| World Figure 8 History Sunday, October 16, 1977
A new and exciting stock car racing event was established on a cold and
blustery mid-October weekend at the Indianapolis Speedrome.
Appropriately held at the “World’s home of the Figure 8,” the inaugural
World Championship Figure-8 Three Hour Endurance Race forged the
beginning of a “happening” that would stand out as the ultimate event in
Figure 8 competition.
Personable Jim Fox won the inaugural World Figure-8 crown against a
star-studded field of 57 first time competitors. His Figure 8 triumph
capped a championship season as he claimed the Speedrome Figure 8 and
Oval track titles. Although Fox had those Championships in his pocket,
he won the inaugural World Championship against great odds.
Essentially he was entered in an underpowered 1967 Firebird that was
hardly a match for the overpowering Camaros that started in front of
him. Fox started 17th but fully understood that the race would be a true
test of endurance—not speed!!
On a day dotted with occasional snow flurries, Fox displayed great
patience as Islip (NY) World Figure-8 champion Chuck Hall and Bob Belz
of Michigan set a blistering pace. Fox was seven laps behind Hall when
the leader crashed and turned over the lead to Belz.
Fox tracked down the second Michigan driver to lead the race and put
enough pressure on him that he brushed the wall and lost the lead
shortly after the 200-lap mark. Fox romped to a final winning margin of
12 laps over Belz, who struggled to finish. Louisville’s Ron
Hargesheimer known as the Yardstick and Steve Browne finished third and
fourth after completing 210 laps.
Weather conditions were so cold that the race was called “official
after one hour, 48 minutes.
The 29 year old blond bomber driver from nearby Greenfield, Indiana
had defeated a field that included former Islip World Figure-8 Champions
Sonny Thompson and Forest Halliburton plus short track veterans C.J.
Rayburn, Andy Vertrees and Bob Coffey. Jim won $3,000 of the record
$11,000 purse
There was also a celebrity atmosphere to the field as racing
announcer Paul Page started 30th and finished 43rd, completing 29 laps
in a Ford Mustang.
A strong Michigan contingent included Hall, Belz, John Briggs, Lubie
Allen and Ricky Van Vyve among others. Along with drivers from the
Kentuckiana area, they realized that the World Figure 8 Championship at
the famed Indianapolis Speedrome was indeed a special event.
When it was over, a home track driver from nearby Greenfield had
beaten the best figure 8 drivers in the nation. But more important, a
new and significant Figure 8 Championship was launched on that cold and
blustery Sunday afternoon in mid-October 1977. The stock car racing
world had never seen anything like it.
1977 World Figure 8 Final Results
Finish Position Start Position Car# Driver/Hometown Laps completed
1 17 40S Jim Fox, Greenfield, In. 253
2 18 37 Bob Belz, Mt. Clemens, MI. 241
3 1 11 Ron Hargeshemer Louis.,KY. 210
4 7 69 Steve Browne Louis.,KY. 210
5 13 73 Jim Tunny Indpls. IN. 208
6 29 15 Al Spears Indpls. IN. 193
7 28 03 Harry Brady Louis., KY. 183
8 33 71 Don Delvo Indpls. IN. 182
9 6 5 Chuck Hall Toldeo, OH. 159
10 35 21 Doug Buhmeyer Beloit, WI. 159
11 43 86 Kenny St. John Indpls. IN. 159
12 9 80 John Briggs Ypsilanti, MI.154
13 11 88 Bob Coffey Indpls. IN. 151
14 20 60 Lubie Allen Taylor, MI. 151
15 24 00 Cecil Johnson Taylor, MI. 146
16 16 44 Billy George Indpls. IN. 142
17 25 56 Chuck Hargraves Indpls. IN. 136
18 10 28 Forest Halliburton Indpls. IN. 135
19 22 9 Frank Loving Jr. Taylor, MI. 127
20 23 44 Bob Foster Sr. Indpls. IN. 125
21 44 77 Bob Hayden Indpls. IN. 119
22 5 40 James Cole Middle, IN. 116
23 2 108 Sonny Thompson Indpls. IN. 116
24 3 41 Andy Vertrees Louis., KY. 114
25 8 4 Ed Wilson Greenfld, IN. 111
26 26 413 Bob Cloud Indpls. IN. 104
27 37 23 Bud McAdams Indpls. IN. 99
28 12 1 Wayne Arnold Indpls. IN. 93
29 45 37 Coy Holden Jr. Ingallis, IN. 87
30 15 2 Al Rackley Indpls. IN. 63
31 48 5 Rick Porter Elwood, IN. 53
32 55 122 L.K. Keniston Beloit, IL. 50
33 21 137 Rick Van Vyve Clemens, MI. 47
34 41 33 Dan Wood Indpls. In. 45
35 49 10 Jim Smith Greenwd.,IN 42
36 50 31 Adell Carrico Rockford, IL. 39
37 40 75 Dale Stroud Indpls. IN. 38
38 42 625 Bob Garrigus Ftville, IN. 38
39 19 33 Dick Rackley Indpls. IN. 33
40 46 6 Floyd Mcelhenie Taylor, MI. 32
41 51 85 Charles Hutchinson Det. MI. 30
42 14 88 Tom Winters Louis. KY. 29
43 30 0 Paul Page Indpls. IN. 29
44 27 98 Jon Herndon Gwd. IN. 29
45 4 6 Bobby Ellett Indpls. IN. 26
46 57 55 John Goforth Alex, IN. 24
47 34 74 Drury Ramsey Det. MI. 22
48 38 7 Alice Green Alex, IN. 22
49 52 0 Terry Marcum Indpls. IN. 21
50 47 50 C.J. Rayburn Whiteland, IN. 20
51 32 12 Pat Haywood Wyan, MI. 16
52 54 07 Jim Weigle Indpls. IN. 14
53 53 93 Bruce McFall Elwood, IN. 12
54 31 423 Jack Dossey Indpls. IN. 11
55 39 7 Joe Receveur Indpls. IN. 10
56 36 58 Mike Cline Indpls. IN. 7
57 56 53 Kenny Jordan Indpls, IN. 5 |
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