The inspirational Merle Bettenhausen, who overcame the odds to continue to race and win despite an accident that took his right arm, passed away on the morning of April 29, 2026, 26 days following a massive stroke. He was 82 years old.
Born on June 9, 1943, the Tinley Park, Illinois racer grew up in the famed Bettenhausen racing family. His father, Tony Bettenhausen, captured both the 1951 AAA and 1958 USAC National Championship. In 1961, Tony was killed in a practice crash at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when Merle was just 17 years old.
Merle’s older brother, Gary Bettenhausen, scored four USAC national driving championships in Sprint Cars and Silver Crown cars, and made 21 starts at the Indianapolis 500. Merle’s younger brother, Tony Bettenhausen Jr., made 11 Indianapolis 500 starts and later became a team owner on the Indy Car circuit.
All three brothers were racers to the core, and by 1968, Merle was making his own name in the USAC ranks, winning the first of his eight career National Midget feature events at Indianapolis Raceway Park that year for car owner Ed Loniewski.
Merle added additional wins in 1969 and 1970 for car owner Bob Lockard at Michigan’s Spartan Speedway, Arizona’s Manzanita Speedway and Texas’ Moody & Clary Speedway. He won for Howard Lehmann at Granite City, Illinois in 1971 and at Indiana’s Whitewater Valley Speedway in 1972. Merle also wheeled brother Gary’s ride to victory in 1972 at Manzanita.
Exactly seven weeks following his most recent USAC National Midget win, Merle got the call to drive in the 200-mile Indy Car race in July 1972 at Michigan International Speedway. Just four laps into the event, Merle’s life changed forever.
After tangling with fellow driver Mike Hiss in turn two, Merle’s car slammed the outside wall. The incident resulted in the loss of his right arm above the elbow as well as extensive burns to his face. Merle spent two months at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, but soon vowed to race again, somehow, someway.
With the aid on an artificial limb, complete with an accompanying hook to grip the steering wheel, Merle was back in the cockpit of a USAC National Midget in June 1973 at Lost Creek, Kentucky, 11 months to the day following his accident. Despite an 18th place finish in the feature, he qualified an impressive fourth and won his heat race. Merle was officially back.
Nothing signified Merle’s return to racing more than the August 31, 1973, USAC National Midget feature at Johnson City,Tennessee’s Sportsman Speedway. There, in his 14th race back after injury, Merle swung to the outside of Billy Engelhart on the final turn to win by inches in a miraculous photo finish. Making the feat even more remarkable was the fact that Merle drove the final 37 laps of the 40-lapper without the aid of the power steering.
Merle continued to compete through the 1974 season, stating that he thought of himself as a much better and smarter racer post-injury. In fact, he ranked second in the USAC National Midget points entering July.
However, shortly after brother Gary’s accident in a champ dirt car at Syracuse, New York, on July 4, 1974, Merle announced his sudden retirement from racing at the age of 31. It had been something he was contemplating even before Gary’s accident.
“My brother Gary getting hurt at Syracuse is only part of the reason for me doing this,” Merle stated to USAC News at the time. “I've been considering quitting for several weeks and had more or less made up my mind on the way to Syracuse. I think this will be fairer to my wife and my seven-week-old daughter. I don't have any definite plans but I love auto racing and I hope to be involved in it for the rest of my life.”
Bettenhausen did stay involved, selling tires and fuel at racetracks across the country for several years, and he also worked brother Tony Jr.’s Indy Car team. Furthermore, in 1974, Merle was appointed to the Indiana Youth Council by Indiana Governor Otis R. Bowen.
With USAC, Merle made 203 career National Midget starts, 37 National Sprint Car starts, three Indy Car starts, three Silver Crown starts and even a single Stock Car start.
In 1970, he made his first two career Indy Car starts, charging 24th to 8th at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Mile, then went 11th to 7th at the Sacramento Mile. He was named the 1971 Hoosier Hundred Rookie of the Year for his 10th place result at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
In both 1970 and 1971, Merle captured the World Midget Championship in New Zealand, and in 1974, was the recipient of USAC’s Jim Blunk Memorial Sportsmanship Award presented to the individual contributing most to the image of the professional Midget racer.