SPEEDWAY, Ind. – In conjunction with the Indianapolis 8-Hour endurance road race taking place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, USAC will be hosting Oktoberfest, a community event scheduled for Friday night.
Oktoberfest will be held on Main Street, between 13th Street and 16th Street, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET. The event will feature food to purchase, a beer garden, a showcase displaying elite racing cars, a celebration of the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America Champions, and a free concert by Clayton Anderson. There is no admittance fee for the event.
Also taking place on the main stage will be the induction of innovator, car constructor, team owner and driver, the late, great Dan Gurney, into the USAC Hall of Fame.
A New Yorker by birth, but coming of age in Riverside, Calif., Gurney’s impact also arrived early in his driving career with the United States Auto Club in 1958. That year, Gurney earned the inaugural USAC Road Racing Championship.
In his USAC racing career, Gurney amassed a total of six Road Racing division wins, including a series-leading five in 1962 and finished as the runner-up in the championship fight to Roger Penske that year before garnering one more victory the following year in 1963.
Gurney also won seven times as a driver on the USAC National Championship trail, finishing as the runner-up in the 1968 and 1969 Indianapolis 500-mile races.
As the team principle for All American Racers, Gurney’s car captured both the USAC National entrant championship in 1974 and the Indianapolis 500 in 1975, both with driver Bobby Unser.
For the safety of residents and visitors, please be mindful of the street closures and parking restrictions noted by the Speedway PD. On-street parking is not allowed within this street closure area between 2 p.m. until the conclusion of the event. Parking will be available on adjacent lots and streets.