Crockey Peterson: The bottler who wanted to race at Indianapolis

Majeske Collection

Press kit photo for Crockey Peterson's entry for the 1973 Indianapolis 500.

Back when I started following the Indianapolis 500 with fervent interest, I pored over the program to try to memorize the car and driver combinations for that year’s race. Basically, I wanted to be THE source for my family when we went to the track and they would ask, “Who’s that?” as a car sped by.

One car and driver we never saw at the Speedway in 1973 – in fact, no one saw – was Crockey Peterson. In addition to being listed in the official program with his Dr. Pepper Special, Peterson also was assigned garage space. He had garage 34 for his No. 38 entry and garage 35 for his No. 96 mount. His neighbors in Gasoline Alley were to be Lee Brayton (No. 61 Eisenhour Special) in garage 33 and Dee Jones (No. 51 Minnesota Serendipity) in garage 36. Incidentally, Brayton and Jones never qualified for the 500, though Lee’s son, Scott, was a two-time pole-winner.

Peterson never made it on to the track because USAC refused to let him take a rookie test. I assume his entry fee of $1,000 per car was refunded. Also denied that year were Eldon Rasmussen and Billy Shuman, who were to be teammates for the Quality Racing Team. Rasmussen came back in 1974, then qualified for the 500 in 1975, ’77 and ’79. As far as I can tell, Shuman, like Peterson, never returned to Indianapolis.

As a warm-up to Indianapolis, Peterson competed in twin races at Trenton International Speedway. Unfortunately, he was plagued by mechanical trouble in both races. In the first contest, he managed only two laps before going out with a fuel leak, finishing 23^rd out of 24 starters. The second race wasn’t much better as a water leak sidelined him after 43 laps. Peterson wound up 18^th out of 21 starters.

“I did everything they told me to do, but they turned me down anyway,” Peterson was quoted as saying in a story by Jerry Miller in the 1973 Indianapolis 500 Yearbook.

So who was Crockey Peterson? According to his bio in IMS’ press book for 1973, his full name was Howard Glenn Peterson, his hometown was Desloge, Missouri, and that, among other pursuits, he was a Pepsi Cola and Dr. Pepper bottler. The news release from his press kit states that Crockey Peterson Racing Enterprises was based out of Flat River, Missouri, and that he was the first rookie and the second driver overall to file an entry for the 1973 Indianapolis 500. (Desloge and Flat River are both about 60 miles south of St. Louis.)

That news release contained all sorts of interesting tidbits, including Peterson co-driving with A.J. Foyt in sports car races in Nassau, Bahamas, in 1963. The release also said Peterson was “good friends” with hall of fame mechanic Ray Nichels.

I checked that out with my good friend William R. LaDow, who has written many articles about Nichels and basically has been entrusted with the family archives. Bill said that Nichels may have loaned Peterson a Monte Carlo for a USAC stock car race in July of 1972 at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

The chassis was listed as a 1972 Brabham copy, half “monique” (maybe the writer meant “monocoque”?) and half tubular powered by an 850-hp Offy capable of a top speed of 220 mph. (Hmmm.)

Peterson’s last IndyCar appearance was at Milwaukee on June 10, 1973. He placed 20^th out of 24 starters, going out after 13 laps with an overheating issue. He competed in two other USAC events in 1970, both on road courses, with sponsorship from Pepsi. Unfortunately, the results were similar because of mechanical woes. He was 19^th in the William Murray 150 at Sears Point on April 4, 1970. He completed four laps before going out with an oil leak. Peterson was 20^th in the Rocky Mountain 150 as clutch failure knocked him out after just two laps.

Looking back 50 years, it’s too bad Peterson didn’t at least get a chance to start his rookie test. Dr. Pepper did make its way into racing, including sponsoring Marco Andretti at select races.

Majeske Collection

Crockey Peterson's entry in the 1973 Indianapolis 500 program.

Sources:

1973 Indianapolis 500 program; 1973 Indianapolis 500 trackside report; 1973 Indianapolis 500 Yearbook published by Carl Hungness; The Indy 500: An American Institution Under Fire by Ron Dorson; 57^th Annual Indianapolis 500-Mile Race Press/TV/Radio Fact Book; Press kit from the Dr. Pepper Company and Crockey Peterson Racing Enterprises