(born
November 18 ,
1941 ) is a retired American auto racing driver.
He competed in
Champ Car from the mid-'1960s, when the series was still under the sanction of
USAC , until 1996. He was successful while competing in several
NASCAR Winston Cup events in 1967 and 1974. He periodically raced
Sprint Cars in Indiana. His father was
Indianapolis 500 and
Sprint Car legend
Tony Bettenhausen , and his brother was former
Champ Car team owner
Tony Bettenhausen Jr . Gary made 21 starts in the '500, contesting each event from 1968 until 1982 (with the exception of 1979 when he failed to qualify), and again from 1986 to 1993. His best finish came in 1980 when he finished third after starting 32nd in the 33-car field.
His final start came at the lone
U.S. 500 in 1996, when he borrowed a two-year-old
Penske chassis from his brother and qualified on the second weekend of time trials. The event, Champ Car's race held on the same day as the
IRL 's inaugural running of the '500, saw a massive multi-car pileup at the start. By qualifying last he avoided the chaos and was one of few drivers not to switch to a backup car (he couldn't have as he didn't have one available), but was off the pace early in the race at the
Michigan International Speedway and retired early with mechanical problems.
He was inducted in the
National Sprint Car Hall Of Fame in 1993.
