END OF AN ERA
The tradition of racing at the Indiana State Fairgrounds came to end following the 64th running of the Hoosier Hundred USAC Silver Crown event on May 23.
Officials of the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center announced the one-mile track would be converted from a dirt surface to an all-weather track made of crushed limestone to be utilized for year-round harness training and parking for the Indiana State Fair.
On June 20, 1903, Barney Oldfield, driving the Henry Ford-designed “999,” recorded the first sub-one-minute lap on a mile track when he toured the Indy Mile in 59.6 seconds. Since then, the track has hosted a myriad of USAC and ARCA events, as well as American Flat Track motorcycle racing.
In the 100-lap finale, Tyler Courtney passed Kevin Thomas Jr. on a lap 93 restart and cruised to the milestone victory.