Jan Opperman

Born in Long Beach, California, Opperman died in Fountain, Florida, 16 years after suffering critical injuries from a crash during a race in Jennerstown, Pennsylvania.

Jan Opperman would earn the title of one of the “Original Outlaws” in 1968 when Jerry Janssen, a Speedway Motors employee, discovered him in California racing a sprint car powered by a Ranger airplane engine.

Opperman suffered severe head injuries again in 1981, in an accident that left him disabled and needing constant medical care for the rest of his life.

During the 1960s when living in Beaver Crossing, Nebraska he became a dynamic Christian, and, until his catastrophic accident, was working toward creating a ranch in western Montana for troubled youth.

One of Opperman's trademarks was a battered western hat that had been worn by his brother, Jay, who died while racing a sprint car at Knoxville Raceway on May 16, 1970.