INDIANAPOLIS — Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park is set to host one of the oldest and most prestigious sprint car races in the country this Saturday.
IRP and the 500 Sprint Car Tour will host the 64th running of the Joe James / Pat O’Connor Memorial this Saturday afternoon as part of Championship Saturday that will include USAC Silver Crown and National Pavement Midgets.
The James/O’Connor Memorial has been run as a non-winged pavement sprint car, winged sprint car, and USAC Silver Crown event in the past. Last year Salem Speedway chose to not run any open-wheel events and the race appeared to be in limbo. David Sink and Jeff O’Connor, the late O’Connors son, approached IRP GM Kasey Coler about moving the event to IRP. Coler embraced the idea, and the race has found a new permanent home.
The event inaugurated at Salem Speedway in 1953 to honor Joe James who was killed in a racing accident at San Jose Speedway in 1952. Local hero Pat O’Connor’s name was added to the event after he perished in the 1958 Indianapolis 500.
The race ran consecutively at Salem Speedway through 1980 until a Tornado did severe damage to the speedway. In 1981 the race was moved to the dirt at Charleston, Indiana and Terre Haute the following year.
The race was shelved after 1982 until Salem Speedway reopened in 1988. The race carried on at Salem until last year when it was moved to IRP. This Saturday the Joe James / Pat O’Connor lives on thanks to Kasey Coler, IRP, and the 500 Sprint Car Tour. Tyler Roahrig is the defending race champion and will be on hand to defend his title.