11 Unbelievable Thunder Moments
11 Unbelievable Thunder Moments
11 of the wildest, weirdest, unbelievable moments to ever happen on Thursday and Saturday night Thunder.
Thunder wasn’t just home to great racing action, there were also plenty of wild and wacky, unforgettable moments outside the norm that occurred throughout the series’ history. Some of those moments made us laugh, some cringe, but most of all, they weren’t forgotten. We remember those particular moments here.
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11. 1989 Gary Bettenhausen Explodes
By 1989, hard luck fan favorite Gary Bettenhausen wasn’t making too many sprint car starts. In his lone appearance of the season, he qualified in the top-6 at Indianapolis Raceway Park and was running near the front when he became a human torch for the next few frightening moments before bailing out of his still-rolling racecar in turn one.
10. 1991 P.J. Jones vs. the World
Not too many times do you see a crowd roar when a driver takes a tumble, but that was the case for P.J. Jones at Ventura Raceway in 1991 after he was involved in a little bumping and banging with fellow front runners on his way to the front. The audible roar from the crowd could be heard on the telecast with fist-pumping and high-fiving going around amongst the crowd. Apparently, no love was lost between P.J. and the crowd on this night.
9. 1991 I’ve Seen Fire and Rain (at Winchester)
It’s crazy enough when you have one wild wreck in an event, let alone two. But when there’s three incidents in the same feature that involve six different drivers flipping on a pavement track, there’s some kind of full moon stuff going on right there. That was the case at Winchester Speedway on this evening. And, despite the event being one of the most competitive and unpredictable races ever on Thunder, there’s only one way it could end, being called early due to rain.
8. 1987 Stand Your Ground: Kenneth Nichols Comin’ At You
Sure, the flip by Kenneth Nichols at the Indianapolis Speedrome was quite a tumultuous ride, but the kudos in this one go to cameraman Greg Oldham who never flinched, staying in his turn one perch right along the outside turn one wall to get the entire in-your-face shot in all its glory.
7. 1993 Jim Keeker at Indianapolis Raceway Park
How he saved this, we’ll never know. Joie Chitwood had nothing on Jim Keeker during the first qualifying race at Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1993, yet continued without much of a hitch in his giddy-up on his way to transferring to the feature.
6. 1992 The Stretcher Interview
Bob Cicconi was known for his entertaining interviews, eyebrow-raising facial contortions and the like, in addition to being a standout USAC Midget driver. Following his devastating over-the-wall crash at Indianapolis Raceway Park which broke his arm, Cicconi was still all business as he lie on a stretcher en route to an ambulance ride. He was still able to get his sponsor plugs in and, hey, not a hair was out of place even after the crash.
5. 1991 Jeff Gordon’s Two-Wheel Pass
Jeff Gordon was pretty much spectacular in everything he did during his USAC days and he carried that with him into becoming one of NASCAR’s greatest stars. Perhaps the most spectacular wasn’t a victory, but a two-wheel stunt show down the back straightaway at Indianapolis Raceway Park, in which he stayed on the gas and completed the pass, like a champ.
4. 1996 Tracy Hines Gets a Little Hot Under the Collar
At this point in his career, Tracy Hines was still on the hunt for his first career USAC win and he was running a fine race in the USAC National Midget debut at the ultra-quick Richmond International Raceway. When Doug Kalitta’s engine blew exiting turn two, all hell broke loose with Hines pile driving the outside wall, dropping fuel that ignited with Tracy’s only escape involving splashing through the puddles of methanol. An inferno ensued and Hines was ultimately able to escape from the harrowing accident to win his first USAC race in his next start out at Winchester complete with burns on his face and all over his body.
3. 1987 Kevin Olson: Light Bulb Repairman
You never know quite exactly what you’re going to get when you speak with Kevin Olson. However, what you know you’re going to get, will provide you with one of the most entertaining encounters you’ll ever experience. But one thing’s for sure, the light bulb repair business is as strong today as it was when the two-time USAC National Champion first hatched his idea and put it into the public consciousness.
2. 1996 Teammates Take Each Other Out
Teamwork makes the dream work, or so they say. Teamwork was not in play on this night as Kenny Irwin Jr. went on the attack to slide job his Steve Lewis Racing teammate Tony Stewart for the lead in the Hut 100 at the Terre Haute Action Track, taking both out in the process late in the going.
1. 1985 Larry Rice Steers with his Feet
Larry Rice sure knew how to wheel a car around a racetrack in his career, as we can attest with his three career USAC National driving championships. However, on this occasion at the Terre Haute Action Track, Rice took to a reaction that we wouldn’t quite recommend at home, for safety reasons.
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