ILLIANA HISTORY PART II - ILLIANA IS PAVED                  

by Stan Kalwasinski                                                              

        As the 1961 racing season came to a close, plans were already underway to pave Illiana Motor Speedway. 

            "We paved the track simply to eliminate the dust problems," remembered Illiana founder and owner, Harry Molenaar.  "We had seven wells on the grounds and we had seven water trucks.  It would take all day to fill the trucks from the wells, but it took only minutes to empty the trucks trying to get the clay surface ready for racing.  One year we had a whole railroad car full of calcium chloride brought in to treat the track."

            In the Fall, a new asphalt surface was laid down with the track taking on a new face.  The dust problems, which plagued the speedway for years, had at last been conquered and crews worked hard during the Spring of 1962 to ready the track for the first event on the new pavement—an International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) sprint car race program, set for Sunday afternoon, May 13.

            A crowd estimated at 5,000 saw Johnny Rutherford, who would go on to win three Indianapolis 500's during a star-studded career, capture the 25-lap feature race for the open wheel racers.  Rutherford, a budding 24-year-old Fort Worth, Texas race driver, piloted the Dave Beatson-owned, Chevy-powered sprint car to his first significant victory in the Midwest after plying his speed trade in his home state since 1959.

            Ohio's Mickey Shaw set fast time during qualifications with a lap of 22.22 seconds in his powerful Chevy-powered sprinter and a new one lap qualifying mark was in the record books.   Rutherford turned in second quick time with a lap of 22.61 and went on to win the trophy dash and his heat race.   Chased by Rutherford most of the way, Shaw paced the feature event for about 18 laps until his right rear tire began to peal, forcing him out of the contest.  Rutherford inherited the top spot and went on to take the checkered flag in front of three-time IMCA champion Pete Folse.  Folse battled Arnie Knepper for second spot in the closing laps with the pair hooking wheels in the final turn on the last lap with Knepper spinning and Folse breaking loose to grab the runner-up position.

            A field of over 30 sprint cars showed up for the program that was directed by Al Sweeney of National Speedways.  The new asphalt surface provided drivers with an extremely slippery racing surface and the afternoon was spiced with a number of spins and tangles.   

            United States Auto Club (USAC) midgets visited Illiana to test the new pavement a couple of times during the season with veteran midget pilot Jimmy Davies, who would go on to win his third straight USAC midget title, and Bob Wente capturing 30 lap main events. 

            Stars and cars of the old USAC stock car division competed at Illiana on six occasions during the 1962 campaign.  Paul Goldsmith in a Ray Nichels-owned, factory-backed Pontiac won three of these events.  Goldsmith, who would snatch the USAC stock car title for the second year in a row, took home top honors in a short 30-lap contest on June 30 and came right back and won a 50 lapper on July 7. 

            The Chicago area's very own William "Whitey" Gerken, who would die from injuries suffered in a crash at Illiana in 1973, guided his 1962 Chevy to a 100-lap victory on July 21.  Wisconsin's Norm Nelson in a 1962 Ford won a 100-lap chase on August 4 with Goldsmith and his 1962 Pontiac, prepped in Nichels' shop in nearby Highland, winning again on September 23.  A week later Illiana would host its final USAC stock car event of the season --the 1st annual Tony Bettenhausen Hospital Fund 100.

            The death of Tony Bettenhausen in May of 1961 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway cast a dark cloud over the entire area-racing scene.  Bettenhausen, who was killed during a practice run at the famed speedway while testing a car for good friend and fellow driver, Paul Russo, was a big part of the local racing scene, having raced at Illiana, as well as at other local speed venues.   Over the years, the Tinley Park, Ill. speedster,  in addition to winning two National Championship Indy Car season titles, registered numerous sprint car, midget and stock car victories throughout the country.

            Bettenhausen had a host of friends, fans and associates in the Chicagoland and Midwestern areas, and with his passing, plans began to be laid out for a new hospital being built in south suburban Chicago to honor the late racing great.  An annual race would be held with proceeds going to the hospital fund.  The freshly paved Illiana half-mile would be the site of this first event.

            A near-capacity crowd of over 7,000 saw leader Don White and Troy Ruttman battle for 97 laps with Ruttman, who won the 1952 Indianapolis 500, moving into the lead for the final three laps and winning the 50 mile race.  Ruttman, out of Dearborn, Mich., wheeled his Van Senus Auto Parts-sponsored 1962 Mercury to the checkered flag just a few car lengths in front of White's 1962 Ford.  Earlier in the afternoon, White, the Keokuk, Ia. speedster, set a new one lap qualifying mark for the USAC stockers, touring the Illiana half mile in 24.14 seconds.

            Third place in the inaugural Bettenhausen 100 lapper went to Nelson, who was trailed by Goldsmith, Herb Shannon, Sal Tovella, Elmer Musgrave, Ken Finley, Neil Houston and Hammond's Whitey Johnson.                                           

        During the regular season, weekly stock car racing saw the old modified coupes, part of the Illiana dirt track racing for years, test the new pavement.  Bill Carr of Gary was crowned the 1962 season champion with the Steel City Racing Association sanctioning the events.

            Weekly late model stock car racing on the new pavement debuted about mid season in 1963 with Rabon Hinkle claiming the season crown.  Hinkle wheeled a 1956 Mercury to the title, defeating Ed Wilke, Raleigh Hinkle, the champion's brother, and rookie of the year Dale Mahoney in the final point standings.

            "I had a 1956 Plymouth that I bought from Don Oldenberg," said Mahoney, whose son, Shawn, had been a front-runner in the Illiana old sportsman ranks for a number years.  "I could almost flat foot that Plymouth around Illiana because it didn't have much power," added Mahoney.  "It was some pretty close racing back then.  We use to buy used racing tires from Ray Nichels." 

            Goldsmith, a former three-time national motorcycle champion and a winner at Illiana on the bikes, captured the second running of the Bettenhausen Memorial 100 lapper.  The St. Clair Shores, Mich. resident wheeled a 1963 Plymouth to victory in the USAC-sanctioned contest.  Goldsmith defeated his car owner and teammate Norm Nelson, who was followed by John Rostek and Musgrave, who earlier in the season won a USAC 100-lap chase at Illiana.  Ford drivers A.J. Foyt and Curtis Turner both retired from the race with reported engine woes.

            The 1964 season saw Illiana host 32 events with Wednesday and Saturday night racing taking place.  Raleigh Hinkle took home top season title honors in the Steel City Racing-sanctioned late model action.  Nelson and his 1964 Plymouth won the 100 lap Bettenhausen Memorial ahead of White and Lloyd Ruby.

            NASCAR driver Bobby Issac guided a Nichels Engineering-prepared 1965 Dodge to victory in a USAC 100-lap race at Illiana in May of 1965.  The southern visitor bested Jim Hurtubise,  Shannon, White, another NASCAR star David Pearson and Tovella.  The USAC stocks returned in July with Nelson in a 1965 Plymouth winning a 100 lap main event over Issac and Hurtubise.

            Bob Hollifield of Gary (Black Oak) won the late model title in 1965 using both a 1962 Pontiac convertible and a 1964 Pontiac hardtop, both former Nichels factory cars, to get the job done.  Hollifield, who finished in the runner-up spot the year before, won the 50 lap Season Championship race to propel himself to the title ahead of Don Oldenberg, defending champion Raleigh Hinkle, George Rondelli, Buck Hinkle and Otto Richardson.

            Due to car shortages at previous shows during the year, USAC was dropped in favor of an open competition format for the 4th annual Tony Bettenhausen Memorial Race.                                                          A 50 lapper highlighted the October afternoon's racing action with Conan "Moose" Myers of Fort Wayne, Ind. winning the feature.  Myers, who earlier in time trials had set a new stock car track record of 23.20 seconds, drove a 1957 Chevy convertible and finished in front of Joe Shear's 1965 Pontiac GTO.  O’Hare Stadium champions Roy Martinelli and Bill Lutz finished third and fourth.   Herb Hill and Fort Wayne's Jack Reilly rounded out the top six.  Over 70 cars jammed the pits that day which set the stage for some thirty Bettenhausen events yet to come.