WALTZ: Opperman’s Season Of Triumph & Tragedy

HARRISBURG, N.C. — I never met Jan Opperman, but I was in the grandstands at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on Sept. 11,1976, when his racing career effectively came to an crashing conclusion.

A California native who frequently claimed Beaver Crossing, Neb., as his hometown, Opperman won the 1971 Knoxville Nationals, claimed the All Star Circuit of Champions title in 1973 and developed a rivalry with Kenny Weld that filled central Pennsylvania grandstands over multiple seasons.