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For those who consider driving merely on a paved track to be too civilized, there’s the wild and woolly world of dirt track racing. One of the best dirt track, midget, and sprint racers of all time was Gary Bettenhausen. The eldest son of Tony Bettenhausen, Gary was born to be a race driver coming into the world on November 18, 1941. As did his famous father Tony (who was killed during practice laps at Indy in 1961), Gary earned his stripes, first in the midget dirt racing ranks, moving into sprint cars, and finally to Indy cars. Driving midgets, in 1967, Gary won the “Turkey Night Grand Prix.” That year, he ranked third in midget division points. Gary won the first leg of the “Astro Grand Prix” held in the Houston Astrodome in 1969. Gary won the “Turkey Night Grand Prix” again in 1970. In 1972, he copped another “Astro Grand Prix” win. In 1976, he won the “Hut Hundred.” Gary won the Dirt Track Championship (USAC Silver Crown) both in 1980 and 1983. All tolled, he garnered an impressive 82 USAC wins. Gary was inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1988.
Not content to excel in midgets, Gary also brought home the Sprint Car title both in 1969 and 1971. Breaking into Indy 500 racing in 1968, he joined the Roger Penske team in 1970. In 1972, he was the biggest lap leader until he was forced to retire with only 17 laps to go because of engine problems. Eventually, Gary’s refusal to quit USAC dirt track racing, even after a bad accident, got him kicked off the Penske team while he was lying in a hospital bed. Even though he lost his Penske berth, Gary once again came to Indy in 1980 with a five-year-old Wildcat owned by the Sherman-Armstron team. Barely making the field, and with nobody thinking he even had a chance of finishing, Gary nonetheless drove a solid race, moving from 32 in the field to come in third! In 1991, driving a V-6 powered car for John Menard, he was the fastest qualifier in the field. If rain hadn't prevented him from running on Pole Day, instead of on Bump Day, he would have secured the pole position. Gary competed at Indy for the twenty-first time in 1993.
Gary’s passion for dirt track racing cost him dearly when he was seriously injured in 1972, while qualifying for a dirt car race at Syracuse, NY. His left arm sustained major nerve damage in that spectacular crash. But, in 1975, Gary competed in the season opener for the USAC midgets at Fort Wayne's Memorial Coliseum. His brother Merle strapped Gary into his midget racer. Gary’s left arm hung lifelessly by his side. Ironically, Merle’s right arm had been severed in his Indy-car debut at Michigan in 1972. He then drove with a hook fastened to the wheel! The big question was how could a one-armed man handle 100 laps on this concrete bullring? During a heat race, Gary's arm fell off the steering wheel and flopped back and forth against the side of the car. To fix the problem, Merle got some Velcro and attached Gary’s arm to the wheel for the feature race. Starting from tenth place, Gary steadily moved up to take the lead on Lap 65. He took the checkered flag, to the cheers of 3,000 spectators who were witness to a very special racing moment. "I knew Gary wanted to show people he could do it and I had no doubt he could do it," said Merle. "I would never bet against my brother. He's all heart and soul and I knew he was coming back." None of Gary’s 82 total USAC wins were as memorable as that one-armed drive in 1975. Merle and Gary later joked that, were they to write a biography, it could be titled “Farewell to Arms.”
GMP has recreated Gary Bettenhausen’s #14 Penske/Sunoco, caged, dirt racer in 1:18 scale. As expected, the amount of detailing, as well as the build quality, is excellent. The suspensions aren’t operable, nor does the steering wheel turn the front wheels. The front wheels can be positioned, however. The glossy, Sunoco Blue paint is flawlessly applied. Chromed parts, such as on the wheels, engine, grille, and rear bumper, are beautifully done. A removable hood and windshield assembly allows you to check out the detailing on the V-8 engine mounted under it. (GMP also supplies side panels that fit in front of the engine, but they’re a bit hard to install.) All the wiring and plumbing is extant, showing the eight-carb setup and headers (which exit, without mufflers, just below the driver). The padded cockpit and its instrument panel are nicely done, showing much fine detail, like gauge faces and safety harness straps. Even the tires (bicycle-type in front, wide, slick-type in the rear) show the correct patterns for dirt track racing. Because this is essentially an open car, all the working parts are clearly visible and GMP hasn’t stinted on supplying all that exposed detail. As you look around, it becomes quickly evident just how Spartan the accommodations in a dirt racer are. The driver literally sits on top of the transmission and differential. You won’t find a fan up front either, for this vehicle requires forward momentum to keep its radiator cool. Even in 1:18 scale, this tiny track warrior isn’t much bigger than a 1:24 car image. GMP has gone to its usual care to evoke the world of dirt track racing. It makes you really appreciate the pure guts and fortitude of drivers like Gary Bettenhausen. This vintage racer would look great next to the historical SoCal and Pierson Brothers images. Don’t let this little, limited edition beauty pass you by.
(02/23/2005)
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