The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 66

"SUCCESS" Continued from Pag 23 Pontiac. Approximately 13,000 fans turned out to watch the show in 52-degree weather. Goldsmith covered the 100 miles in 1:23:33.15 for an average speed of 71.768 miles an hour. For his efforts, he picked up $4,315 from a purse of $14,455. Next Friday night, the stockers will run the eighth annual version of the Century.

In all likelihood, almost 20,000 fans will watch them and the total purse may climb close to the $30,000 mark. staged a monumental battle for the next 18 miles. It finally ended when Jones, under heavy pressure from Foyt, got into the third turn too hard on the 60th lap, slammed the outside guard rail and retired. Foyt's troubles weren't over, though. When the green flag came out on the 67th lap after Jones' car was hauled off, AJ.

was caught napping. White flicked by him into first. But that just stung Foyt into renewed action. He blazed back past the lowan on the 69th lap and was cruising with a two-thirds Of a straightaway lead when the checkered flag fell. If Foyt provided the greatest race the stockers have staged at the fairgrounds, then White was the winner in the greatest lap.

The circuit was the 99th in last June's Indiana Classic. When the green flag came out at the start of the lap following a long yellow-light period. White was inches behind leader Al Unser in a duel of Dodge Chargers. the first turn. But Unser was back ahead as they hit the backstretch.

Then it was White as they went into the third turn. Unser inched hffront as they were halfway through the bend, but White had the edge as they went into Turn 4. Then, suddenly, Unser was spinning. White was home free with his fourth straight victory. But it was an unpopular one with the fans.

Most felt he might have helped Unser spin (he didn't), and, in any event, they didn't think he had any business being beside Al when they took the green flag. It didn't make any difference. White was still the winner, albeit an unpopular one. All UNSER'S supporters could look forward to was a next time. That comes next Friday.

And the renewal of that squabble should lure even more fans into the Fairgrounds to watch Hoosiers' newest love stock car racing. HITE PULLED ahead as the two went into The CURRENT track records for attendance and purse for the stock cars were set last June 22 in the Indiana Classic, a three-year-old spinoff of the Century which Quinn introduced in 1966 to celebrate Indiana's Sesquicentennial. The June race has enjoyed remarkable growth in its three years. When Don White won. the latest running, 18,813 people watched.

They paid a total of $26,719, $5,473 of which went to White. The growth of stock car racing at the fair has not been without its problems. Quinn has had to overcome almost habitual late starts, feuds between USAC and Ford over engine specifications, short fields and traffic jams in selling his races to the public. But he appears to have won the battle. Much of the sales work has been done for him by the drivers.

The races have witnessed some of the finest individual performances in the sport. Two drivers have stood out above the field at the fairgrounds A. J. Foyt, who has a habit of making his presence obvious on any race track, and Don White. AfTER GOLDSMITH won the initial State Fair Century, Foyt threatened to turn the race into his own private version of Fort Knox.

The fabulous Texan won the next three Centuries before White ended his string in 1966. That victory started the two time USAC stock car king off on a streak of his own. He hasn't been beaten at the fairgrounds since and will be going for his fifth in a row next Friday night. Foyt's 1964 triumph came after about the greatest driving exhibition that Indianapolis and environs has ever seen. original 1964 Dodge expired with a blown engine in practice.

But he took over teammate Len Sutton's mount after Sutton, still weak from an earlier racing accident, had qualified disappointingly slow. Foyt started the race in 30th position dead last. He passed 13 cars on the first lap, nailed 13 more to take fourth on the 18th lap, went to third a lap later and took over second on the 39th circuit. Jowph Quinn Jr fh man who has Xy done most to tell stock car racing here. He CAUGHT leader Parnelli Jones' Mercury on the 42d lap and the two racing buddies Parnelli Jones knows his way in and out of a "Stacker" and how to win in one..