In the years just before Glenn Donnelly took over the promotion of racing at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, a pair of USAC events were held at the one-mile dirt track, producing two of the strangest finishes on record.
Neither Bill Puterbaugh, winner of the second half of the October 1969 sprint-car doubleheader, nor Butch Hartman, who got credit for the victory in the June stock-car event, ever saw a checkered flag.
The promoter for these two races was United Championship Racers Inc., made up of local contractors Bernie Gerthoffer and Pat Santello, who also sponsored the Willie Davis sprint-car driven by Gary Bettenhausen under the “City of Syracuse” banner. Bettenhausen won the first 50-lapper from eighth in the lineup. Puterbaugh finished second.
The day was heavily overcast, the show was running late and the track had no lights. Bettenhausen and Puterbaugh were inverted to the sixth row for the second race. Gary surged to the lead in six laps and Puterbaugh caught and passed him at the halfway mark. Chuck Booth flipped on the 34th circuit, and in the darkness and confusion, Puterbaugh spun after the red flag. The finish was posted after 33 completed laps with Puterbaugh the winner over Bettenhausen. NSSN headlined the story, “Wins While Parked in the Dark”
The sprint show drew a modest crowd, but the same promotional team was back the following summer with an even more ambitious project, a Saturday afternoon USAC stock-car event billed as the Schaefer 100. Point-leader Roger McCluskey headed the entry list, but the biggest name as far as the central New York fans were concerned was Oswego ace Jim Shampine.
McCluskey arrived by plane after qualifying due to Indy car practice at Langhorne, Pa., but sliced through the 22-car field to duel with Hartman before half distance. The leaders were nearly side by side when Dale Koehler spun in front of them on lap 69. Car after car plowed into the melee, with Koehler’s Chevelle taking mutliple hits.
When the damage was assessed, seven cars were wrecked, including the top four. Koehler sustained head injuries from which he eventually recovered, McCluskey broke his nose, and several other drivers were treated at the track. Among them was Shampine, who made the trip to Oswego and won that night’s supermodified feature, bruised ribs and all.  
To try to complete the scheduled 100 miles with the half-dozen cars that remained in running condition would have embarrassed both the promoters and USAC, so the race was called official at 68 laps with Hartman the winner over McCluskey. Not amused was fifth-place Tom Klippel, who would have been in the lead on a lap of his own if the race had restarted.