Long before the World of Outlaws came to life, there was Jan Opperman. The "Racing Hippie" carved a legend on the dirt tracks of Pennsylvania in the early 1970s (winning 44 of 90 races in 1972) before embarking on the United States Auto Club. Jan wanted to run the Indianapolis 500 and knew the only path back then was through USAC. In 1974, he approached Parnelli Jones in Gasoline Alley, introduced himself and asked if he could drive that car sitting in the garage? Parnelli knew of his talent and hired him on the spot. Despite having almost no pavement experience, Opp sailed through his rookie test and qualified on the last day (pictured). But it was 1976 that really got people's...
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