LITTLE 500

 

 

SPOTLIGHT AGAIN ON GORDON IN ANDERSON'S "LITTLE 500"

 

 

            Eric Gordon of Indianapolis, Ind. has established himself as the all-time "king" of the prestigious Payless "Little 500" Sprint car race at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway. The question this year is whether he can continue to dominate one of America's most grueling motorsports events. He was won an incredible five in a row and will be shooting for his eighth race victory in Saturday night's 58th running.

 

            The 500-lap race on Anderson's 1/4-mile high-banked paved oval is the goal of every pavement sprint car driver in America but nobody has recently figured out a way to beat Gordon.

 

            Challengers in this week's "Little 500" include former race winners Jeff Bloom (1972, 1977 and 1991) and Bentley Warren (1995 and 1997), plus former USAC driving champions Brian Tyler, Tracy Hines, Russ Gamester, Tony Elliott and Tony Hunt. It's a formidable field and Gordon will have his work cut out for him.

 

                        Qualifications to determine the front row for the three-abreast race begin Thursday and final qualifying, including "bumping" is scheduled Friday. Saturday night's $125,000-plus race gets the green flag at 8 pm.

 

            Dave Steele holds the 1-lap track qualifying record of 11.324 seconds drivers will aim at Thursday.

 

 

"LITTLE 500" RACE WINNERS

 

 

      1949
     SAM SKINNER
     1979
     WAYNE REUTIMANN/DANNY SMITH
     
      1950
     TOM CHERRY
     1980
     BOB FREY
     
      1951
     RED RENNER
     1981
     GREG LEFFLER
     
      1952
     TOM CHERRY
     1982
     MARVIN CARMAN
     
      1953
     BOB KING
     1983
     MARVIN CARMAN
     
      1954
     TOM CHERRY
     1984
     FRANK RIDDLE
     
      1955
     TOM CHERRY
     1985
     FRANK RIDDLE
     
      1956
     BOB CLEBERG
     1986
     DAVE SCARBOROUGH
     
      1957
     JOHNNY WHITE
     1987
     BOB FREY
     
      1958
     WAYNE ALSPAUGH
     1988
     BOB FREY
     
      1959
     RONNIE DUMAN
     1989
     BOB FREY
     
      1960
     RONNIE DUMAN
     1990
     BOB FREY
     
      1961
     JIM McELREATH
     1991
     JEFF BLOOM
     
      1962
     ARNIE KNEPPER
     1992
     JIM CHILDERS
     
      1963
     JOHNNY WHITE/BOB COULTER
     1993
     ERIC GORDON
     
      1964
     DICK GOOD
     1994
     JIM CHILDERS
     
      1965
     BOB KING/CHUCK TAYLOR
     1995
     BENTLEY WARREN
     
      1966
     ROLLIE BEALE
     1996
     DAVE STEELE
     
      1967
     DARL HARRISON/CY FAIRCHILD
     1997
     BENTLEY WARREN
     
      1968
     KARL BUSSON
     1998
     ERIC GORDON
     
      1969
     BUZZ GREGORY
     1999
     CHET FILLIP
     
      1970
     DARL HARRISON
     2000
     JIM CHILDERS
     
      1971
     HERMAN WISE
     2001
     ERIC GORDON
     
      1972
     JEFF BLOOM
     2002
     ERIC GORDON
     
      1973
     DICK GAINES
     2003
     ERIC GORDON
     
      1974
     LARRY DICKSON
     2004
     ERIC GORDON
     
      1975
     DARL HARRISON
     2005
     ERIC GORDON
     
      1976
     DICK GAINES
     2006
     ? ? ? ? ?
     
      1977
     JEFF BLOOM
      
      
     
      1978
     DON MACK/CURT KELLEY