11 USAC One-Hit Wonders
11 USAC One-Hit Wonders
Our list of the biggest stars that have only recorded one USAC National victory in their career.
No, this list isn’t about waxing nostalgic over Vanilla Ice, Dexy’s Midnight Runners and A-Ha. This is about those individuals who hit paydirt with USAC’s National series just once in their driving careers. In some cases, it was the longtime veteran finally breaking through; in other cases, it was miraculously their only career USAC start; and in one case, it was a career struck down by tragedy just as it was blossoming. In all cases, the names you’ll find on this list are some of the most talented racers who made it to the top for one day as a feature winner in a USAC National series.
1962 Stan Bowman at Eldora Speedway
With only one win to his credit, Stan Bowman sure picked up a biggie at the first ever USAC National Sprint Car race held at Eldora Speedway in the spring of 1962. In his case, he was one that could’ve seen many victories come his way with the series, but just less than two months after that first win, Bowman was killed in an accident at the Terre Haute Action Track at the age of 32.
1974 Jackie Howerton at the Indiana State Fairgrounds
Jackie Howerton, a Tulsa, Okla. Sprint regular, stunned the Indiana State Fairgrounds patrons with his smooth driving style as he outdueled Viceroy teammates Al Unser and Mario in one of the all-time great finishes in Hoosier Hundred history. His victory in the STP Double Oil Filter Turbo Offy ended the dominance of the Ford engine which had lasted for ten consecutive races over the past three years with the USAC Championship Dirt cars. Howerton’s victory was his first in any USAC division and it snapped Al Unser’s bid for a fifth consecutive victory at the Hoosier Hundred. NOTE: We know Jackie Howerton did also win a USAC National Sprint Car race at Eldora in 1976, but this was too good not to include. You may continue.
1983 Jimmy Horton at Nazareth National Speedway
If you’re going to make only one career USAC Silver Crown start, why not make a victory. The modified star and eventual NASCAR regular, Jimmy Horton, jumped into the seat of the Mataka Brothers 3n1 car for the first time, won it, and to this day, it’s the last time he ever sat in a Silver Crown car.
1988 Greg Staab at Indianapolis Raceway Park
A longtime veteran of USAC Sprint, Midget and Champ Cars for nearly two decades at the time of his win, many-time Lawrenceburg Speedway sprint champ Greg Staab finally had his day, battling his way to the lead and to the win, perhaps even more surprisingly, on the pavement of Indianapolis Raceway Park.
1990 Gary Hieber at the Indiana State Fairgrounds
Gary Hieber, from the storied racing community of Langhorne, Pa., scored one of the biggest upsets in Hoosier Hundred history in 1990. Andy Hillenburg appeared headed for victory, leading the first 96 laps of the race, but a worn right rear tire shredded and cost him the victory with just four laps to go. Despite being a front-runner several times in his 44 previous Silver Crown starts, the victory was Hieber’s first top-five finish in the series.
1990 Hank Lower at Butler Motor Speedway
See Jimmy Horton above for a similar fate. Hurryin’ Hank Lower was a frequent frontrunner and winner with the wing on top of his sprint car for several decades, and even into his mid-70s, was still a terror on the high banks of places like Salem and Winchester where he was a previous track record holder. But, on one night in 1990 during USAC’s brief winged period for its sprint car division, Lower signed in for his first USAC event. At the end of the night, he walked out with the trophy in his last ever USAC event.
1994 Jordan Hermansader at Bakersfield Speedway
There aren’t many stages bigger than the Turkey Night Grand Prix to get a first career USAC National Midget win, but Jordan Hermansader, a regular on the Western States Midget trail, shined the brightest on this night, dominating from start to finish in protecting his home turf against the likes of Boat, Shuman, Stewart, etc.
2012 Mike Martin at Canyon Speedway Park
Aboard a 360 engine in a fight against the USAC National Sprint Car and CRA stars, Mike Martin, a frontrunner with USAC’s Southwest Sprint Car series, hit every mark perfectly for 30 laps straight to score his one and only victory.
2013 Chris Urish at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds
Chris Urish of Elkhart, Ill. won an unpredictable Ted Horn 100 USAC Silver Crown race at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in 2013, running third with four laps remaining, then inherited the lead after leaders Chris Windom and Shane Cockrum started to run out of fuel. Urish officially led the final three laps. It was the first and remains the only win in the series for Urish.
2015 Logan Jarrett at Lawrenceburg Speedway
When one thinks of a one-time winner, you might get the impression that the driver may have lucked into the victory or backed into it due to the misfortune of others. Not so fast my friend. Logan Jarrett was a dominating force from start to finish in the Midwest season opener of 2015 at Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway, even pulling away on a late-race restart away from series champs Robert Ballou and Dave Darland for a commanding 2.173-second victory.
2015 Aaron Farney at the Terre Haute Action Track
Aaron Farney took a liking to the big track right away in his USAC Sprint Car career where he produced the majority of his career-best finishes. The half-miles were his forte and the Terre Haute Action Track fit his criteria to a T. The then 19-year-old completed a dominant, wire-to-wire first career win at Terre Haute by running the extreme high side of the vaunted dirt oval and continually pulled away from the field, slicing through lapped traffic and capping it off with a spirited fist pump at the finish line after a 5.193-second victory.
