are $25 while adult infield tickets are $15. Kids 11 and under are free. Pit passes are $35 apiece.
Saturday’s $10,000-to win “Haubstadt Hustler” will have the UMP Modifieds in action as well. Pits open at 3pm Central, grandstands at 4pm and cars on track at 6pm.Adult general admission tickets are $25, students (ages 13-18) are $20 and 12 and under are free. Pit passes are $35 apiece.
Both of this weekend’s races from Terre Haute and Tri-State will have live, flag-to-flag coverage on FloRacing. You can listen to live audio of the broadcast for free on the USAC app or follow along with live updates on https://www.facebook.com/usacracing/ and https://twitter.com/USACNation/ with live timing and scoring available on both the USAC and Race-Monitor apps.
