Hoosier Hundred 1953...Greatest Ever Run?

[Seadog]

I'm reading about my first racing hero, Bob Sweikert, in Wikipedia and this caught my eye -

On September 26, 1953 Sweikert won the Hoosier Hundred, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, a race which is chronicled by many as "the greatest race ever" run.

That was five years before my first Hoosier Hundred. Can someone elaborate on why it
was considered "the greatest race ever" run?

[Norman J Crump]

It had some amazing 4 and 5 way battles amongst the leaders, some great overtaking moves, and I think the top 4 all finished within a fraction of each other.
Other than that, pretty dull stuff to be honest.

[roach]

...Can someone elaborate on why it
was considered "the greatest race ever" run?

From an article about Larry Rice:

Larry Rice had been a fan of auto racing since he was a small boy. His father had taken him to the very first Hoosier Hundred in 1953 and he witnessed the four-car photo finish in which Bob Sweikert put the Dean Van Lines machine across the finish line first.

Source

[Belanger99]

This was one of the first races for Sweikert and Brawner after Brawner took over the Dean machine and refurbished the engine. The race was ppd one week due to rain.

The program contained a one page article for each of the top shoes entered. Jo Quinn and Rodger Wolcott posted pre race awards of about $20000 including 1000 lap prize money.

Manny Ayulo set a new track record before 18000, the weather was near perfect and 34 cars attempted to qualify. And though Sweikert led the last 95 miles, at the finish you could have thrown a blanket over he, Ayulo, Parsons and Freeland.

A number of old timers I talked to who may no longer be with us have stated it's the best race they ever saw.

By the way, there was only 1 yellow and 17 of the 18 cars completed 100 miles.

[MS]

I wish I could have seen that. What a great race!

[Seadog]

This was one of the first races for Sweikert and Brawner after Brawner took over the Dean machine and refurbished the engine. The race was ppd one week due to rain.

The program contained a one page article for each of the top shoes entered. Jo Quinn and Rodger Wolcott posted pre race awards of about $20000 including 1000 lap prize money.

Manny Ayulo set a new track record before 18000, the weather was near perfect and 34 cars attempted to qualify. And though Sweikert led the last 95 miles, at the finish you could have thrown a blanket over he, Ayulo, Parsons and Freeland.

A number of old timers I talked to who may no longer be with us have stated it's the best race they ever saw.

By the way, there was only 1 yellow and 17 of the 18 cars completed 100 miles.

I would have loved to have seen that. But alas, I was only two years old and would not have remembered any way. My dad did start taking me to races in 1955 (Cincinnati Race Bowl, original 16th Street Speedway, Dayton, Salem, Winchester, etc.) and I witnessed my first HH in 1958. I have only missed one since then (that was last year).

Thanks for the info.