Gary Bettenhausen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gary Bettenhausen
Bettenhausen in 1984
Born	(1941-11-18)November 18, 1941 Blue Island, Illinois
Died	March 16, 2014(2014-03-16) (aged 72) Monrovia, Indiana
Nationality	American
Relatives	Tony Bettenhausen (father) Tony Bettenhausen Jr. (brother) Merle Bettenhausen (brother)
Achievements	1969, 1971 Sprint car champion 1980, 1983 USAC Silver Crown Series champion
Awards	1993 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee 1998 National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame inductee
Champ Car career
179 races run over 28 years
Best finish	5th (1979)
First race	1966 Bobby Ball Memorial (Phoenix)
Last race	1996 U.S. 500 (Michigan)
First win	1968 Bobby Ball Memorial (Phoenix)
Last win	1973 Texas 200 (College Station)
Wins Podiums Poles 4 32 2
NASCAR Cup Series career
8 races run over 2 years
Best finish	43rd (1974)
First race	1967 Daytona 500 (Daytona)
Last race	1974 Motor State 360 (Michigan)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 4 0

Gary Bettenhausen (born November 18, 1941, died March 16, 2014) was a famous American race car driver. He was known for driving many types of race cars, including midget cars, sprint cars, and Indy cars. He won several important races like the Turkey Night Grand Prix in 1967 and 1970. He also won the Astro Grand Prix in 1972 and the Hut Hundred in 1976. Gary came from a family of racers, and he continued their legacy on the track.

About Gary's Life

Gary Bettenhausen was born in Blue Island, Illinois. He grew up in Tinley Park, Illinois, and finished high school in 1962.

Racing was a big part of Gary's family. His father, Tony Bettenhausen, was a legendary driver in the Indianapolis 500 and sprint car races. Gary's brother, Tony Bettenhausen Jr., also became a well-known race car driver and even owned his own team. Sadly, another brother, Merle Bettenhausen, had a serious crash where he lost his arm.

Gary married his wife, Wavelyn, in 1964. They had three children: Gary Jr., and twin sons Cary and Todd. They also had two grandchildren. Cary and Todd now run a company that makes medical products. Todd is also a popular eSports gamer, which means he competes in racing video games.

Gary Bettenhausen passed away on March 16, 2014, in Monrovia, Indiana.

Gary's Racing Journey

Midget Car Racing

Gary started his racing career in midget cars. These are small, powerful cars used for racing on short tracks. In 1967, he finished third in the national midget car championship.

He won the first part of the Astro Grand Prix in 1969. This race was held indoors at the Astrodome! Gary also won the Turkey Night Grand Prix twice, in 1967 and 1970. He took home the win at the 1972 Astro Grand Prix and the 1976 Hut Hundred. Overall, he had 27 wins in USAC midget car races.

Sprint Car Racing

Gary was also a champion in sprint cars. These cars are known for their large wings and incredible speed on dirt tracks. He won the sprint car championships in 1969 and 1971.

He also won the USAC Dirt Track championships in a Silver Crown car in 1980 and 1983. A Silver Crown car is a type of open-wheel race car that races on both dirt and paved tracks.

In 1974, Gary had a bad crash during a race in Syracuse, New York. His left arm was badly hurt and became paralyzed. Even with this injury, he worked hard to regain enough movement to keep driving, though he never fully recovered.

Indy Car and Indianapolis 500 Races

Gary Bettenhausen raced in Indy cars from the mid-1960s until 1996. He won six USAC Indy Car races during this time.

He competed in the famous Indianapolis 500 race 21 times. He raced in almost every Indy 500 from 1968 to 1982, and then again from 1986 to 1993. His best finish in the Indy 500 was third place in 1980. He started that race from 32nd position out of 33 cars, which was an amazing climb!

In the 1972 Indianapolis 500, Gary led the race for a long time, 138 laps! It looked like he was going to win, but his engine broke with only 24 laps left. He ended up finishing 14th.

In the 1991 Indianapolis 500, Gary was the fastest driver in qualifying. However, because his fast time was set on the second day of qualifying, another driver, Rick Mears, started from the very front (pole position).

NASCAR Racing

Gary also raced in eight NASCAR Winston Cup events. He finished in the top 10 four times. His best NASCAR finish was fourth place at the 1974 Motor State 360 race in Michigan.

Awards and Honors

Gary Bettenhausen received special recognition for his amazing career:

• He was added to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1993.
• He was also inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1998.

Images for kids

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  Bettenhausen racing in CART at Pocono Raceway in 1984

Indianapolis 500 Results

Daytona 500 Results

See also

In Spanish: Gary Bettenhausen para niños