The Dirt Chronicles

dirt

CHRONICLES

By: Bob Mays

The Brickyard may be paved, but at one time the only way to get there was on a dirt road. Four-time winner A.J. Foyt is a great example. He started in midgets, progressed to sprinters and won his first Indy as a confirmed dirt tracker. Here, he is saving the left front at Williams Grove in 1961. (Walt Imlay photo)

The Unser Brothers were both brought up on dirt. Bobby (92) has a small advantage over Al (56) at Pueblo, Colorado during a combo sprint/supermodified show in 1962. The two of them account for seven Indy wins. (Leroy Byers photo)

INDY LEGENDS ON DIRT

Future three-time Indy 500 winner, Johnny Rutherford, plows the Terre Haute Action Track in the Wally Meskowski sprinter during his USAC championship title run in 1965. (Ken Coles photo)

The dirt highway leading to the Indy 500 was just about to be paved when Al Unser Jr. (Lyle Dill 71) used it one last time. Little Al is hiking the left front at Knoxville, Iowa in 1980, shortly before heading east to the big track. (Bob Mays photo)