One of the most historic races held in the past was the Golden State 100. The 100 mile race for USAC Dirt Champ Cars held its very first race under the Sancating Body of the Automobile Association (AAA) .The race was held at the at the Califorinia State Fairgrounds in Sacramento
The one mile rice hull covered dirt oval at the California State Fairgrounds in Sacramento was originally constructed in 1906 for the purpose of horse racing. It joined fellow fairgrounds tracks in Indianapolis, Springfield and Duquoin as regular stops on the American Automobile Association (AAA) and United States Auto Club (USAC) National Championship Trail. The Golden State 100 was held in the late fall every year (excepting 1951 and 1952) from 1949 through 1970. Driving the No. 98 Agajanian owned Offy powered Kurtis, Californian Fred Agabashian beat Rex Mays to the line to capture his only “champ car” victory.
The final race in 1970 was one of ten victories that Al Unser and the No. 2 Johnny Lightening Special collected on his way to the USAC National Championship. It was one of two wins for Unser at the track. A.J. Foyt led the way with five victories, followed by Jimmy Bryan and Rodger Ward with three each.
Al Unser in the Johnnie Lighting no 2
The 1970 race feature all the legends of the sport Andretti, Al and Bobby Unser, the Bettenhusen boys Merle and Garry, George Sider, Billy Vukouich, Johnnie Rutherford and Roger McCluskey. The 1970 race was the only the second time the races history that a car not powered by the famous Offenhauser engine won the classic event , Al Unser driving the King Ford engine car owned by Ven Miletich successfully defended the Title he first won in 1969 .
Unser lead the 100 mile race for 99 of the 100 laps after passing Mario Andretti in another King Ford before Andretti crashed out on lap 69 .Unser won US$8,254 for his Golden State 100 win in 1970 .
USAC as the major sanctioning body brought back the Golden State 100 as a Silver Crown event in 1989 at the Cal Expo Track and under the new format winners include Jimmy Sills, J.J.Yeley and Dave Darland the last Golden State 100 was held at So Cal in 2000
The full race results from the 1970 Golden State 100 :
Golden State 100
California State Fairgrounds
1 Mile Dirt Oval
100 Laps/100 Miles
October 4, 1970
Finish Start Driver Car # Sponsor/Name Chassis Engine Laps Status Points
1 4 Al Unser 2 Johnny Lightning 500 King Ford 100 1:04:15.37 93.376 200
2 3 George Snider 24 City of Syracuse Dunlop Offy 100 Finished 160
3 6 Billy Vukovich, Jr. 20 STP Oil Treatment Kuzma Offy 100 Finished 140
4 7 Greg Weld 41 McIntire Chevrolet King Chevy 100 Finished 120
5 12 Roger McCluskey 89 Maxson Quickick Meskowski Offy 100 Finished 100
6 2 Bobby Unser 16 Thermo-King Ward Offy 100 Finished 80
7 11 Merle Bettenhausen 46 McClung Adv. Meskowski Offy 99 Flagged 60
8 10 Mike Mosley 9 G. C. Murphy Watson Offy 99 Flagged 50
9 5 Gary Bettenhausen 59 Thermo King Edmunds Offy TC 97 Flagged 40
10 13 Carl Williams 82 Mid-American Truck Meskowski Offy 93 Broken U joint 30
11 16 Bentley Warren 94 Vatis Enterprises Vollstedt Offy 90 Flagged 20
12 17 Johnny Anderson 65 Travelon Trailer Shilala Offy 88 Fuel pump 10
13 8 Johnny Rutherford 18 Patrick Petroleum Lesovsky Offy 79 Spun out
14 1 Mario Andretti 1 STP Oil Treatment King Ford TC 69 Wrecked
15 9 Ralph Liguori 58 Enterprise Machine Flynn Offy 38 Broken water pipe
16 15 Jim McElreath 14 American Auto Class McElreath Chevy 36 Overheated
17 14 Tom Bigelow 84 Midwest Manufacturing Kurtis Offy 33 Piston
18 18 Salt Walther 77 Walther’s Tyrone Silnes Offy 26 Wrecked
— — Leigh Earnshaw 57 Ken Brenn Meskowski Offy — DNS, too slow
— — Bob Harkey 99 Joe Hunt Magneto Lesovsky Offy — DNQ, lost clutch
— — Bruce Jacobi 33 Windmill Trucking Silnes Offy — DNS, too slow
— — Gary Ponzini 85 Seidelman Ward Offy — DNQ, lost clutch
— — Johnny Parsons 39 Seymour Enterprises Meskowski Chevy — DNQ, broken timing gear
— — Bruce Walkup 98 Wynn’s Spitfire Watson Offy — DNS, too slow
— — Dick Simon 74 Burke Moore Offy — DNS, too slow
— — Gary Bettenhausen 16 Thermo-King Ward Offy — Drove #59 instead
— — Ron Burke 74 Burke Moore Offy — Driven by Simon
— — Will Cagle 12 Daniels Cablevision King Chevy — Did not appear
— — Bill Puterbaugh 19 MVS Ward Offy — Did not appear
— — Jim Malloy 31 Stearns Transi-Tread Meskowski Offy — Did not appear
— — Larry Cannon 47 Blacker Cannon Chevy — Did not appear
— — Jimmy Caruthers X Surdam-Morales X Offy — Did not appear
— — Larry Dickson 20 STP Oil Treatment Kuzma Offy — Driven by Vukovich, Jr.
— — Sam Sessions X X X X — Did not appear
— — Billy Vukovich, Jr. 78 Thermo King Gerhardt Offy — Drove #20 instead
