Question for the Indy 500 history experts here.

[stockblock]

Also in 1983, Gary B waived a run in the 193's less than a half hour before Firestone's legendary run! A decision only approved by Chet Filip

When the rain came the following cars were in line

Bill Alsup 1 strike
Dick Ferguson 2 strikes
Spike Gehlhausen 1 strike
Larry Cannon 0 strikes
Gary Bettenhausen. 2 strikes

I always wondered what would have occurred had the rains never occurred. Personally i think Firestone (190.888) & Steve Krisiloff (191.192) would have been bumped. As mentioned Gary B. had just run a 193 but waved off. Gary still had one more attempt. Alsup, Ferguson, & Gehlhausen all 3 had been running in the 190's. Little bit of a disadvantage for Ferguson as he too was down to one final attempt. Cannon was stuck in the 188 range so faced long odds.

[dalz]

I didn't know about Gary's attempt. The Hungness yearbook says the run was scrubbed because of an electrical problem.

Before the rain that hampered Firestone, there was a dry stretch where all of the potential qualifiers could have made it, but they were waiting for the cooler "happy hour". The clouds must've formed very quickly, and Dennis won the race to the front of the line. Cannon was in a Vollstedt/Offy(!) but might've made it if he guessed right.

[DaveL]

I always wondered what would have occurred had the rains never occurred. Personally i think Firestone (190.888) & Steve Krisiloff (191.192) would have been bumped. As mentioned Gary B. had just run a 193 but waved off. Gary still had one more attempt. Alsup, Ferguson, & Gehlhausen all 3 had been running in the 190's. Little bit of a disadvantage for Ferguson as he too was down to one final attempt. Cannon was stuck in the 188 range so faced long odds.

Cannon was in the 182-183 range in the old flat bottomed Vollstedt. Alsup, Ferguson, and Gehlhausen were in the high 180s so it would have been borderline. There were other cars yet to qualify that were better than those entries, those just happened to be in the line. Dick Simon's 192 average likely would have been in jeopardy. If Gary B's car would stay together for four laps it likely would have made it.

[richie]

The earliest known Bump Day broadcast available is 1983. There's bits and pieces of '78, but not the whole broadcast.

Update! I just uploaded 1982 Bump Day to YouTube today. Enjoy.

[Belanger99]

Update! I just uploaded 1982 Bump Day to YouTube today. Enjoy.

Give that man a cigar!!!!!!!!

Thanks!!!!!!

[DaveL]

Give that man a cigar!!!!!!!!

Thanks!!!!!!

I agree.

Amazing what one can remember. Although I haven't seen it in 38 (!) years I remembered the remark about the marks on the wall left from Whittington's crash being like "abstract art". I heard it again for the first time today.

[dalz]

I agree.

Amazing what one can remember. Although I haven't seen it in 38 (!) years I remembered the remark about the marks on the wall left from Whittington's crash being like "abstract art". I heard it again for the first time today.

I had a similar moment. I was at my aunt & uncle's farm helping with afternoon chores, and was hoping to get done in time to see anything interesting from Bump Day. I made it back in time to hear Posey say the "33 fastest cars will start the race." in the last minute of the broadcast.

Holy smokes Roger Mears almost had a late-model Penske PC-10 at his disposal! He did have one for the final race of the '82 season at Phoenix, no doubt because of brotherly connections. His was the only year-old PC-9B to make the race, it turned out to be a surprisingly poor car under the '82 rules. The Kraco team committed to them, which should have been a solid bet, but drivers Billy Vuckovich and Vern Schuppan both struggled despite tons of track time and missed the 500.

[Sleepcheap]

The 1978 YT video appears to be a local Indy broadcast, not the ABC coverage.

As for 1983, the entire tentative grid was set on day 3, after Pole Weekend was washed out. On Bump Day Dennis Firestone made his legendary run with the final half-lap in a downpour, then Bill Alsup and his interesting Argo chassis waited in vain for it to dry out. If I were him I would've leaned on Binford in the last minutes to go out. "C'mon Tom, I can dodge a few damp spots and still beat 183! I'll take full responsibility for any incident."

Yeah remember that. Kind of amazing he was able to finish the run. My wife at the time was a huge Dennis Firestone fan so it was happy times in our section of the penthouse. I always thought the Eagle he drove in 1982 was one of the prettiest cars I ever saw on the track.

[stockblock]

Update! I just uploaded 1982 Bump Day to YouTube today. Enjoy.

Yes indeed ! Thank you very much ! Always been looking to see some of these old Bump Days

[dalz]

My wife at the time was a huge Dennis Firestone fan so it was happy times in our section of the penthouse. I always thought the Eagle he drove in 1982 was one of the prettiest cars I ever saw on the track.

I had to look it up, I'm embarrassed to say that I never noticed this car. Very sharp.

I was also partial to his bare Petty blue '81 Wildcat that was bought for him out of the qualifying line.

[Belanger99]

I agree.

Amazing what one can remember. Although I haven't seen it in 38 (!) years I remembered the remark about the marks on the wall left from Whittington's crash being like "abstract art". I heard it again for the first time today.

I remembered that Bobby U. got in Garza's car, though I don't remember seeing video of it at the time. What apparently had been forgotten, by me, was that Roger Mears got into the Penske T car and ran on bump day. Had he been bumped in the original Machinists car, it would have been interesting to see if Roger would have actually let him qualify and what he could have done in it.