The Little 500: Nothing really small about this classic race.
There are 33 cars on the track at the Indy 500 – no problem.
There are 33 cars on the track at the Little 500 – madness.
They start three-wide at the Indy 500 – no problem
They start three-wide at the Little 500 – insanity
Those are some of the comparisons between these two classic open wheel races, both ending with the ‘500’ numerals. With Indy, the number stands for 500 miles. With the Little five, it’s the number of rotations on a quarter-mile track at Anderson (IN) Speedway! Thank about this, it’s comes down to 2,000 left turns to cover 125 miles. Oh yah, we are talking about snarling non-wing Sprint Cars in this unique race.
Notice that when the eleven rows of cars are lined up prior to the start, they almost fill up the main straightaway. So you can imagine the unreal congestion that occurs when they come down to the green and all dive for the same spot. Believe, there have been some horrendous crashes taking out many of the up-front cars in the first turn of the race. Once out of the race, the cars are parked in the infield. Looks like a brightly-colored junk yard.
Not surprising that lapping takes place very quickly, sometimes within a couple laps. It’s pretty exciting when those faster cars dodge in-and-out trying to pass the tail-enders.
In addition to the mayhem on the track, it’s almost as crazy in the infield where the cars are pitted on a figure 8 course. Two pit stops are required in the race, one before the half-way point and one after it. Many different strategies are used by the teams to optimize their race car. The rule makes the race more competitive as some cars could turn the distance on a single refuel.
There are many different techniques the teams use to fuel their machines during the race. Some even use a NASCAR-type dump can. Through the years there has been just about every type of fueling structure, some being quite innovative.
With tight confines, amazingly quick speeds, and cars all around, wrecks do happen. Some have known to go airborne on occasion. There are times when the track is blocked with destroyed racecars.
One of the interesting aspects of the race during the 1980s and 1990s, a large number of Florida drivers voyaged up to Yankee Land. There were times when as many as a dozen would show up. One of the best of the Sun State drivers was Frank Riddle who took the checkered several times. The amazing fact was that he drove his first of a number of races when he was 59. Then, there was Sport Allen, another Florida native who ran his first race when he was only 13 years old,
Then there was Floridian Paul Southwick who was involved in a bizarre accident in the 1987 race when his car crashed into the infield and hit a stack of tires. On the top of the pile was a driver’s uniform stretched across the top. The impact caused the uniform to fly into the air and it appeared that it was a person flying into the air. Fortunately, no one was injured in the cramped infield.
With a race like the Little 500, it would appear to be unlikely that a driver could dominate it the way that pavement expert Eric Gordon has done winning the classic race nine times. And in typical Indy 500 style, he has consumed a bottle of milk in victory lane.
There are a pair of veteran open wheel drivers that have entered the 69th running of this great event. Their names are Tony Stewart and Ken Schrader. Can’t get much better than that, wouldn’t you agree??
Donnie Adams Jr. makes a pit stop during the 2010 event.The infield can appear to be a junkyard late in the race. Cars that are involved in accidents are deposited in a designated area until after the race.Eric Gordon is the all-time race winner with 9 victories. Here he is after his last win in 2010.Just like the Indy 500, the winner takes a traditional drink of milk. Here Eric Gordon takes a swig after his 2010 win. A local Dairy provides the milk along with a monetary bonus.Sport Allen is the youngest driver to start the race. Here he poses with the Queen at the age of 13 in 1984.This is what the front straight looks like just prior to the start of a Little 500 as crews make last minute preparations and the command to start engines is given.Tony Stewart prepares for this year’s Little 500 during a track rental practice session on April 26, 2017.2016 Little 500 parade lap.The green flag flies on the 2016 race.This a typical Little 500 infield pit area. Canopies are required to come down before the start of the event.Just like the Indy 500, a front row photo is taken. Here the 2016 front row consisted of Caleb Armstrong on pole, Chris Neuenschwander in the middle, and Bobby Santos III on the outside.Dave Steele makes a pit stop in 2016. Notice he is taking on rear tires and fuel. Taking on new tires is a common practice during stops.Long before car owner Karl Kinser united with Steve Kinser for World of Outlaws success, he and driver Dick Gaines were a force in the Little 500. Gaines is shown here after 1976 win.Wendy Mathis is one of four female drivers to have started the Little 500. Here Mathis poses after qualifying in 2006.The pre-race autograph session with the entire starting field is highly popular with fans. It should be even more popular in 2017 with Tony Stewart and Ken Schrader scheduled to compete.Many teams build special barriers to keep fuel from getting on the driver during live pit stops. Here the Hoffman Auto Racing team’s design is shown in 2006 for driver Tracy Hines.A select few teams use the standard NASCAR dump cans to fuel the car during stops.Spectacular crashes seem to be the norm during the Little 500. Here Brent Berry catches some air in 2007.Shane Cottle blows an engine one year after winning the Little 500. Here his night comes to an end in 2009.Another spectacular Little 500 crash. Chris Windom gets together with Troy DeCaire in 2010The aftermath of the Donnie Adams 1997 crash. The crash destroyed his car and he decided to retire.Rain has played havoc on the Little 500 over the years. Here a red flag momentarily stop the race due to rain with Dave Steele leading in 1997.Bob Frey qualified on the pole in 1974 when qualifications were held two weeks prior to the race. Frey broke his arm in a race the next night and Larry Dickson was hired to replace Frey. Dickson went on to win the race.Dickson shown in victory lane in 1974 after his win. He was hired to replace an injured Bob Frey and would win starting from the pole.Start of the 1977 event that would be won by Jeff Bloom from the fourth starting position.Vince Edwards was the Grand Marshall for the 1962 race. Edwards was an actor who starred in the popular television series Ben Casey at the time.Five-time winner Little 500 winner Bob Frey helped revolutionize the V-6 engine in the race with four wins. But, he is credited with the only Ford engine to win the race in 1980 for car owner Urbie Durnwald. Here he poses after his 1980 win.Danny Smith gets to co-win in 1979 after Wayne Reutimann crashed while leading with less than 10 laps remaining and was taken to the hospital. The crew repaired the car under red and hired Smith to limp the badly damaged car around the final few laps. Smith narrowly held off Bob Seelman in a photo finish to get the co-win. Smith is shown after that 1979 win.Florida drivers made up the majority of the starting field in the mid-1980’s. A group photo taken in 1987 shows no less than twelve drivers.Idaho driver Kenny Hamilton’s famed “Pink Lady” sprinter landed in the stands after an accident in 1991.Nearly 1/3 of the field was involved in an accident on the opening lap in 2002. It may have been one of the most bizarre incidents in the history of the race.Legendary actor James Garner was the Grand Marshal in 1960.Just like NASCAR and INDYCAR, is is important to not pass the pace car or you will be penalized. Here leader Aaron Pierce waits for an opportunity to pit while trying not to pass the pace car in 2012.Emotions are high in the Little 500. Here Jimmy McCune hangs his head after being involved in a race-ending accident in 2012.Marlin ‘Red’ Renner won the 1951 event and finished second the year prior. Renner was a top runner during the Track Roadster Era.Inaugural winner Sam Skinner went the entire distance in 1949 without making a pit stop. Here he is shown in 1949.Fort Worth, TX standout driver Cotton Farmer appeared in the event twice in the 1950’s when the event transformed from Track Roadsters to Sprint Cars.Ray Wright sat on the pole in 1968 with a former Indy 500 Roadster. Several of these former Indy Roadster’s were common at the Little 500 in the 1960’s although the wheelbase had to be shortened for them to be competitive.In the 1980’s creativity ruled this event. Gary Schlafer designed an offset independent front suspension roadster with a big block engine. Here Schlafer is shown in 1986.Florida’s Paul Southwick was involved in a bizarre accident in 1987. Southwick’s car crashed into the infield and hit a stack of tires with a driver’s racing suit draped over them on lap 169. The suit flew into the air and it appeared as if he had hit a person. Luckily no one was injured. Here is Southwick’s car after that 1987 accident.Local driver Wayne Alspaugh sent the crowd home happy when he captured the Little 500 in 1958. He captured the event in Howard Hall’s Cadillac powered car.
