Little 500 pre-event news 2008-05-19

GORDON JOINS HALL OF FAME & SEEKS 9TH "LITTLE 500" VICTORY SATURDAY

Eric Gordon of Indianapolis, Ind. is among 2008 inductees into the Pay Less "Little 500" Sprint Car Hall of Fame and will be honored Saturday prior to the 60th running of one of America's most spectacular auto races.

Gordon is joined by fellow inductees motorsports writer Ken de la Bastide, race announcer Denny Adams, and car owners Clarence Miller, Carl Reynolds and Walt Straber.

Gordon, who met the age 40 induction requirement last November, leads every statistical category for the race and his eight wins dwarf all others. He's led 2,075 laps in the past 15 years and his win last year was his sixth in the past seven years! He has also been on the "podium" (top-three) 10 consecutive years!

Gordon will be challenged by at least three other "Little 500" champions in the 500-lap race on the 1/4-mile paved oval. Brian Tyler (2006), Dave Steele (1996) and Jeff Bloom (1972, 1977 and 1991) are also entered for Saturday's race, which gets the green flag at 8 pm. The race features the traditional three-abreast start with 33 starters.

Bloom, who won in his "rookie" year in 1972, holds the record for consecutive starts. He has a string of 25 intact going into Saturday night's event and has 30 total career starts.

Pay Less "Little 500" qualifying is slated Thursday and Friday, following Wednesday night's "Banjo Glen Niebel Classic" 100-lap USAC National Sprint race at the track.

Donnie Adams Jr. won the pole for last year's race. Steele owns five race poles and Bloom one. Ironically Gordon has never started from the pole! Gary Fedewa established the 4-lap qualifying record of 44.262 seconds in 1998.

-credit: --USAC--