Terre Haute Action Track
Encyclopedia
Terre Haute Action Track (also The Action Track) is a half mile dirt track
located at the Vigo County, Indiana
fairgrounds on U.S. Route 41
along the south side of Terre Haute, Indiana
. The track hosts annual United States Automobile Club
(USAC) midget car
, sprint car
and Silver Crown events. Notable drivers that have competed at the track include A. J. Foyt
, Jeff Gordon
, Parnelli Jones
, and Tony Stewart
. The track has held events sanctioned by USAC, its predecessor American Automobile Association
(AAA), and the World of Outlaws
.
's 13 feature wins is the most in track history.
(USAC) events in mid-2007. In 2008, the DHK Promotions LLC group took over running the track. DHK Promotions is owned by former Major League Baseball
player Brian Dorsett
, Indy Racing League driver Davey Hamilton
and Indianapolis 500
radio announcer Mike King
.
In 2009 DHK Promotions has added a new partner, changed its name to Action Promotions, LLC and is announcing a schedule of six special events that will take place at the historic half-mile clay oval starting Saturday, May 2.
Chris Novotney, a Wabash Valley native who grew up attending sprint car races at the famed track, spent 2008 overseeing the reconstruction of the track surface and the installation of a new track drainage system. Novotney joins Brian Dorsett, Davey Hamilton and Mike King in the group that is now known as Action Promotions, LLC.
event since 1954. The 54th Hut Hundred was held in 2006. Event winners include Jay Drake, Tracy Hines
, Mike Hess, Dave Darland, and 2005 winner Johnny Rodriguez. Rich Vogler
won the event eight times, including six in the seven years between 1983 and 1989. Al Herman won the first event in 1954.
Results References:
Dirt track racing
Dirt track racing is a type of auto racing performed on oval tracks. It began in the United States before World War I and became widespread during the 1920s and 30s. Two different types of racecars predominated—open wheel racers in the Northeast and West and stock cars in the South...
located at the Vigo County, Indiana
Vigo County, Indiana
Vigo County is a county located along the western border of the U.S. state of Indiana. Vigo County is included in the Terre Haute, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Terre Haute....
fairgrounds on U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 41 is a north–south United States Highway that runs from Miami, Florida to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, was U.S...
along the south side of Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
. The track hosts annual United States Automobile Club
United States Automobile Club
The United States Auto Club is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, the USAC sanctioned the United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned the Indianapolis 500...
(USAC) midget car
Midget car racing
Midget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, are very small race cars with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four-cylinder engines.-Cars:Typically, these cars have 300 to 400 horsepower and weigh...
, sprint car
Sprint car racing
Sprint cars are high-powered race cars designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa....
and Silver Crown events. Notable drivers that have competed at the track include A. J. Foyt
A. J. Foyt
Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr., or as he is universally known as in motorsports circles, A. J. Foyt , is a retired American automobile racing driver. He raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes USAC Champ cars and midget cars. He raced stock cars in NASCAR and USAC. He won...
, Jeff Gordon
Jeff Gordon
Jeffery Michael "Jeff" Gordon is a professional NASCAR driver. He is the driver of the #24 Drive to End Hunger/DuPont/Pepsi Chevrolet Impala. He is a four-time Sprint Cup Series champion and a three-time Daytona 500 winner. He is third on the all-time wins list, with 85 career wins, and has the...
, Parnelli Jones
Parnelli Jones
Rufus Parnell "Parnelli" Jones , is a retired American racing driver and racecar owner. He is most remembered for his 1963 Indianapolis 500 win, and almost winning the 1967 Indy 500 in a turbine car...
, and Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...
. The track has held events sanctioned by USAC, its predecessor American Automobile Association
American Automobile Association
AAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...
(AAA), and the World of Outlaws
World of Outlaws
The World of Outlaws is an American motorsports sanctioning body. The body sanctions two major national touring series. It is best known for sanctioning a national tour of sprint cars. It later purchased a national tour of late model stockcars called the World of Outlaws Late Model Series...
.
History
The track opened on June 15, 1952. It closed for a short period beginning in 1987 and reopened in 1990. It closed again in May 2007 for the rest of the season after it lost its race card because it broke a local curfew. The promoter had to stop the event early. As of the start of the 2008 season, Rich VoglerRich Vogler
Rich Vogler was a champion sprint car and midget car driver. He was nicknamed "Rapid Rich". He competed in the Indianapolis 500 five times, his best finish was eighth in 1989.-Racing career:...
's 13 feature wins is the most in track history.
Promoters
The track was promoted by Don Smith in the 1960s. The track was more recently run by a series of promoters and attendance dwindled. Most sanctioning bodies holding events at the track dropped it from their schedule and only a few events were held in recent years. The track lost its United States Automobile ClubUnited States Automobile Club
The United States Auto Club is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, the USAC sanctioned the United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned the Indianapolis 500...
(USAC) events in mid-2007. In 2008, the DHK Promotions LLC group took over running the track. DHK Promotions is owned by former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player Brian Dorsett
Brian Dorsett
Brian Richard Dorsett is a retired professional baseball player who played 8 seasons for the Cleveland Indians, California Angels, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, and Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball. Brian currently owns and operates a new car dealership in Terre Haute,...
, Indy Racing League driver Davey Hamilton
Davey Hamilton
Davey Jay Hamilton is a race car driver in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. He has made 50 series starts and while never winning a race, finished second 3 times...
and Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
radio announcer Mike King
Mike King (radio announcer)
Mike King is an American radio broadcaster, currently the chief announcer of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network and Indy Racing League....
.
In 2009 DHK Promotions has added a new partner, changed its name to Action Promotions, LLC and is announcing a schedule of six special events that will take place at the historic half-mile clay oval starting Saturday, May 2.
Chris Novotney, a Wabash Valley native who grew up attending sprint car races at the famed track, spent 2008 overseeing the reconstruction of the track surface and the installation of a new track drainage system. Novotney joins Brian Dorsett, Davey Hamilton and Mike King in the group that is now known as Action Promotions, LLC.
Media
Events are no longer broadcast as Crossroads Communications are no longer affiliated with the Track. For 2009 Hi99 WTHI became the official track station, though the races are not broadcast anymore.Hut Hundred
The track has held the major midget car racingMidget car racing
Midget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, are very small race cars with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four-cylinder engines.-Cars:Typically, these cars have 300 to 400 horsepower and weigh...
event since 1954. The 54th Hut Hundred was held in 2006. Event winners include Jay Drake, Tracy Hines
Tracy Hines
Tracy Lee Hines is an American auto racing driver. He was the 2000 USAC Silver Crown Champion and 2002 USAC National Sprint Car Champion...
, Mike Hess, Dave Darland, and 2005 winner Johnny Rodriguez. Rich Vogler
Rich Vogler
Rich Vogler was a champion sprint car and midget car driver. He was nicknamed "Rapid Rich". He competed in the Indianapolis 500 five times, his best finish was eighth in 1989.-Racing career:...
won the event eight times, including six in the seven years between 1983 and 1989. Al Herman won the first event in 1954.
Hut Hundred winners
- 2008 Cole WhittCole WhittCole Whitt is a American stock car driver and development driver for Red Bull Racing Team. After advancing his way through Kart racing, Whitt moved up to sprint cars and became a development driver for Red Bull. After running in the Camping World Series East, Whitt made his NASCAR debut in 2010...
- 2007
- 2006 Darren Hagen
- 2005 Johnny Rodriguez
- 2004 Bobby EastBobby EastRobert East, born in Torrance, California on December 17, 1984, is an American auto racing driver. He has raced in the United States Auto Club, the Auto Racing Club of American, and NASCAR...
- 2003 Dave DarlandDave DarlandDavid Lee Darland in Kokomo, Indiana, is an American auto racing driver who was the 1997 USAC Silver Crown Champion, 1999 USAC National Sprint Car Champion, and 2001 and 2002 USAC National Midget Champion, making him one of only five drivers to claim all three USAC National Championships...
- 2002 Mike Hess
- 2001 Tracy HinesTracy HinesTracy Lee Hines is an American auto racing driver. He was the 2000 USAC Silver Crown Champion and 2002 USAC National Sprint Car Champion...
- 2000 Jay DrakeJay DrakeJay Scott Drake is an American auto racing driver.-Racing career:Drake won the 1998 Turkey Night Grand Prix midget car race. Drake was the USAC National Sprint Car Champion in 2004. He also competed in 14 Indy Pro Series races in 2004 and 2005 with a best finish of third and finishing 9th in the...
- 1999 Dave DarlandDave DarlandDavid Lee Darland in Kokomo, Indiana, is an American auto racing driver who was the 1997 USAC Silver Crown Champion, 1999 USAC National Sprint Car Champion, and 2001 and 2002 USAC National Midget Champion, making him one of only five drivers to claim all three USAC National Championships...
- 1998 Donnie BeechlerDonnie BeechlerDonnie Beechler , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He was born in Springfield, Illinois.Beechler raced in the 1998-2001 seasons with 36 career starts, including 4 Indianapolis 500 showings...
- 1997 Jason LefflerJason LefflerJason Leffler is a NASCAR driver from Long Beach, California. Leffler began racing in the open-wheel ranks before moving to NASCAR's three major series...
- 1996 Kevin Olson
- 1995 Tony StewartTony StewartAnthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...
- 1994
- 1993 Tony StewartTony StewartAnthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...
- 1992
- 1991
- 1990 Jeff GordonJeff GordonJeffery Michael "Jeff" Gordon is a professional NASCAR driver. He is the driver of the #24 Drive to End Hunger/DuPont/Pepsi Chevrolet Impala. He is a four-time Sprint Cup Series champion and a three-time Daytona 500 winner. He is third on the all-time wins list, with 85 career wins, and has the...
- 1989 Rich Vogler
- 1988 Rich Vogler
- 1987
- 1986
- 1985
- 1984
- 1983 Rich Vogler
- 1982
- 1981
- 1980
- 1979 Johnny ParsonsJohnny ParsonsJohnny Parsons is an American racecar driver.-Racing family:Parsons is the son of Arza and 1950 Indianapolis 500 winner Johnnie Parsons. His parents divorced, and Johnny was raised with half-brothers Dana and Pancho Carter, the product of Arza'a marriage with Duane Carter. The Carters grew up...
- 1976 Gary BettenhausenGary BettenhausenGary Bettenhausen is a retired American auto racing driver. He was born in Blue Island, Illinois, raised in Tinley Park, Illinois, and currently resides in Monrovia, Indiana.-Racing family:...
- 1975 Pancho CarterPancho CarterDuane "Pancho" Carter, Jr. is a retired American race car driver. He is most famous for his participation in CART races.-Background:...
- 1974
- 1973 Bill Englehart
- 1972 Pancho CarterPancho CarterDuane "Pancho" Carter, Jr. is a retired American race car driver. He is most famous for his participation in CART races.-Background:...
- 1971
- 1970
- 1969
- 1968 Mike McGreevy
- 1967
- 1966
- 1965 A. J. FoytA. J. FoytAnthony Joseph Foyt, Jr., or as he is universally known as in motorsports circles, A. J. Foyt , is a retired American automobile racing driver. He raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes USAC Champ cars and midget cars. He raced stock cars in NASCAR and USAC. He won...
- 1963 Bob Wente
- 1961 A. J. FoytA. J. FoytAnthony Joseph Foyt, Jr., or as he is universally known as in motorsports circles, A. J. Foyt , is a retired American automobile racing driver. He raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes USAC Champ cars and midget cars. He raced stock cars in NASCAR and USAC. He won...
- 1960 Bob McLean
- 1959 Gene HartleyGene HartleyLeslie "Gene" Hartley was an American racecar driver. He was born and died in Roanoke, Indiana.Hartley was the son of midget car driver Ted Hartley, who competed into his 60s. "Auto racing is all I’ve ever known," Gene once said in an interview at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway...
- 1958 Don BransonDon BransonDon Branson was an American racecar driver.Born in Rantoul, Illinois, Branson was killed in a racing crash at Ascot Park in Gardena, California. He drove in the USAC Championship Car series and also in sprint cars, racing champ cars in the 1956-1966 seasons with 129 starts, including the...
- 1957 Gene HartleyGene HartleyLeslie "Gene" Hartley was an American racecar driver. He was born and died in Roanoke, Indiana.Hartley was the son of midget car driver Ted Hartley, who competed into his 60s. "Auto racing is all I’ve ever known," Gene once said in an interview at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway...
- 1956 Earl Motter
- 1955
- 1954 Al HermanAl HermanAl Herman was an American racecar driver.Born in Topton, Pennsylvania, Herman died in West Haven, Connecticut as a result of injuries sustained in a midget car crash during practice laps at the West Haven Speedway during the same week that claimed the life of Jimmy Bryan in a different crash...
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