Roger Rager

Roger Rager (September 3, 1948 – February 16, 2022) was an American racing driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series.

Early life Rager was born on September 3, 1948, in Lincoln, Nebraska. When he was four years old he ran a "space ship" go-kart around a track during an intermission for a race program that included his dad, Bob, at the Nebraska State Fair in Lincoln. At age 14, Rager purchased a stock car for $35 and raced at a local track. He later moved to Lincoln and raced on weekends. His first sprint win was at Jefferson County Speedway in Nebraska.

Career Rager enjoyed numerous milestones as a sprint car racer in the early 1970s. He won many races all over the country and also was the United States captain for a sprint car team competing in South Africa in 1973. He returned to North America and moved to the Twin Cities in the mid-1970s. It was about that time that Rager also set a world record for the fastest lap on a one-mile dirt track, piloting a spring car without a wing. He also won the points championship at the famed Knoxville track. He would become the only driver to win at Knoxville in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.

Roger Rager with one of his winning carsRager had many accomplishments as a sprint car racer, but he changed his race focus to the Indy Car series in the late 1970s. Rager started running some USAC events in 1976 and made his first Indy 500 qualifying attempt in 1977. His qualifying run ended in a crash at 190 mph. Despite running on a small budget against some million dollar race teams, Rager just missed qualifying at the Brickyard by one spot in 1979. He did make the Indy 500 field in 1980 with the tenth fastest qualifying time.

"I had A. J. Foyt on the outside of my (fourth) row, so I thought I would follow him and he actually was slowing me down," Rager said of the legendary racer. Rager not only was leading Foyt, but the entire Indy 500 field for two laps. Rager finished his Indy Car career with six top-ten finishes in 23 starts in USAC or CART events. He was also a USAC Rookie of the Year in 1980.

Rager's focus returned to sprint car racing in the mid-1980s when he was asked to drive for a guy at the speedway in Jackson, Minn. He also left the Twin Cities and purchased a resort on Loon Lake, just west of Pequot Lakes, in 1988. Rager's time in a sprint car started to dwindle as he focused much of his time on building up the resort. He eventually took time off from racing.

Shortly before turning 50, Rager received an offer to drive a sprint car at Cedar Lake Speedway in Wisconsin. "I finally said I would drive one time, but I finished second in the heat and feature," he recalled. "I figured if it's still this easy, maybe I should start driving again." Rager continued racing for the next ten years and continued to enjoy success by winning an additional 30 features, including four at Knoxville Raceway. One of those races was a national qualifier in the 360 class. He also was a Masters Champion three times in six years at Knoxville. In 1990, Rager was inducted into Knoxville Hall of Fame.

Retirement and death Rager retired after being inaugurated into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame May 29, 2009. Living in Pequot Lakes, Minnesota, he owned Rager's Acres Seasonal RV Park on Loon Lake.

On June 22, 2011, Rager was inducted into the Big Car Racing Association (BCRA) Hall of Fame. He died on February 16, 2022, at the age of 73.

Awards and honors United States Auto Club (USAC) Rookie of the Year, "Action Track" Driver of the Year, Captain of the United States Sprint Car Team in South Africa, Track Championship at Knoxville, IA and Minneapolis (North Star Speedway), Washington State Championship, NSS - National Champion 2000 and 2001, Knoxville, IA Masters Champion 2 out of 3 years, Knoxville Hall of Fame, Member of the elite "Leaders Circle Club", National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and BCRA Hall of Fame.

Racing record

Complete USAC Mini-Indy Series results Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Pos Points 1979 TEX1 IRP MIL1 POC TEX2 MIL2 MIN1 MIN2 22nd 90 1980 MIL POC MOH MIN1 MIN2 ONT 29th 35

USAC Championship Car results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Rank Points 1976 Dick Simon PHX TRE INDY MIL POC MCH TWS TRE20 MIL10 ONT17 MCH16 TWS PHX 33rd 60 1978 Agajanian-King PHX ONT TWS TRE INDYDNQ MOS MILDNQ POCDNQ MCHDNQ 41st 15 Wayne Woodward ATL12 TWS MIL ONT MCH TRE SIL BRH PHX 1979 Roger Rager ONT TWS INDYDNQ MIL10 POCWth TWS15 MIL16 26th 65 1980 Roger Rager ONT INDY23 MIL POC26 MOH8 27th 100 1981–82 Seymour Enterprises INDYDNQ POC8 20th 350 J.F. McCray ILL8 DUQ ISFDNQ Indiana Coal INDYDNQ 1982–83 Johnny Vance SPR26 39th 4 W&W Molded Plastics DUQDNQ NAZ Frito-Lay Racer INDYDNQ

CART results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Rank Points Ref 1980 Roger Rager ONT INDY23 MIL POC26 MOH8 MCH24 WGL MIL8 ONT11 MCH MEX11 PHX10 18th 381 1981 Seymour Enterprises PHX MIL ATL ATL MCH13 30th 10 J.F. McCray RIV13 MIL18 MCH21 WGLDNQ MEX PHXDNQ

Indianapolis 500 Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team 1980 Wildcat Chevrolet 10 23 Roger Rager