One of the best regional short-track racers of the late 1980s and early 1990s, Donnie Beechler parlayed his success into a five-year career racing Indy cars in the Indy Racing League.
Beechler, 46, doesn’t climb into a race car as frequently these days, but on dirt or asphalt he was a contender during the heyday of his career.
The Springfield, Ill., native used success on the local level as a springboard into USAC competition,  where he won numerous USAC Silver Crown and Midget Series races. His biggest victory, though, may be the Chili Bowl Nationals, which he won in 1995.
Beechler made his first Ind-car start in the 1998 Indianapolis 500 and went on to start 36 IRL events, with a best finish of third.
Featured here (clockwise from top left):  Getting a hug after winning the Hut 100 in 1998; With A.J. Foyt at the 2001 Indianapolis 500; Celebrating his 1995 Sumar Classic victory at Terre Haute; Sharing a laugh with Tracy Hines; In victory lane after the 1996 USAC Silver Crown 100; Addressing the media after his 1995 Chili Bowl Nationals victory; Waving to the crowd at the 1996 Chili Bowl; At the track in 1996.
— NSSN Archives