Since the late ‘80s the open-wheel racing season has started with the Chili Bowl and ended with the Turkey Night Grand Prix, which debuted in 1934. Other than four dark years during World War II, the Turkey Night midget race has been contested every November somewhere in California.But because of...

Steve Chassey knew what he wanted to do if he got out of Vietnam alive -- drive race cars.Following two years on the front lines in the infantry, Chas' was discharged with honors and headed for Ascot Park to start running his dad's sprinter.He got a reputation for being brave...

He went from the anonymity of cutting hair in a little town in Illinois to a respected national stylist in a sprint car. His library consisted of Speed Sport, USAC News and Carl Hungness Indy 500 yearbooks, but nobody could read a dirt track better. He made it from motorcycle...

Above: Don "Pappy" Branson winning at the Sacramento Mile in 1965.Fifty years ago in a sprint car race at Ascot Park, a veteran hero and a future star perished in the same accident to bring the curtain down on one of USAC's darkest seasons.Don "Pappy" Branson, a 46-year-old master of...

It's July 4th, not Thanksgiving, but I couldn't stop thinking about how fortunate I am to be able to call A.J. Foyt, Bobby Unser, Parnelli Jones and Dan Gurney any time to talk about sprinters at Ascot Park, sanctioning bodies with no clue, the courage of their conviction and Indianapolis...

The standard line at the time was there were bold race drivers and old race drivers but there were no old, bold ones.Don Branson was the exception.At the age of 39, Branson qualified for his first Indianapolis 500 and also edged out A.J. Foyt for the 1959 USAC sprint car...