Terre Haute Action Track facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Terre Haute Action Track

Turns 1 and 2 at the Action Track at the 2008 Hulman Classic
Location	Honey Creek Township, Vigo County, near Terre Haute, Indiana, United States
Coordinates	39.4203, -87.4209
Owner	Vigo County Fair Assoc
Operator	Track Enterprises/Bob Sargent
Broke ground	1949
Opened	1952
Closed	1988-1989, 2007
Former names	The Action Track
Major events	USAC Hut Hundred (until 2009) USAC Tony Hulman Classic USAC Don Smith Classic Hoosier Hundred
Surface	dirt
Length	0.5 mi (0.8 km)
Turns	4

The Terre Haute Action Track is a famous half-mile dirt track in Terre Haute, Indiana. It's also known as The Action Track. This exciting place is located at the Vigo County fairgrounds.

Many important car races happen here every year. These include events for midget cars, sprint cars, and Silver Crown cars. These races are organized by the United States Automobile Club (USAC). Some really famous drivers have raced here, like A. J. Foyt, Jeff Gordon, Parnelli Jones, and Tony Stewart. The track has also hosted races from other groups like the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the World of Outlaws.

History of the Action Track

The Terre Haute Action Track first opened its gates on June 15, 1952. It has been a popular spot for racing fans ever since.

The track had to close for a short time in 1987 but reopened in 1990. It closed again briefly in May 2007. This happened because a race event went on too long and broke a local rule about noise at night. The people running the race had to stop it early.

As of 2008, a driver named Rich Vogler held the record for the most wins at the track. He won 13 main races, which is a lot!

Who Runs the Races?

Over the years, different people and groups have been in charge of promoting races at the track. In the 1960s, Don Smith was a well-known promoter.

By 2008, fewer people were coming to the races. Many racing organizations stopped holding their events at the track. Only a few races happened each year. The track even lost its USAC events in mid-2007.

In 2008, a new group called DHK Promotions LLC took over. This group was named after its founders: Brian Dorsett (a former baseball player), Davey Hamilton (a race car driver), and Mike King (a radio announcer).

In 2009, DHK Promotions got a new partner and changed its name to Action Promotions, LLC. They planned six special events for the track that year. Chris Novotney, who grew up watching races at the track, helped rebuild the track surface and add a new drainage system in 2008. He joined the Action Promotions group.

Since 2012, the track has been run by Terre Haute Motorsports. This is a team-up between Bob Sargent and Reece O'Connor. As of 2018, Bob Sargent's company, Track Enterprises, still runs the track. Adam Mackey, who helps promote events, announced a bigger schedule for 2018 with 10 races.

In March 2023, a skilled racer named Bill Rose became the new promoter for the Terre Haute Action Track.

The Hut Hundred Race

The Hut Hundred was a very important midget car racing event held at the track since 1954. Many famous drivers won this race. These include AJ Foyt, Tony Bettenhausen, Don Branson, Tony Stewart, and Jeff Gordon.

Rich Vogler was amazing at this race, winning it eight times! Six of those wins happened between 1983 and 1989. Al Herman won the very first Hut Hundred race in 1954.

In 2009, the Hut Hundred race was not held at Terre Haute. In 2010, it moved to the Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Indiana. The race has also been held at other locations like the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana and the Lawrenceburg Speedway. The Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, Indiana hosted the race in 1988, 2000, and 2001.

Hut Hundred Race Winners

The Hulman Classic Race

The Hulman Classic is one of the biggest races for USAC non-wing sprint cars. It first took place at the Terre Haute Action Track in 1971. The race is named after Tony Hulman, who owned the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It usually happens during the same week as the Indianapolis 500 race.

When it first started, the Hulman Classic offered a prize of $28,538. It was even shown on ABC's Wide World of Sports, making it the first sprint car race ever shown on TV! In the early years, it was common for drivers to race in both the Hulman Classic and the Indianapolis 500 in the same week.

As of May 2017, the Hulman Classic was USAC's longest-running annual event. It has been held at the Terre Haute Action Track almost every year. There was a short break from 1988 to 1991 when the race was held at Indianapolis Raceway Park instead.

Hulman Classic Race Winners