One of the best films about racing have seen…thank you! When I was a kid, my mom always rooted for the Bettenhausen and Vukovich boys at Indy because she was so moved by the deaths of their fathers.
This was fantastic! I’ve always been a big fan of the Bettenhausen family. The Robin Miller footage was so great to see. That ending clip with Miller is such a classic!! 😂
I was a little kid and at the time I knew nothing about the Bettenhausen full history, but I pulled for Gary B and the Gas Man those few years they ran Indy in the 90s because of those awesome Glidden rides. This was really amazing! I can never get enough of that old Indy history. Such an iconic racing family and Merle is a testimony of toughness. From the injury, the pain of losing family and his outlook on life, just awesome! Robin was fantastic throughout with all of the stories and that great tribute at the end LOL. Thanks for the film!
Touching as this DOC is, I really broke down seeing Mark Donahue in the pits at Indy. He was one of my hero's, and like Tony B. he was taken from us to early. F1 has always been a thing that I can't stand, it's killed a lot of my fav drivers, Cevert, Revson, Donahue, Senna, I hate it. But I've always loved the Bettenhausens, they didn't know how to quit, I doubt they ever saw it as an option. And for that, they'll always be legend.
Robin Miller always had the best sayings. "Couldn't drive a greasy stick up a dog's ass" is up there with some of the best ones.😂😂😂 I miss his contributions to the broadcasts.
This is an amazing documentary! I’m from Germany and nobody cares really about oval racing here, but I love it! I’m trying to learn all about it’s history and love doing it in Sim racing :) That’s the only way I can race ovals since there are no ovals in Germany unfortunately. But at least I can race my e36 track car on the great German roadcourses like the Nordschleife.
Great job with this documentary. I have always respected the Bettenhausens and what they went through in racing. Hopefully someday, a Bettenhausen will cross the yard of bricks ahead of the field and get that one for Tony, Gary, Tony and Merle as well as the rest of the family.
Great result! My brother and I grew up in the era of watching our dad getting into his sprrint car or sometimes midget not knowing whethèr it would be the last time we would see him alive. Oddly, rather than deterring us from racing ourselves it gave us a release and detachment to pursue that sense of immortality you experience when it all comes together in a win.
Todd Bettenhausen, Thank you for telling me about this story and to be sure to watch it. I am overwhelmed. That's all I can say. Thank you, Jeff Pittman
Absolutely amazing! I made me miss a time i never witnessed 😂 man racing and just about everything else was much better in the 50s-80s (And i was not prepared to see Robin this soon but i am glad i did ty flo racing truly!)
I grew up shopping at Bettenhausen Hardware before there were Walmarts. My Dad was friends with Tony Jr. all growing up, as they were in the same class. I can still remember days when I was in grade school, getting to sit in an Indy car while my parents stood and "talked shop" with this legendary family.
Great Doc, grew up in Terre Haute, witness to the Larry and Gary show at the Action Track, living for the month of May!, 16th and Georgrtown, Racing at its best.
My son was good friends with Gary Bettenhausen’s Grandson. We lived in Bettendorf, Iowa and Gary Bettenhausen’s son lived there. They were awesome people.
I believe there was a time, after World War II, when most Indy cars were were built and trailered from the Los Angeles basin to Speedway. Before that period, I believe many cars were built in rural mid-america by farmers. In either case, you had to run a Miller if you wanted to win.
Hey Flo Racing….do you have access to complete Car and Track series? Desperately trying tolocate 69’ USAC stock car race in Northern Wisconsin. I guaruntee you enough hits to make youre money if you post it on you tube
THat owner left his estate to a animal shelter well if i out live my 2 brothers that were my is going, animals are an absolute gift from the universe, and even the Bible says God created the animals first!
@@tbhausen Oh no i mean absolutely no ill intention, the way i understood this orginal comment was that the Bettenhausen boys donot have the will power the father did. Which is clearly not true, from the video i gathered it was bc of the vision.
Crop subsidies from tobacco. Looking to make government keep that money the land produces in America mandates? Those teams with those sponsors build teams from America
The Bettenhausen family has sure had their share of tragedy. My father was a machinist at Meyer-Drake Engineering for many years and knew George Salih quite well. The 1958 Indy 500 was probably the best opportunity for a Bettenhausen to win the 500. I always rooted for them to win too.
I probably will get a lot of crap for this Indy is at the end of the day just another race in the IndyCar racing season The simple fact is that this family never one and as the commentary said it's an obsession that the family has to think about about quitting automobile racing altogether The family may have had some success in some smaller divisions What could have been isn't really the case It's just that sometimes racing has luck and this family seemed to not have any luck at Indy
That Robin miller tribute clip at the end is amazing.
Spoilers!!!!
Legendary
Robin was a great man full of character and is deeply missed in the sport.
Say what you want, but the Bettenhausen Family is the one family that the Indy 500 owes.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
One of the best films about racing have seen…thank you! When I was a kid, my mom always rooted for the Bettenhausen and Vukovich boys at Indy because she was so moved by the deaths of their fathers.
This was fantastic! I’ve always been a big fan of the Bettenhausen family. The Robin Miller footage was so great to see. That ending clip with Miller is such a classic!! 😂
I was a little kid and at the time I knew nothing about the Bettenhausen full history, but I pulled for Gary B and the Gas Man those few years they ran Indy in the 90s because of those awesome Glidden rides. This was really amazing! I can never get enough of that old Indy history. Such an iconic racing family and Merle is a testimony of toughness. From the injury, the pain of losing family and his outlook on life, just awesome! Robin was fantastic throughout with all of the stories and that great tribute at the end LOL. Thanks for the film!
Touching as this DOC is, I really broke down seeing Mark Donahue in the pits at Indy. He was one of my hero's, and like Tony B. he was taken from us to early. F1 has always been a thing that I can't stand, it's killed a lot of my fav drivers, Cevert, Revson, Donahue, Senna, I hate it. But I've always loved the Bettenhausens, they didn't know how to quit, I doubt they ever saw it as an option. And for that, they'll always be legend.
That outro! Classic! This was the best racing doc I've seen in a long time.
Robin Miller always had the best sayings. "Couldn't drive a greasy stick up a dog's ass" is up there with some of the best ones.😂😂😂 I miss his contributions to the broadcasts.
Laughed my ass off when he said that....woke everyone up in the house. 🤣
I was born in 63, raced Quartermidgets from the age of five so my hero's were race drivers. The Bettonhausons were some of my heroes...
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
The History Mystery Man has a great interview with Merle Bettenhausen, we'll worth watching
This is an amazing documentary!
I’m from Germany and nobody cares really about oval racing here, but I love it!
I’m trying to learn all about it’s history and love doing it in Sim racing :)
That’s the only way I can race ovals since there are no ovals in Germany unfortunately.
But at least I can race my e36 track car on the great German roadcourses like the Nordschleife.
Welcome to the world of Oval Racing! Make sure to watch USAC Midgets on Dirt
Cool that you uploaded this on to RUclips!
Great job with this documentary. I have always respected the Bettenhausens and what they went through in racing. Hopefully someday, a Bettenhausen will cross the yard of bricks ahead of the field and get that one for Tony, Gary, Tony and Merle as well as the rest of the family.
Great documentary 👏🏻
Wow amazing content and opening picture of Merle is at Western Springs Speedway in Auckland New Zealand🏁
Great result! My brother and I grew up in the era of watching our dad getting into his sprrint car or sometimes midget not knowing whethèr it would be the last time we would see him alive. Oddly, rather than deterring us from racing ourselves it gave us a release and detachment to pursue that sense of immortality you experience when it all comes together in a win.
What a great video. What a legendary family
❤❤❤❤❤
Todd Bettenhausen, Thank you for telling me about this story and to be sure to watch it. I am overwhelmed. That's all I can say. Thank you, Jeff Pittman
Wow y’all killed this 🔥🏁 great job
Absolutely amazing! I made me miss a time i never witnessed 😂 man racing and just about everything else was much better in the 50s-80s (And i was not prepared to see Robin this soon but i am glad i did ty flo racing truly!)
That was really good. Thank you for sharing with us.
This whole thing was incredible
The Bettenhausen's were phenomenally talented race car drivers and just plain 'good people'.
Thank you so much for uploading this!
Awesome, just awesome! True Americans who strive to be the best and honor their Father.
I grew up shopping at Bettenhausen Hardware before there were Walmarts. My Dad was friends with Tony Jr. all growing up, as they were in the same class. I can still remember days when I was in grade school, getting to sit in an Indy car while my parents stood and "talked shop" with this legendary family.
The get well card which said, "I love you grandpa" made me cry...,so did finding the ring at the plane crash site.
This is one of the best racing docs I've seen, bravo
Fantastic fantastic fantastic thank you.
Amazing Documentary
Wow, this movie came out great!🏁🏁🇺🇸
Great Doc, grew up in Terre Haute, witness to the Larry and Gary show at the Action Track, living for the month of May!, 16th and Georgrtown, Racing at its best.
Mark and Gary penske cars of 1972 have to be the prettiest race cars of all time with those huge wings on the back!
Sprint car drivers have always been the best drivers in the world
Need a stronger word than legendary for this family.
GREAT documentary.
I miss Miller....😔
My son was good friends with Gary Bettenhausen’s Grandson. We lived in Bettendorf, Iowa and Gary Bettenhausen’s son lived there. They were awesome people.
Great job. Just that. Great job. 👍
Great watch
Nicely done, FLO.
In 1970 USAC Midgets ran a points race at San Jose speedway and I got an autograph from Bettenhauson...
Sat in the car of course
Lol...
So we'll done!!!
Matthew dillner was a great addition to Flo 👏
FACT.
I met Johnny Parsons, known as J.P., at the US Grand Prix, F1 that is. I wanted an autograph, but I got a hug instead.
Great video. Way too many ads, though.
Gary was my favorite and the Terre Haute Action Track.
I lived near and hung out around Tinleypark
Merle is the 🐐
Gary was a bad ass ! Also when lost Robin Miller it was giant blow to Indy Car racing.
Awesome
My Dad went to school with Tony and they were best friend
This was great, and the fact they left in the cussing was good
It should be noted that there was some GOOD news coming out of MIS, Gary B. won a big Indy car race there!
Safety has come a long way but im always thinkn about how back then they had tube chassis cars,crazy engine engineering,etc but no cage
Still are tube chassis.
@@zacharyradford5552 obviously. So whats ur point?
I believe there was a time, after World War II, when most Indy cars were were built and trailered from the Los Angeles basin to Speedway. Before that period, I believe many cars were built in rural mid-america by farmers. In either case, you had to run a Miller if you wanted to win.
Anybody know who’s version of “man of constant sorrow” that is???
Good on Merle.
Hey Flo Racing….do you have access to complete Car and Track series? Desperately trying tolocate 69’ USAC stock car race in Northern Wisconsin. I guaruntee you enough hits to make youre money if you post it on you tube
Damn you got to miss guys like Robin Miller
That wreck suspicious?? Just a thought… idk… bolts coming out of the suspension….??
1:08:48 poor guy sizzled his bawls.
👋👋👍👍👍👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌
Reminds me of the white knight
Dirt is a equalizer these days from over use of technology
I had never heard of "Bettenhausen"
Ads every 5mins are pushing it. Doc is well done though.
Legends? The voice of Army Armstrong
What?
Winston Marlboro Camel and Salem now sends f1 a billion a year from Nascar and tobacco
No they don’t.
THat owner left his estate to a animal shelter well if i out live my 2 brothers that were my is going, animals are an absolute gift from the universe, and even the Bible says God created the animals first!
Sons never have half the will power when it comes down to it. Dale Jr too
His sons were basically blind, that doesnt help.
@@aRedFrog far from it 😊
@@tbhausen my apologies sir, would visually impaired be proper?
@@aRedFrog wouldn’t be fair if we had 100% of our parts in top working order because none of the rest of our family does!
@@tbhausen Oh no i mean absolutely no ill intention, the way i understood this orginal comment was that the Bettenhausen boys donot have the will power the father did. Which is clearly not true, from the video i gathered it was bc of the vision.
Bentley built right or it never sees track
What?
USHRA and NTPA SERGEANT SLAUGHTER 😆
What?
Cigarettes in pocket for cautions bubble goggles
Crop subsidies from tobacco. Looking to make government keep that money the land produces in America mandates? Those teams with those sponsors build teams from America
The Bettenhausen family has sure had their share of tragedy. My father was a machinist at Meyer-Drake Engineering for many years and knew George Salih quite well. The 1958 Indy 500 was probably the best opportunity for a Bettenhausen to win the 500. I always rooted for them to win too.
I probably will get a lot of crap for this
Indy is at the end of the day just another race in the IndyCar racing season
The simple fact is that this family never one and as the commentary said it's an obsession that the family has to think about about quitting automobile racing altogether
The family may have had some success in some smaller divisions
What could have been isn't really the case
It's just that sometimes racing has luck and this family seemed to not have any luck at Indy
Indy didn’t start as part of the Indy car series. It started as part of the F1 series. Also racing for everyone is an obsession.
I just got back from seeing the 2023 Indy 500. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a magical place on race day.