Gary Bettenhausen drove the Delrose-Holt Terre Haute First National Bank Goodyear-shoddirt championship car to a well-earned victory on March 26, 1983 as the USAC Silver Crown dirt championship series opened its season at Nazareth National Speedway.
The race was more of a survival test than anything else as a rough surface on the one-mile dirt track exacted a heavy toll on men and machine. Billy Pauch turned in an outstanding drive to bring his own Chrysler-Plymouth Nance machine home second. Buz Tapply finished third.
Bettenhausen, pictured here, won $9,000 for topping the 100-lap event.
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This story appeared in the May 10 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
