Gary Bettenhausen

Gary Bettenhausen was an American racing car driver. He was the winner the 1967 and 1970 Turkey Night Grand Prix, the 1972 Astro Grand Prix, and the 1976 Hut Hundred.

Personal life

Bettenhausen was born in Blue Island, Illinois, raised in Tinley Park, Illinois, he graduated in 1962 from Bremen High School in Midlothian, Illinois.
Bettenhausen's father was Indianapolis 500 and sprint car legend Tony Bettenhausen. His brother was former CART driver and team owner Tony. Another brother, Merle, lost his arm in a fiery crash.
Bettenhausen married his wife Wavelyn on January 4, 1964, and the family had three children, Gary Jr., and twin sons Cary and Todd. They had two grandchildren.
Bettenhausen died on March 16, 2014, in Monrovia, Indiana.

Racing career

Midgets

Bettenhausen began as a midget car driver. He finished third in the midget car national points in 1967. He won the first leg of the Astro Grand Prix in 1969, which was held in the Astrodome. He won the 1967 and 1970 Turkey Night Grand Prix, the 1972 Astro Grand Prix, and the 1976 Hut Hundred, on his way to a total of 27 career wins in USAC midget car competition.

Sprint cars

Bettenhausen won the 1969 and 1971 sprint car championships.
Bettenhausen won the 1980 and 1983 USAC Dirt Track championships in a Silver Crown car.
Bettenhausen suffered a crash at a Championship Dirt Car race in Syracuse, New York on July 4, 1974, which crushed his left arm and left it paralyzed. He regained enough mobility to drive but never fully recovered from the injury.

Indy/Championship Cars & Indianapolis 500

Bettenhausen competed in Champ/Indy style cars from the mid-1960s until 1996. During this time he won six USAC Indy Car races. He made 21 starts in the Indianapolis 500, contesting each event from 1968 until 1982, and again from 1986 to 1993. His best finish came in 1980 when he finished third after starting 32nd in the 33-car field.
In the 1972 Indianapolis 500, Bettenhausen led 138 laps, and appeared on his way to victory. But he suffered a blown engine with only 24 laps remaining, and dropped out to finish fourteenth.
In the 1991 Indianapolis 500, Bettenhausen was the fastest qualifier at 224.468 mph. As his time was recorded on the second day of qualifying, Rick Mears, who had qualified slower, started on the pole position.

NASCAR

Bettenhausen competed in eight career NASCAR Winston Cup events. He had four top-ten finishes. His highest career finish was a fourth-place finish at the 1974 Motor State 360 at the Michigan International Speedway.

Awards

Bettenhausen was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1993.
Bettenhausen was a 1998 inductee in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame.