In celebration of the 50th year of USAC Silver Crown Champ Car racing in 2020, we are reviewing the past 49 years of series history.
1979 USAC DIRT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON REVIEW
The 1979 USAC National Dirt Car Championship Series ended just as it had in every year since its inception in 1971 – with a different winner.
This time it was Bobby Olivero, a soft-spoken 32-year-old Californian who came out on top, joining the illustrious ranks as a winner of the USAC Dirt Car title. Olivero duplicated the late Jimmy Caruthers’ accomplishment from four years earlier in 1975, as the two of them had raced quarter midgets together as far back as 1953 when Olivero was seven years old.
Olivero captured the 1979 version in grand style with the A.J. Watson-prepared, Hubler/WNDE Leader Card Racers Chevrolet-powered Dirt Car, winning two of the three races and having to come from behind to do so. His best starting position in the three events was 13th, and that was in the tradition-steeped 100-miler at the Illinois State Fairgrounds where he scrambled through the pack to lead on the 79th lap and open his campaign on a winning note.
In the rich Hoosier Hundred which wrapped it up, Olivero came all the way from 17th to duck beneath defending race winner Billy Engelhart going down the backstretch with only three-and-a-half laps remaining, then went on to claim the $10,000 first place prize.
Dirt track racing has been the most unpredictable form of racing over the years and continues to be. In the only race that Olivero didn’t win – at Du Quoin which was sandwiched between his pair of triumphs – he started 20th, fell to dead last in five laps, got lapped in 18 circuits and called it a day with engine trouble in two more.
When Olivero dropped out of the Du Quoin race, he must have felt as if his old misfortune from the previous year had returned. He had lost his Championship ride after failing to qualify for the 1978 Indianapolis 500 and was unable to obtain another. He had a terrible time of it in the Dirt Car series, failing to post a single qualifying time after suffering mechanical malfunctions during practice at all four events.
He called A.J. Watson in the spring of 1979, hoping to land the assignment in the team’s Championship backup car in support of Sheldon Kinser, but learned that Billy Vukovich had already been hired on a race-to-race basis. When Vukovich ended up staying for the whole year, there was plenty of speculation as to whether it would be Kinser or Vukovich in the team’s sole remaining Dirt Car, the second one having been sold after the 1978 season. But it transpired that since Kinser had returned to his former arrangement with Dick Hammond and Vukovich was renewed for another year with Ben Leyba, the Leader Card seat was temporarily open. Imagine Olivero’s surprise when A.J. Watson called him.
Only 43 points shy of Olivero’s 403 total was Billy Engelhart who placed fifth in the first two races and then hung onto the runner-up spot in the Hoosier Hundred. Defending champion Pancho Carter made a run at it with a fourth, a sixth and a third-place to wind up third overall while Vukovich, who won the Du Quoin race to temporarily assume the point lead, failed to finish at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and slipped to fourth.
Another strong showing was made by Steve Chassey who, when he wasn’t setting Sprint Car track records on banked paved tracks, proved to be a tough customer on dirt. He qualified on the front row for all three races and led them all as well, the only driver to accomplish either feat in 1979. He won the pole and led the first 78 laps at Springfield, came from the outside front row spot to lead the opening lap at Du Quoin, and led the first 69 laps from the pole in the Hoosier Hundred. He was the series lap leader with 148 out of 300 laps in front.
Strangely enough, Olivero led the fewest number of laps (25) of the five drivers who paced. Vukovich accounted for 69 at Du Quoin while Billy Cassella led 30 laps of the same event until his gear box failed. Engelhart led the Hoosier Hundred for 28 laps.
Surely no team in the history of racing has endured as long as the A.J. Watson/Leader Card Racers combination. A.J. was hired by Ralph Wilke’s father, the late Bob Wilke over Labor Day weekend of 1958, and with Rodger Ward as driver, they had few peers for the next five years in USAC Championship races.
Since the separate Dirt Car series was conceived in 1971, Watson and Wilke have accounted for two championships, two runner-up spots and a fourth place ranking with four different drivers. George Snider subbed for an injured Mike Mosley to win the inaugural title after placing second at Springfield and winning Du Quoin. Two years later, Johnny Parsons took a second in the Hoosier Hundred to wind up fourth in the series.
Tom Bigelow had a trio of seconds and a pair of fourths on the way to a runner-up spot in 1974, and repeated that ranking a year later, overcoming a poor start to in the last three races consecutively. Tom also won a race in each of the next two years, and Olivero gave the stable its second title with two more wins in 1979.
Total purses of $125,790 raised the record average of $40,878 established last year by over $1,000 per event to a new high of $41,930.
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BETTENHAUSEN 100 DIRT OPENER AT SPRINGFIELD GOES TO OLIVERO
Springfield, Illinois………Bobby Olivero and the Hubler Chevy/WNDE Special won the Tony Bettenhausen 100 Dirt Car season opener August 18 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield.
He took the lead 22 laps from the finish after pole winner Steve Chassey brushed the wall and flattened two tires. Chassey was the fastest qualifier at 33.773 seconds but his unexpected pit stop on the 79th lap dropped him to eighth place.
Olivero’s victory gives him the divisional point lead after the opening race of the series. This was Olivero’s first triumph in the Champ Dirt series.
USAC DIRT CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: August 18, 1979 – Illinois State Fairgrounds – Springfield, Illinois – Tony Bettenhausen 100
QUALIFYING: 1. Steve Chassey, 15, Kurtz/DiGeronimo-33.773; 2. Bobby Adkins, 51, Beck-34.085; 3. Tom Bigelow, 43, Armstrong-34.199; 4. Larry Rice, 59, LeFevre-34.458; 5. Jim McElreath, 21, Johnson-34.489; 6. Johnny Parsons, 17, Smith-34.578; 7. Billy Engelhart, 28, Weaver-34.602; 8. Pancho Carter, 1, Capels-34.793; 9. Junior Parkinson, 67, Adrian-34.814; 10. Billy Vukovich, 6, Leyba-35.021; 11. Larry Dickson, 8, Polak-35.057; 12. Butch Wilkerson, 71, B.U.F.-35.097; 13. Bobby Olivero, 30, Leader Card-35.342; 14. George Snider, 20, Rhoades-35.361; 15. Rich Vogler, 53, Slack-35.514; 16. Duke Cook, 65, Hall-35.550; 17. Gary Irvin, 42, Irvin-35.558; 18. Sleepy Tripp, 55, Middleton-35.692; 19. Robert Smith, 18, Jo/Ol-35.902; 20. Bob East, 58, DePalma-36.077; 21. Bill Puterbaugh, 24, Linsmeyer-36.166; 22. Sheldon Kinser, 56, Gohr-36.250; 23. Bill Burks Jr., 37, Harris-36.311; 24. Greg Leffler, 44, Armstrong-36.360; 25. Dana Carter, 35, Rahn-36.378; 26. Bubby Jones, 19, Siebert-36.516; 27. Roger Rager, 22, Hill-36.548; 28. Billy Cassella, 29, Seymour-36.749; 29. Chris Cumberworth, 81, Sohm-36.804; 30. Steve Cannon, 10, Aberle-37.497; 31. Mack McClellan, 78, McClellan-37.521; 32. Gary Bettenhausen, 2, Delrose/Holt-NT; 33. Bubby Jones, 49, Siebert-NT; 34. Jerry Weeks, 47, Morrison-NT; 35. Chuck Gurney, 48, Romine-NT.
QUALIFYING RACE: (10 laps, top-4 transfer to the feature) 1. Bubby Jones, 2. Gary Bettenhausen, 3. Dana Carter, 4. Steve Cannon, 5. Chris Cumberworth, 6. Roger Rager, 7. Mack McClellan, 8. Billy Cassella. NT
FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Bobby Olivero (13), 2. Rich Vogler (15), 3. Tom Bigelow (3), 4. Pancho Carter (8), 5. Billy Engelhart (7), 6. Bobby Adkins (2), 7. Sheldon Kinser (22), 8. Steve Chassey (1), 9. Sleepy Tripp (18), 10. Billy Vukovich (10), 11. Robert Smith (19), 12. Butch Wilkerson (12), 13. Gary Bettenhausen (26), 14. Larry Dickson (11), 15. Dana Carter (27), 16. Jim McElreath (5), 17. Junior Parkinson (9), 18. George Snider (14), 19. Bob East (20), 20. Bill Burks Jr. (23), 21. Bill Puterbaugh (21), 22. Bubby Jones (25), 23. Gary Irvin (17), 24. Steve Cannon (28), 25. Duke Cook (16), 26. Greg Leffler (24), 27. Larry Rice (4), 28. Johnny Parsons (6). 1:02:59.80
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-78 Steve Chassey, Laps 79-100 Bobby Olivero.
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TED HORN 100 MARKS VUKOVICH’S FIRST CHAMP DIRT CAR VICTORY
Du Quoin, Illinois………Billy Vukovich’s first USAC Championship Dirt Car victory came August 26 in the Ted Horn 100 at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds.
Driving the Ben’s Tire Clinic Chevy, Vuky grabbed the lead from Billy Cassella when the latter’s Seymour Enterprises Chevy lost a gearbox on the 79th lap. Vuky had won the pole position and led laps 2-48 before Cassella took the lead.
The race was halted on lap 38 when Gary Bettenhausen’s Delrose-Holt Racing Special tangled with Tom Bigelow’s Armstrong Mould Special in turn two. Bettenhausen’s car barrel-rolled over the double steel guardrail, down an embankment, across an access road, over an eight-foot tall chain link fence and into a ditch beside the road outside the fairgrounds. Gary escaped injury and was running second right behind Vukovich at the time of the accident.
USAC DIRT CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: August 26, 1979 – Du Quoin State Fairgrounds – Du Quoin, Illinois – Ted Horn 100
QUALIFYING: 1. Billy Vukovich, 6, Leyba-32.72; 2. Steve Chassey, 15, Kurtz/DiGeronimo-32.75; 3. Pancho Carter, 1, Capels-32.99; 4. Gary Bettenhausen, 12, Delrose/Holt-32.99; 5. Larry Rice, 59, LeFevre-33.21; 6. Sheldon Kinser, 56, Gohr-33.28; 7. Joe Saldana, 21, Johnson-33.36; 8. Bubby Jones, 49, Siebert-33.46; 9. Paul Pitzer, 17, Smith-33.47; 10. Billy Cassella, 29, Seymour-33.47; 11. Bill Puterbaugh, 24, Linsmeyer-33.53; 12. Chuck Gurney, 48, Romine-33.53; 13. Rich Vogler, 53, Slack-33.55; 14. Jerry Miller, 68, Miller-33.57; 15. Bob East, 19, Siebert-33.70; 16. Bobby Adkins, 51, Beck-33.73; 17. Tom Bigelow, 43, Armstrong-33.78; 18. Dana Carter, 35, Rahn-33.80; 19. Larry Dickson, 8, Polak-33.80; 20. Bobby Olivero, 30, Leader Card-33.80; 21. Steve Cannon, 10, Aberle-33.83; 22. Billy Engelhart, 28, Weaver-33.91; 23. Robert Smith, 18, Jo/Ol-34.29; 24. Junior Parkinson, 67, Adrian-34.30; 25. Greg Leffler, 44, Armstrong-34.32; 26. Mack McClellan, 78, McClellan-34.55; 27. Chris Cumberworth, 81, Sohm-34.75; 28. Jerry Weeks, 47, Morrison-34.90; 29. Butch Wilkerson, 71, B.U.F.-34.99; 30. Mark Alderson, 16, Smith-35.03; 31. Sleepy Tripp, 55, Middleton-35.19; 32. Bill Burks Jr., 37, Harris-35.45; 33. Karl Busson, 32, Johnson-36.15; 34. George Snider, 20, Rhoades-NT; 35. Gary Irvin, 42, Irvin-NT; 36. Bob East, 58, DePalma-NT; 37. Duke Cook, 65, Hall-NT; 38. Tony Bettenhausen Jr., 86, LaWarre-NT.
FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Billy Vukovich (1), 2. Bill Puterbaugh (11), 3. Larry Dickson (19), 4. Larry Rice (5), 5. Billy Engelhart (22), 6. Pancho Carter (3), 7. Steve Cannon (21), 8. Bobby Adkins (16), 9. Paul Pitzer (9), 10. Rich Vogler (13), 11. Steve Chassey (2), 12. Billy Cassella (10), 13. Robert Smith (23), 14. Jerry Miller (14), 15. Dana Carter (18), 16. Gary Bettenhausen (4), 17. Sheldon Kinser (6), 18. Tom Bigelow (17), 19. Junior Parkinson (24), 20. Joe Saldana (7), 21. Bobby Olivero (20), 22. Bob East (15), 23. Chuck Gurney (12), 24. Bubby Jones (8).
**Gary Bettenhausen flipped over the turn one guardrail on lap 38 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Lap 1 Steve Chassey, Laps 2-48 Billy Vukovich, Laps 49-78 Billy Cassella, Laps 79-100 Billy Vukovich.
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OLIVERO WINS HOOSIER HUNDRED FROM 17TH, WINS SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP
Indianapolis, Indiana………Bobby Olivero won the Hoosier Hundred in Indianapolis on September 8, and with his victory came the USAC Championship Dirt division championship for 1979.
Olivero came from the 17th starting spot in the 28-car field aboard his Hubler Chevrolet/WNDE Special and grabbed the lead from defending race winner Billy Engelhart just two-and-a-half laps from the finish.
Pole winner Steve Chassey led the first 69 laps of the race before dropping to sixth at the checkered.
Oilvero’s win, coupled with Billy Vukovich’s ignition problems after 66 laps, gave Bobby a 43-point advantage over Engelhart in the final series standings.
Butch Wilkerson, ninth-place finisher, earned the Rookie of the Race award.
Rich Vogler, runner up to Engelhart last year, suffered a broken right leg in a two-car accident on the 15th lap of the race which also involved Bill Puterbaugh. Puterbaugh suffered a broken left wrist. Vogler’s injury is expected to sideline him for the rest of the season.
USAC DIRT CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: September 8, 1979 – Indiana State Fairgrounds – Indianapolis, Indiana – Hoosier Hundred
QUALIFYING: 1. Steve Chassey, 15, Kurtz/DiGeronimo-34.769; 2. Pancho Carter, 1, Capels-34.938; 3. Billy Engelhart, 28, Weaver-34.943; 4. Gary Bettenhausen, 2, Delrose/Holt-34.999; 5. Gary Irvin, 42, Irvin-35.091; 6. Larry Rice, 59, LeFevre-35.132; 7. Billy Vukovich, 6, Leyba-35.241; 8. Bubby Jones, 49, Siebert-35.299; 9. Bobby Adkins, 51, Beck-35.356; 10. Billy Cassella, 29, Seymour-35.456; 11. Rich Vogler, 53, Slack-35.462; 12. Bill Puterbaugh, 24, Linsmeyer-35.561; 13. Joe Saldana, 21, Johnson-35.606; 14. Chuck Gurney, 48, Romine-35.606; 15. Tom Bigelow, 43, Armstrong-35.673; 16. Butch Wilkerson, 71, B.U.F.-35.720; 17. Bobby Olivero, 30, Leader Card-35.749; 18. Sheldon Kinser, 56, Gohr-35.795; 19. Jim McElreath, 23, McElreath-35.824; 20. Junior Parkinson, 67, Adrian-35.929; 21. Bob East, 19, Siebert-36.076; 22. Sleepy Tripp, 55, Middleton-36.111; 23. Jerry Miller, 65, Hall-36.139; 24. Larry Dickson, 8, Polak-36.165; 25. Roger Rager, 33, Heck/Casci-36.217; 26. Paul Pitzer, 16, Smith-36.285; 27. Greg Leffler, 44, Armstrong-36.365; 28. Steve Cannon, 10, Aberle-36.540; 29. Robert Smith, 18, Jo/Ol-36.958; 30. Chris Cumberworth, 81, Sohm-37.003; 31. Mark Alderson, 35, Rahn-37.088; 32. Karl Busson, 32, Johnson-37.249; 33. Art Bisch Jr., 25, Senter-37.261; 34. Jan Opperman, 22, Hill-37.918; 35. Mack McClellan, 78, McClellan-38.609; 36. Tony Bettenhausen Jr., 86, LaWarre-38.662; 37. Dana Carter, 12, Delrose/Holt-NT; 38. Bob East, 58, DePalma-NT; 39. Jerry Weeks, 31, Mataka-NT; 40. Jim Dinsmoor, 70, Doran-NT; 41. Gary Gray, 84 GAPCO-NT; 42. George Snider, 20, Rhoades-NT; 43. Johnny Parsons, 17, Smith-NT.
QUALIFYING RACE: (10 laps, top-4 transfer to the feature) 1. Steve Cannon, 2. Chris Cumberworth, 3. Paul Pitzer, 4. Roger Rager, 5. Art Bisch Jr., 6. Robert Smith, 7. Jan Opperman, 8. Greg Leffler, 9. Karl Busson, 10. Tony Bettenhausen Jr., 11. Jim Dinsmoor, 12. Mark Alderson. NT
FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Bobby Olivero (17), 2. Billy Engelhart (3), 3. Pancho Carter (2), 4. Gary Bettenhausen (4), 5. Sheldon Kinser (18), 6. Steve Chassey (1), 7. Larry Rice (6), 8. Bubby Jones (8), 9. Butch Wilkerson (16), 10. Bobby Adkins (9), 11. Gary Irvin (5), 12. Sleepy Tripp (22), 13. Jim McElreath (19), 14. Chris Cumberworth (26), 15. Paul Pitzer (27), 16. Tom Bigelow (15), 17. Jerry Miller (23), 18. Steve Cannon (25), 19. Billy Vukovich (7), 20. Larry Dickson (24), 21. Junior Parkinson (20), 22. Roger Rager (28), 23. Joe Saldana (13), 24. Chuck Gurney (14), 25. Rich Vogler (11), 26. Bill Puterbaugh (12), 27. Bob East (21), 28. Billy Cassella (10).
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-69 Steve Chassey, Laps 70-97 Billy Engelhart, Laps 98-100 Bobby Olivero.
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1979 USAC DIRT CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVER POINTS
1. (403) Bobby Olivero, Lakewood, Calif.
2. (360) Billy Engelhart, Madison, Wis.
3. (340) Pancho Carter, Brownsburg, Ind.
4. (234) Billy Vukovich, Coarsegold, Calif.
5. (192) Rich Vogler, Indianapolis, Ind.
6. (182) Larry Rice, Brownsburg, Ind.
7. (165) Bill Puterbaugh, Speedway, Ind.
8. (164) Sheldon Kinser, Bloomington, Ind.
9. (160) Bobby Adkins, Indianapolis, Ind.
10. (150) Steve Chassey, Clermont, Ind.
11. (149) Tom Bigelow, Whitewater, Wis.
12. (149) Larry Dickson, Marietta, Ohio
13. (130) Gary Bettenhausen, Monrovia, Ind.
14. (67) Steve Cannon, Danville, Ill.
15. (56) Bubby Jones, Danville, Ill.
16. (50) Butch Wilkerson, Columbus, Ind.
17. (50) Sleepy Tripp, Costa Mesa, Calif.
18. (45) Paul Pitzer, Loganville, Pa.
19. (25) Robert Smith, Gibsonton, Fla.
20. (23) Gary Irvin, West Lafayette, Ind.
21. (12) Billy Cassella, Weirton, W.Va.
22. (11) Junior Parkinson, Gladstone, Mo.
23. (10) Dana Carter, Huntington Beach, Calif.
24. (10) Jim McElreath, Arlington, Texas
25. (9) Jerry Miller, Albuquerque, N.M.
26. (9) Bob East, Bellflower, Calif.
27. (7) Joe Saldana, Lincoln, Neb.
28. (6) Chuck Gurney, Livermore, Calif.
29. (5) Chris Cumberworth, Santa Ana, Calif.
30. (4) George Snider, Bakersfield, Calif.
31. (4) Bill Burks, Marion, Ill.
32. (3) Roger Rager, Mound, Minn.
33. (2) Duke Cook, Sidney, Ohio
34. (2) Greg Leffler, Winchester, Ind.
35. (2) Johnny Parsons, Speedway, Ind.
1979 USAC DIRT CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRANT POINTS
1. (403) Leader Cards, Milwaukee, Wis. (#30)
2. (360) Lloyd Weaver Excavating Co., Toledo, Ohio (#28)
3. (340) Johnny Capels/EMCEE, Albuquerque, N.M. (#1)
4. (234) Ben Leyba, South Bend, Ind. (#6)
5. (192) John Slack, Nixa, Mo. (#53)
6. (182) David LeFevre, Lafayette, Ind. (#59)
7. (165) Jack Linsmeyer, Columbia City, Ind. (#24)
8. (164) Gohr Distributing Co., Buffalo, N.Y. (#56)
9. (160) Roger Beck, Indianapolis, Ind. (#51)
10. (150) Kurtz/DiGeronimo Brothers Racing, Independence, Ohio (#15)
11. (149) Sherman Armstrong, Winchester, Ind. (#43)
12. (149) Russ Polak, Noblesville, Ind. (#8)
13. (130) Delrose/Holt Racing, Joliet, Ill. (#2)
14. (67) Double A Racing, Jackson, Mich. (#10)
15. (53) Don Siebert, Edinburgh, Ind. (#49)
16. (50) Tom Stenger, Dayton, Ohio (#71)
17. (50) George Middleton, Florissant, Mo. (#55)
18. (42) Cecilia Smith, Eaton, Ohio (#17)
19. (25) Joe Conroy/Olly Feuerstein, Brunswick, Ohio (#18)
20. (23) Patrice Irvin, West Lafayette, Ind. (#42)
21. (12) Richard Johnson, Bethany, Conn. (#21)
22. (12) Louis Seymour, Marlboro, Mass. (#29)
23. (11) Tom Adrian, Irving, Texas (#67)
24. (10) Lloyd Rahn, Tuscola, Ill. (#35)
25. (8) Don Siebert, Edinburgh, Ind. (#19)
26. (6) Norm Hall, Redondo Beach, Calif. (#65)
27. (6) W.T. Romine, Indianapolis, Ind. (#48)
28. (5) Wayne Miller, Albuquerque, N.M. (#68)
29. (5) Jim McElreath, Arlington, Texas (#23)
30. (5) Gus Sohm, St. Louis, Mo. (#81)
31. (5) Ray Smith, Eaton, Ohio (#16)
32. (4) Jack L. Rhoades Aircraft Sales, Seymour, Ind. (#20)
33. (4) Ralph DePalma, Lima, Ohio (#58)
34. (4) Jack & Roy Harris, Vergennes, Ill. (#37)
35. (3) H & C Racing, Saint Paul, Minn. (#33)
36. (2) Sherman Armstrong, Winchester, Ind. (#44)