Home | Register | FAQ | Donate | Contact |
Indiana Open Wheel
> Indiana Open Wheel Forum
>
Salem changes james/oconnor format in '22
|
Thread Tools |
12/30/21, 9:07 PM |
#1
Salem changes james/oconnor format in '22
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 475 |
||
|
12/30/21, 9:26 PM |
#2
Re: Salem changes james/oconnor format in '22
|
||
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 534 |
Hate to hear that open wheel doesn't have a claim to this historic classic. One of my favorites since I was a kid in the 60's. I know things change, but this race has been one of the most exciting for Silver Crown in recent years.
|
||
|
12/30/21, 10:54 PM |
#3
Re: Salem changes james/oconnor format in '22
|
||
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 3,182 |
Elaboration of Pavement Dave's original post:
JOE JAMES / PAT O’CONNOR MEMORIAL TO BE HEADLINED BY MODIFIEDS IN 2022 December 30, 2021 - The recent December 27 release of the 2022 Salem Speedway schedule on social media revealed that the Joe James / Pat O’Connor Memorial will be headlined by modifieds on June 11, 2022. The news came as a shock and disappointment to many long-time fans of the event. The event has been contested by sprint cars and USAC Sliver Crown cars since its inaugural running in 1953. New promoter Bill Kniesly confirmed to Pavement Pounders last June that he lost a substantial amount of money the last time the event was held in 2020 as a USAC Silver Crown event. The situation didn’t get any better when he was forced to cancel last year’s event the week of when a very low car count was anticipated. This year’s event will be the 63rd running of the race. Until the format change, it would have been the second oldest sprint car race in the nation, behind only the 74th Pay Less Little 500. The race should be a lot older but hasn’t been held on seven occasions for weather and the tracks temporary closer. The format change will put an end to one of the most storied events in American motorsports history. The event was at one-time a spring bord to the Indy 500. If you could win the Joe James / Pat O’Connor Memorial at Salem Speedway, you could win anywhere in the world. The winners list features the best of the best in open wheel racing. Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones, Eddie Sachs, A.J. Foyt, Bobby Unser, Gary Bettenhausen, Rich Vogler, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kody Swanson, and even O’Connor himself have won the event. A modified winner will now put his name on the winners list. The event inaugurated in 1953 to pay homage to Joe James who lost his life in a sprint car accident at San Jose, California on November 5, 1952. Local North Vernon fan favorite O’Connor’s name was added to the event after he perished in the 1958 Indy 500. Calls to Must See Racing and the new 500 Sprint Car Tour reveal that Salem Speedway didn’t contact either of them inquiring about dates at the speedway. Both series could easily have sanctioned the event and gladly added it to their schedule. The new format change may be dictated by cost and economics. But these sanctions may also have been able to bring sponsorship that could have saved the event and made it more economical for the track. The track shouldn’t be fully blamed for the format change, its never a good thing when a speedway loses money hosting events in the current era of promotion. To many, putting the event to rest, or even another track hosting it as a sprint car event temporarily, might be another option. Once Salem Speedway found the right financial opportunity, the event could be returned. Anderson Speedway might be a solid temporary home as O’Connor found victory lane at the track in Mutual Racing Association competition multiple times early in his career. But for now, unless things change, one of the most iconic and historic auto racing events in American motorsports history will alter its course. Will next year’s modified winner truly understand the importance of the event when they are handed their trophy? Will they even have an understanding of the men they were racing in honor of or lost their life competing in this very event? Nothing lasts forever and the Joe James / Pat O’Connor Memorial is living proof of that. So long old friend. JOE JAMES / PAT O’CONNOR MEMORIAL 1953 – Larry Crockett (AAA) 1954 – Pat O’Connor 1955 – Bob Sweikert 1956 – Eddie Sachs (USAC) 1957 – Pat O’Connor 1958 – Eddie Sachs 1959 – A.J. Foyt 1960 - Parnelli Jones 1961 – Parnelli Jones 1962 – A.J. Foyt 1963 – Roger McCluskey 1964 – Mario Andretti 1965 – Bobby Unser 1966 – Mario Andretti 1967 – Sonny Ates 1968 – Rollie Beale 1969 – Sammy Sessions 1970 – Gary Bettenhausen 1971 – Rollie Beale 1972 – Lee Kunzman 1973 – Tom Bigelow 1974 – Pancho Carter 1975 – Pancho Carter 1976 – Pancho Carter 1977 – Pancho Carter 1978 – Rich Vogler 1979 – Greg Leffler 1980 – Greg Leffler 1981 – Eddie Leavitt* 1982 – Larry Rice** 1983 – NO RACE HELD 1984 – NO RACE HELD 1985 – NO RACE HELD 1986 – NO RACE HELD 1987 – NO RACE HELD 1988 – Bob Frey 1989 – Wayne Hammond 1990 – Rich Vogler 1991 – Steve Butler 1992 – Jim Mahoney 1993 – Jim Keeker 1994 – Kenny Irwin Jr. 1995 – Tony Stewart 1996 – Chet Fillip 1997 – Dave Steele 1998 – Jay Drake 1999 – Dave Darland 2000 – Eric Gordon 2001 – Tracy Hines 2002 – Ed Carpenter 2003 – Michael Lewis 2004 – Dave Steele 2005 – Brian Tyler 2006 – Bryan Clauson 2007 – NO RACE HELD 2008 – Jacob Wilson 2009 – Tracy Hines 2010 – Shane Hmiel 2011 – Jo Jo Helberg (Must See Racing) 2012 – Brain Olson 2013 – Brain Olson 2014 - Brian Gerster 2015 – Brian Gerster 2016 – Kody Swanson (USAC) 2017 – Kody Swanson 2018 – Kody Swanson 2019 – Kody Swanson 2020 – Kody Swanson
__________________
Chiming in live from the West Coast of Michigan.... Mike
|
||
|
1/1/22, 4:14 PM |
#4
Re: Salem changes james/oconnor format in '22
|
||
Senior Member
Race Count Last Year: 48 Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 18,536 |
They are spinning in their graves! What a travesty!
Glad I got to see it when it was the real thing, a 100 lap feature!
__________________
Ron Miller
_________________________________________________
Last edited by ronmil; 1/1/22 at 4:16 PM. |
||
|
1/2/22, 2:58 PM |
#5
Re: Salem changes james/oconnor format in '22
|
||
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 676 |
In 1985 it was ran at North Vernon... Allen Barr won it. If there is a dispute to that fact, the trophy Barr is holding is in Dad's basement with Joe James/Pat O Connor engraved on the tag...
__________________
Dan Hurst
Hurst Brothers Racing |
||
|
1/2/22, 5:02 PM |
#6
Re: Salem changes james/oconnor format in '22
|
||
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 898 |
I think I can hear Ozzy Osbourne warming up in the background ..........
"Times have changed and times are strange" "Here I come, but I ain't the same" "Mama, I'm coming home" |
||
|
1/2/22, 7:48 PM |
#7
Re: Salem changes james/oconnor format in '22
|
||
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 898 |
Well, if you didn'tget the hint, the Pat O'Connor Memorial is returning to his hometown of North Vernon, Indiana as a BOSS sprint car event at the Rock Crest Raceway!
|
||
|
Indiana Open Wheel
> Indiana Open Wheel Forum
>
Salem changes james/oconnor format in '22
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |