By Ken de la Bastide

 (February 17, 2014) -  Former Pay Less Little 500 winner and racing legend Rollie Beale died Monday of congestive heart failure at a Toledo hospital.

Beale, 84, won the 1966 running of the Pay Less Little 500 at Anderson
Speedway, starting the race on the outside of the front row. He took the
lead on lap 301 and stayed in front for the final 199 circuits.

It was Beale’s fourth start in the Little 500. He finished 22nd in 1961,
eighth in 1964 and 12th in 1965 before recording the victory.

Beale was inducted into the Little 500 Hall of Fame in 2007.

“It’s tough,” Beale said of the Little 500 in 2007 during an interview
with The Herald Bulletin. “There’s nothing like it. You’ll never find
another race like it.”

The Toledo native was a national sprint car champion, chief steward with USAC for 15 years and ARCA Commissioner over the years.

He won the 1973 USAC National Sprint Car champion, his 32 career USACsprint wins and his Silver Crown accomplishments were highlights of his career. Beale was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1996.