Turkey Night Grand Prix
Encyclopedia
The Turkey Night Grand Prix is an annual race of midget cars
. It has been held on Thanksgiving
night most years since 1934. It is currently held in Irwindale, California
.
drivers that have competed in the event include: Tony Stewart
, Casey Mears
, Jason Leffler
, and Kasey Kahne
.
Midget car racing
Midget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, are very small race cars with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four-cylinder engines.-Cars:Typically, these cars have 300 to 400 horsepower and weigh...
. It has been held on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving (United States)
Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
night most years since 1934. It is currently held in Irwindale, California
Irwindale, California
Irwindale is a city in the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 1,422 at the 2010 census, down from 1,446 at the 2000 census....
.
Drivers
The event is considered a major event in the midget cars series. It frequently attracts drivers from other disciplines, especially former drivers that have moved to the highest levels of auto racing; the major auto racing circuits in the United States end their seasons prior to Thanksgiving, so major drivers do not have any schedule conflicts with their main circuits. NASCARNASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
drivers that have competed in the event include: Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...
, Casey Mears
Casey Mears
Casey James Mears is the driver of the #13 GEICO Toyota for Germain Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. He is a former winner of the Coca-Cola 600....
, Jason Leffler
Jason Leffler
Jason Leffler is a NASCAR driver from Long Beach, California. Leffler began racing in the open-wheel ranks before moving to NASCAR's three major series...
, and Kasey Kahne
Kasey Kahne
Kasey Kenneth Kahne is a NASCAR driver. He drives the #5 Farmers Insurance Group Chevrolet Impala for Hendrick Motorsports in the Sprint Cup Series....
.
Locations
Several locations have hosted the race.- Gilmore StadiumGilmore StadiumGilmore Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Los Angeles, California. It was opened in May 1934 and demolished in 1952, when the land was used to build CBS Television City. The stadium held 18,000. It was located next to Gilmore Field...
(1934 - 1950) (now CBS Television City) - Gardena Stadium (1955-1959)
- Ascot Park (1960 - 1974, 1976-1990)
- 605 Speedway (1975)
- Saugus SpeedwaySaugus SpeedwaySaugus Speedway is a 1/3 mile racetrack in Saugus, California on a site. The track hosted one NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event in 1995, which was won by Ken Schrader...
(1991) - Bakersfield Speedway (1992-1995, 1998)
- Perris Auto SpeedwayPerris Auto SpeedwayPerris Auto Speedway, also known as The PAS, is a 1/2 mile clay oval track located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds in Perris, California. The track features a raised backstretch offering fans a better view over the infield of the oval. The track hosts USAC/CRA sprint cars, street stocks, dirt...
(1996) - Ventura RacewayVentura RacewayVentura Raceway is located at Seaside Park in Ventura, California. The 1/5 mile, high banked clay oval is owned and operated by Jim Naylor, who is also the track announcer...
(1997) - Irwindale SpeedwayIrwindale SpeedwayToyota Speedway at Irwindale is a motorsports facility located in Irwindale, California, United States. It features banked, paved 1/2- and 1/3-mile oval tracks and a 1/8-mile drag strip. It opened on March 27, 1999, as Irwindale Speedway and held that name until Toyota purchased the naming rights...
(1999 - present)
List of winners
- 1934 Bob SwansonBob Swanson (driver)Bob Swanson was an American racecar driver.Swanson won the first Turkey Night Grand Prix midget-car race in 1934. At the 1939 Indianapolis 500, he was involved in the accident that killed defending champion Floyd Roberts...
- 1935 Ted Sizemore
- 1936 Ronney HouseholderRonney HouseholderRonney Householder was an American race car driver. He raced most of the year, in the Midwest in summer and the West Coast in the winter.-Racing career:...
- 1937 Ronney Householder
- 1938 Bob Swanson
- 1939 Mel HansenMel HansenMel Hansen was an American racecar driver. Hansen was nicknamed the “Firecracker Kid” because he loved to throw the explosive devices under chairs and behind people who were gathered in groups...
- 1940 Roy Russing
- 1941 Roy Russing
- 1945 Danny OakesDanny OakesDanny Oakes was a midget car hall of fame driver.-Early life:He became interested in racing when he delivered morning and evening newspapers in his hometown of Santa Barbara, California. His favorite day was Monday...
- 1946 Perry GrimmPerry GrimmPerry Grimm was an American racecar driver who raced midget cars in California and Australia.-midget car:Grimm drove midget cars for the Edelbrock dirt track racing team...
- 1947 Johnny McDowellJohnny McDowellJohnny McDowell was an American racecar driver from Delavan, Illinois. He died in a qualifying crash at the Milwaukee Mile the week after the 1952 Indy 500.-Racing career:...
- 1948 Bill VukovichBill VukovichBill Vukovich was a Serbian American automobile racing driver. He won the 1953 and 1954 Indianapolis 500 plus two more American Automobile Association National Championship races...
- 1949 Perry Grimm
- 1950 Bill ZaringBill ZaringBill Zaring was an American racecar driver who raced midget cars in Southern California. A native of Southern California, he was born in north Hollywood.-Racing:...
- 1955 Johnnie ParsonsJohnnie ParsonsJohnnie Parsons was an American race car driver from Los Angeles, California who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1950....
- 1956 Edgar Elder
- 1957 George AmickGeorge AmickGeorge Amick was an American racecar driver, mainly competing in the American National Championship. He was killed in a crash in a USAC race at Daytona International Speedway...
- 1958 Joe Garson
- 1959 Tony BettenhausenTony BettenhausenMelvin E. "Tony" Bettenhausen was an American racing driver, who won the National Championship in 1951 and 1958....
- 1960 A. J. FoytA. J. FoytAnthony Joseph Foyt, Jr., or as he is universally known as in motorsports circles, A. J. Foyt , is a retired American automobile racing driver. He raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes USAC Champ cars and midget cars. He raced stock cars in NASCAR and USAC. He won...
- 1961 A. J. Foyt
- 1962 Bill Cantrell
- 1963 Mel KenyonMel KenyonMel Kenyon is a former midget car driver. He is known as the "King of the Midgets", "Miraculous Mel", and "Champion of Midget Auto Racing." The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America says "Many consider him to be midget car racing's greatest driver ever." -Racing career:He attended his first auto...
- 1964 Parnelli JonesParnelli JonesRufus Parnell "Parnelli" Jones , is a retired American racing driver and racecar owner. He is most remembered for his 1963 Indianapolis 500 win, and almost winning the 1967 Indy 500 in a turbine car...
- 1965 Dick Atkins
- 1966 Parnelli Jones
- 1967 Gary BettenhausenGary BettenhausenGary Bettenhausen is a retired American auto racing driver. He was born in Blue Island, Illinois, raised in Tinley Park, Illinois, and currently resides in Monrovia, Indiana.-Racing family:...
- 1968 Sam Sessions
- 1969 George BensonGeorge BensonGeorge Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
- 1970 Gary Bettenhausen
- 1971 Bill Engelhart
- 1972 Tony Simon
- 1973 Bill Engelhart
- 1974 Danny McKnight
- 1975 Mel Kenyon
- 1976 Bubby JonesBubby JonesNorman "Bubby" Jones , is a former driver in the USAC Sprint Car series, with 22 victories, and a member of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, inducted in 1998. He also raced in the USAC Championship Car series, in the 1977-1978 seasons, with 2 career starts, including the 1977 Indianapolis 500...
- 1977 Gary PattersonGary PattersonGary Patterson is the head coach of the TCU Horned Frogs college football team. He grew up in Rozel, Kansas and played football at Dodge City Community College and Kansas State University. Patterson is married to Kelsey Patterson . He has three sons: Josh, Cade and Blake...
- 1978 Rick Goudy
- 1979 Ron ShumanRon ShumanRon Shuman is an American racecar driver from Tempe, Arizona. A champion sprint car racer Shuman won the Turkey Night Grand Prix sprint car race four consecutive times from 1979 to 1982 and eight times in total and the Knoxville Nationals in 1979...
- 1980 Ron Shuman
- 1981 Ron Shuman
- 1982 Ron Shuman
- 1983 Kevin OlsonKevin OlsonKevin Olson, a.k.a Kevin Johnson or Kevin Johnson Olsen born March 28, 1989. Is a child actor from Hartford, Connecticut.He is most notable for playing "Irwin" in Stuart Little 2.-Filmography:-External links:...
- 1984 Ron Shuman
- 1985 Brent Kaeding
- 1986 Warren Mockler
- 1987 Ron Shuman
- 1988 Chuck Gurney
- 1989 Chuck Gurney
- 1990 Stan FoxStan FoxStan Fox was a United States open wheel race car driver. Fox was one of the last links between the midget car racing world and the Indianapolis 500.-Midget car career:...
(last time held at Ascot Park) - 1991 Stan Fox
- 1992 Ron Shuman
- 1993 Ron Shuman
- 1994 Jordan Hermansader
- 1995 Billy BoatBilly BoatWilliam "Billy" Leonard Boat is a former American open wheel driver who raced in the Indy Racing League....
- 1996 Billy Boat
- 1997 Billy Boat
- 1998 Jay DrakeJay DrakeJay Scott Drake is an American auto racing driver.-Racing career:Drake won the 1998 Turkey Night Grand Prix midget car race. Drake was the USAC National Sprint Car Champion in 2004. He also competed in 14 Indy Pro Series races in 2004 and 2005 with a best finish of third and finishing 9th in the...
- 1999 Jason LefflerJason LefflerJason Leffler is a NASCAR driver from Long Beach, California. Leffler began racing in the open-wheel ranks before moving to NASCAR's three major series...
- 2000 Tony StewartTony StewartAnthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...
- 2001 Dave SteeleDave SteeleDave Steele , is an American racecar driver.-Racing career:He has competed in several USAC sprint and Silver Crown races. He won the 2001 and 2003 Turkey Night Grand Prix midget car race. He won the USAC Silver Crown Series in 2004 and 2005. He also raced in the 1998 Indy Racing League season,...
- 2002 Michael Lewis
- 2003 Dave Steele
- 2004 Bobby EastBobby EastRobert East, born in Torrance, California on December 17, 1984, is an American auto racing driver. He has raced in the United States Auto Club, the Auto Racing Club of American, and NASCAR...
- 2005 Jason Leffler
- 2006 Billy WeaseBilly WeaseBilly Wease from Noblesville, Indiana is a driver in USAC. He is also the development driver for Penske Racing South. Wease's first stock car race was in June 2006 at the Michigan International Speedway. He placed second, though a lap down to NASCAR Cup Series driver David Stremme. Wease was also...
- 2007 Dave DarlandDave DarlandDavid Lee Darland in Kokomo, Indiana, is an American auto racing driver who was the 1997 USAC Silver Crown Champion, 1999 USAC National Sprint Car Champion, and 2001 and 2002 USAC National Midget Champion, making him one of only five drivers to claim all three USAC National Championships...
- 2008 Bobby Santos IIIBobby Santos IIIRobert "Bobby" Santos III is an American racecar driver from Franklin, Massachusetts. He graduated in 2004 from Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School. Santos, nicknamed "Bobby New England", is the grandson of Bobby Santos, a former modified racer. His sister, Erica Santos, is also...
- 2009 Bryan ClausonBryan ClausonBryan Clauson, is an American auto racing driver. He went to Noblesville High School in Noblesville, Indiana.-Career:...
- 2010 Bryan ClausonBryan ClausonBryan Clauson, is an American auto racing driver. He went to Noblesville High School in Noblesville, Indiana.-Career:...
- 2011 Caleb Armstrong