For the majority of his Indycar career Tom Sneva had earned himself a reputation as something of a nearly man in the world of American Auto Racing, but in 1983 the Spokane native finally got his moment in the spotlight by taking his sole 500 win in dramatic fashion.

The eldest of five brothers, Sneva began his motor racing career in somewhat unlikely fashion. After graduating from Eastern Washington State College with straight A grades in Mathematics, Sneva worked briefly as a maths teacher in his hometown of Spokane before switching to a full time career in motor sport, following in the footsteps of his father Ed who had been a prominent local dirt track racer during the 1950s.

After being classified 20th in his first Indianapolis 500 appearance in 1974, Sneva was approached by team owner Roger Penske to drive for his team in place of the injured Gary Bettenhausen for the 1975 race. During the event, the 27 year old was caught up in an accident with Eldon Rasmussen going into lap 120, sending his car somersaulting into the guard rail in one of the most frightening accidents ever seen at Indianapolis. The accident would prove to be the start of an unhealthy trend for Sneva, who would go on to crash out of the 500 on a further six occasions, the most of any driver in the history of the speedway.

As the years progressed Sneva had earned himself a status as a clear fan favourite, picking up three pole positions at the speedway (as well setting the fastest time overall as a second day qualifier in 1981) and utilising a hard charging and racing aggressive style that won him many admirers both on and off the track, despite this however his inability to win the 500 had began to play on the Spokane native’s mind. Despite often having the speed to contend for the win on race day a combination of mechanical issues, second placed finishes as well as his accidents had led to some critics seeing the ‘Gas Man’ as something of a nearly man figure at the speedway, and as the 1983 race approached doubts were raised over whether Sneva would ever be able to win the race that had long eluded him.

Going into the 1983 event Sneva approached the race in largely pessimistic fashion. Engine issues with his #5 Bignotti-Cotter machine had plagued the Gas Man throughout practice for the month of May, and although Sneva was able to put in a typically feisty performance to qualify in fourth place fears over the reliability of his machine led many to believe that his day would lead to yet another early exit from the 500. In the race itself however the engine never missed a beat, and as the race entered it’s later stages Sneva had moved his #5 Texaco sponsored machine into second place. Early leaders Teo Fabi and Bobby Rahal had both dropped out of the race with mechanical issues, leaving that year’s 500 to be contested by Sneva and race leader Al Unser, with Sneva beginning to close in on the three time champion with just 20 laps remaining.

Sneva’s charge however was to be disrupted from a most unlikely source. 21 year old Al Unser Jr was making his 500 debut during the race, and after suffering from mechanical issues during the middle stages was running five laps down on the leaders. As Unser Sr. and Sneva came put the young rookie another lap down Little Al ably gave way to his father, only to then proceed to block Sneva from passing him in an attempt to aid his father’s bid for a record equalling fourth Indy win. For lap after lap Little Al ignored multiple blue flags demanding that he move over for Sneva, creating a controversy that threatened to erupt as the race reached its final ten laps.

Eventually however Sneva was surpass the Galles machine, using Dick Simon’s lapped car as a pick to complete the pass and set off after the elder Unser. Despite the efforts of his son Big Al was unable to pull out a large enough lead over the hard charging Sneva, and with eight laps remaining Sneva easily took the lead from Unser going into turn three. The Gas Man never looked back, pulling out a lead of over 11 seconds and finally claiming his long overdue 500 triumph.

The win would prove to be the final major triumph for Sneva at Indianapolis as reliability and accidents meant that he would never complete the full 500 miles of the race again, whilst the decision of the series to switch to radial tyres between 1985 and 1987 soon began to effect his performance, and helped to prompt his decision to retire from the sport following an early accident in the 1992 500. Despite the disappointments of his later career however Tom Sneva should continue to be looked back as one of the fastest and bravest drivers ever to grace the speedway, and his 83 win as just rewards for an impressive racing career.

In today’s video we relive the final laps of the 1983 500, including Sneva’s pass on both Unsers on his way to victory lane.

In tomorrow’s update a young Indianapolis 500 hotshot claims a career defining moment…for all the wrong reasons.