I never met Jan Opperman, but I was in the grandstands at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on Sept. 11,1976, when his racing career effectively came to an crashing conclusion.
Brad Doty was one of the nation’s top sprint car drivers throughout much of the 1980s. Then, in the blink of an eye, his life changed forever when things went horribly wrong on the opening lap of the 1988 Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway.
It’s been 30 years since NASCAR stock cars first raced at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the inaugural Brickyard 400 was among a series of events in 1994 that reshaped American auto racing.
Richard Petty notched his 200th NASCAR Cup Series victory at Daytona Int’l Speedway with President Ronald Reagan in attendance; SPEED SPORT marked its 50th year with a special pullout section; and promoter Earl Baltes sent shockwaves through the short-track industry by paying $50,000 to the winner of the inaugural Kings Royal.
HARRISBURG, N.C. — I never met Jan Opperman, but I was in the grandstands at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on Sept. 11,1976, when his racing career effectively came to an crashing conclusion. A California native who frequently claimed Beaver Crossing, Neb., as his hometown, Opperman won…
Connor Zilisch, a former kart racing prodigy, is anxiously awaiting his 18th birthday when he’ll be able to compete on NASCAR’s full complement of race tracks.
