Sonsio Grand Prix

This year I was able to continue my tradition of attending the road course race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Mother’s Day weekend. This has become such a fun way to spend time with my boys and do exactly what I want on my special day. Unfortunately, Matthew was unable to join Zach and I. How dare these kids grow up.

I drove down to Indy on Friday morning so I could attend qualifying but Zach had a flight lesson (he is working on getting his private pilot license) so he drove up Friday evening. On Friday, I walked through the garage a couple times before finding seats up in turn one of the oval for qualifying. I saw Conor Daly and was able to get a picture. As I left the garages I made my way to the Indy NXT garages to find Scott on the HDM team. It’s always fun to catch up with him at the races.

I love sitting high in the paddock boxes for qualifying. If i could afford those seats I would attend the 500 every year. I enjoyed a snack, the beautiful day and cars on track. Alex Palou won the Pole and he is Zach’s favorite so that was fun. After qualifying I walked back to Pagoda Plaza in hopes of seeing James Hinchcliffe but no luck. I watched the start of the Indy NXT race and then left to get settled at my friend, Lisa’s for the week plus I am in town. Zach arrived around 8:00.

Race Day

I let Zach sleep in sine we had plenty of time before the 3:30 green flag. We arrived at the track and set up our chairs in our usual spot near turn 7. We watched the end of the Indy NXT race and made our way to Pagoda Plaza to grab some lunch for Zach. We checked out the gift shop and the fan village and walked by the corvette parking to take in all the sights before the race.

It was a beautiful day. The sun was warm but plenty of cloud coverage to keep you cool. Zach chose Alex Palou and I chose Will Power for the win. It wasn’t an overly exciting race but the day was still very enjoyable. Palou won and Power was second. Christian Lundgaard continues to impress on the Rahal team and finished third. I owe Zach a Starbucks for his win with Palou.

We made our way back to Pagoda Plaza in hopes of seeing Hinch but missed him again. We did see Allen Bestwick and friends, Jeff and Maggie. They love Will Power so were there to celebrate the podium finish. Zach and I made the long trek back to the car and enjoyed dinner at home while watching Survivor (something we always do together). We also took a late night drive in hopes of seeing the Northern Lights but had no luck.

Mother’s Day

I woke Zach up around 10:00 so we could go to breakfast at Charlie Brown’s in Speedway. There were open seats at the bar so we didn’t have to wait for a table. Zach asked as we sat down if any famous drivers were there. I started to respond that i didn’t see any but as I turned to tell Zach, I noticed he was sitting next to Bryan Herta. Bryan won a handful of races in Cart and IndyCar before starting his own team. He was won the Indianapolis 500 twice as an owner with drivers, Don Wheldon and Alexander Rossi. Bryan did not even make eye contact when I said his name so we did not bother him at breakfast. I couldn’t resist taking a sly picture though. Per my usual, I started a conversation with the men sitting on my side asking if they were race fans. Turns out they both work for Team Penske and offered a bit of insight in the Push to Pass drama. Of course they were very vague but did say it was a mistake and the one who made the mistake is just distraught over it. Maybe one day we will truly know the whole story but for now I am ready to move on and trust that it was the end of any wrong doing, intentional or not. As we were finishing our breakfast we saw good friends, George and Susan Phillips. I chatted with them and hope to see more of them next weekend.

Zach and I then went to IMS to get my Mother’s Day gift. The gift shop is smaller and I didn’t really need anything so I told Zach I would see what I might be able to find during the week. We ran into Bob, who often helps with my trivia contest every year and I told him how I have a piece of the museum at my house now.

One last stop across the street at the photo shop but it was closed.

Bryan Herta

Penske Team

Bob

Also a stop at Crown Hill cemetery

Carl Fisher- founder of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Zach got on the rode for home around 2:00 and I enjoyed a quiet afternoon, talking to my sis and taking a walk. Lisa arrived home from a weekend with her family around 10:00 pm.

It was a wonderful weekend and now it’s time for practice for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing! I can’t wait!

Lee Wallard wins the 1951 Indianapolis 500

Currently, in my life I lost a good friend. Currently, in the IndyCar world there is a huge scandal about Team Penske illegally using push to pass. All of this makes it the perfect time for a little escape to look back at the 1951 Indianapolis 500 and learn more about Lee Wallard. I could use the distraction, how about you?

Even among Indy 500 fans, Lee Wallard is not a name you often hear. I wonder what is the first thing that comes to mind as you hear his name. For me, I wouldn’t even be able to say for sure that he was a 500 winner. So let’s dive in and learn more about Lee Wallard.

There were 12 rookies in the 1951 race, 4 of them finished in the top 10.

Lee Wallard is the driver known for discovering “the groove” at the speedway. Wallard was the first ever to complete the race in under 4 hours, he was a popular winner and was dubbed by the press “The Cinderella Man” ( I have heard the term, Cinderella Man, but would not have been able to tell you who that was). I’m already learning a lot.

Tony Bettenhausen was driving for Murrell Belanger. Bettenhausen wanted to drive for the Meyer and Drake team on the dirt tracks but wished to drive for Lou Moore at Indianapolis. Bettenhausen suggested Lee Wallard for the car in 1951- bet he has regretted that over the years. Bettenhausen’s car spun out late in the race so he definitely made a bad decision.

Lee Wallard was born in Schenectady, New York in 1935. He started his racing career at dirt tracks. His first championship event was in 1941.

At age 40, Wallard won the Indianapolis 500 in a car that Bettenhausen decided not to drive, Bettenhausen opted for the newer front-wheeled drive cars. Walllard led 159 of the 200 laps. Wallard took the checkered flag a full three minutes before second place Mike Nazaruk finished. Only eight cars finished the race, Mauri Rose was among those who retired early.

While Wallard led 159 laps, the race win was not easy. The car bumped around tremendously due to the right rear shock mounting breaking during the race. Next, the exhaust pipe broke and eventually even the brakes gave out with about 12 laps to go. Wallard pushed on though, his discomfort was made even greater from the race suit he wore. It was not mandatory to wear a flame retardant suit but Wallard chose to wear one. However, the process for making a flame retardant suit was to mix boric acid, borax and water and soak the suits in the solution. The pounding he took in the car, especially over the bricks, coupled with the choice to not wear an undershirt proved to be a bad combination. Wallard suffered severe skin chaffing and after the award ceremony he was treated in the infield hospital. While there he also learned that he lost approximately 15 pounds since breakfast.

Four days after the race Wallard was severely burned in a racing accident in Pennsylvania. Wallard required 27 skin grafts. He attempted to qualify for the Indy 500 again in 1954 but was unable to compete due to loss of muscle tissue from his burns, making it impossible for him to handle the car.

Wallard retired and moved to Florida. He died of a heart attack in 1963.

Addition notes from the 1951 Indianapolis 500-

– It was Bill Vukovich’s rookie year. He finished 29th.

– Actress, Loretta Young, gave Wallard the celebratory kiss.

– Duke Nalon won the pole in a Novi.

In the modern day IndyCar world we learned today that David Malukas was released from his contract with the Arrow McLaren team. Malukas was injured in a biking accident and has been unable to drive. Since no date is given for his recovery the team decided to release David. I hate this news as David is one of my favorite drivers. I was looking forward to seeing how he did on the Arrow team. Such a disappointment. I hope he has a complete recovery and is picked up by a team so he can prove what a skilled driver he is.

Johnnie Parsons wins 1950 Indy 500

Johnnie Parsons was born in Los Angeles, California on July 4, 1918. His parents were both in show business and by age three Johnnie was part of the family act. However, after his parents divorced he went to live with his uncle, Jack Bridges. Bridges owned a garage where Parsons met several racers, including Frank Lockhart and Ralph DePalma. Parsons learned to work on cars and hoped to one day become a racer.

Parsons had a very successful career racing midgets. In 1942, he won the United Midget Association (UMA) championship, winning 18 races that season. The season was interrupted by WWII. During the war, Parsons worked for the Douglas Aircraft Company. Post war he returned to racing and began competing in AAA sanctioned events, winning the AAA Midwest Midget championship in 1948. This success earned him an opportunity to race in Championship car events.

Parsons first Indianapolis 500 was in 1949. He was runner up to Bill Holland and went on to win the championship that season. In 1950, Parsons would start the Indianapolis 500 in the middle of the second row. It was rumored that Parsons had a cracked engine block and that the engine would not make the full race and that the only reason Parsons was able to win was because the race was called due to rain on lap 138 (345 miles). Supposedly, he raced hard to try and lead as many laps as possible before the engine gave out but then received a lucky break when the race was called. This was deemed untrue, the crack was not significant and did not affect the engine performance. The car would be used the following year by Mike Nazaruk with the crack still not being replaced. Nazaruk qualified 7th and finished 2nd in 1951. Parsons Indy 500 win was the second race to be shortened due to rain, the 1926 race was won by Frank Lockhart on lap 160.

In Victory Lane, Parsons would receive his congratulatory kiss from Barbara Stanwyck. Stanwyck and Clark Gable were at the race to film scenes for their upcoming movie To Please a Lady. Bill Holland finished second for his third time (1947,48,50) and Mauri Rose, driving for Howard Keck, finished third. Rookies included Pat Flaherty (who we will discuss in a couple weeks) and Bill Vukovich attempted and failed to make the race.

Johnnie Parsons has another “claim to fame” among Indy 500 interesting facts. He is the only driver to have his name misspelled on the Borg Warner Trophy. It is spelled Johnny Parsons on the trophy. In 1991 there was a restoration project on the trophy and correcting the error was proposed. The decision was to leave it as is, it had become part of the lore surrounding the Borg Warner Trophy.

Parsons married his first wife, Arza, in 1942, they had two children. Their son, Johnnie Parsons Jr became a race car driver. Parsons and Arza divorced in 1947. Arza married Duane Carter, they had a son named Duane Carter Jr but he went by Pancho Carter and also went on to become a race car driver.

Parsons would continue racing in the Indianapolis 500 through 1958. In 1957 he failed to qualify but Dick Rathman had been mugged the day before the race and Parsons was called in as the replacement driver. He finished 16th that year.

Johnnie Parsons died of a heart attack on September 8, 1984.

If anyone has information on how I can watch To Please a Lady please let me know.

Mauri Rose 1947 & 1948

Mauri Rose won his first Indianapolis 500 in 1941, he was a co winner with Floyd Davis and that has its own story but todays blog will focus on his back to back wins in 1947 and 1948. Mauri Rose was born in Columbus, Ohio on May 26, 1906. Rose first drove in the Indianapolis 500 in 1933. He started in 42nd position and finished in 35th. The following year the cars would be limited to 33 and it has remained that way ever since.

Mauri qualified in 3rd position for the 1947 race. Ted Horn won the pole and Bill Holland, Mauri’s teammate, was the fastest qualifier but started in 8th position. Holland led most of the race. Team owner Lou Moore had the team put out signs saying EZY to both Holland and Rose. Holland followed the sign but Rose continued to push. When Rose passed Holland on lap 193 Holland believed that Rose was only unlapping himself. Holland was unaware that Rose was passing for the lead and Holland even waved at Rose as he passed. Post race Holland was furious when he realized that Rose and won and wanted to know why he hadn’t been told that Rose was also on the lead lap. While some believed that team owner, Lou Moore, and veteran driver Rose were teaming up against the rookie it has been denied by both Moore and Rose. Rose even said that is would be foolish for Moore to do that because Holland was signed to receive 30% of the total purse while Rose received 40%.

Mauri Rose was greeting in Victory Lane by movie star, Carole Landis, who had been flown in as a guest of Borg Warner. For several more years leading ladies would serve as guests of Borg Warner in Victory Lane.

The 32nd running of the Indianapolis 500 took place in 1948. Rex Mays won the pole position. Bill Holland started 2nd and Mauri Rose started 3rd with the Blue Crown Specials driven by Rose and Holland, running 5mph faster than the previous year. Sid Collins joined WIBC as a turn reporter on the south end of the track.

Duke Nalon was having a good race and looked to be on his way to Victory Lane but the crew failed to fill his tank and he ran out of gas with about 30 miles left in the race. He pulled into the pits. Rose went on to win his third race. He did it at a record breaking 119.814 and only made one pit stop. Bill Holland was again runner up.

In Victory Lane, Rose apologized to actress Barbara Briton as he refused to receive the congratulatory kiss from her until he could kiss his fiancé, Mary Ruth Wentworth.

I have found several interesting things to note on Rose’s career. Rose (with few exceptions) only raced in the Indianapolis 500. He would take his lunch break from the nearby Allison Engine Company and practice on the track before returning to work. Rose raced in the Indianapolis 500 15 times. He won three. After a crash in the 1951 race he retired from racing and was hired by General Motors. At GM, Rose played a critical role in the development of the first production Corvette. Thanks to Rose’s role the car was a successful racecar.

With all those accomplishments on his resume Rose considers his greatest achievement to be designing and developing hand controls so that those with limited use of their legs may be able to drive. Both of Rose’s children were disabled by polio so it is understandable why he deems this his greatest achievement.

Rose was the third three time winner of the 500 joining Louis Meyer and Wilber Shaw. He was the second back to back winner, joining Wilbur Shaw.

Mauri Rose was given the honor of driving the pace car in 1967. He died on New Year’s Day 1981. He was 74.

George Robson 1946 Indianapolis 500 Winner

By now everyone knows how much I love my timeline piece from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. After nearly three months it is officially mounted on my basement wall and I am trying to put together a fun IndyCar area in my basement. As I’ve worked on this I realize how little I know about the men who won the Indy 500 between 1946-1956. I’ve decided to do my own countdown to the 500 where each week I showcase a different winner on my timeline. Since both Mauri Rose and Bill Vukovich have back to back wins I will combine 1947/48 and 1953/54 allowing for a post a week until race day. The posts won’t be extremely detailed but hopefully are a fun way to learn more about the drivers from the era.

George Robson, winner of the 1946 Indianapolis 500, is probably the driver I know the least about and one of the reasons I came up with this blog series. Even his name is not familiar to me.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was closed during World War II. The Indianapolis 500 was not run but the track was also not in use as it had been during the First World War. The use of the Speedway was offered to the government but due to increases in airplane technology the facility was too small to serve as a base for the military aircraft as it had in World War I. The entire Speedway was in shambles. Weeds and trees were growing up through the track and owner Eddie Rickenbacker was open to selling the facility. Former winner, Wilbur Shaw, set out to find a buyer for the Speedway and met with Anton “Tony” Hulman. Rickenbacker sold the Speedway to Tony Hulman and Wilbur Shaw became president and general manager of the Speedway.

The task of repairing the Speedway was a huge one. Grass and weeds were waist high and bleachers were falling down. The work was done, including new bleachers and even a new Pagoda, and fans flocked to the Speedway eager to see cars back on track. The cars were all prewar models and at the end of the 1946 race only 9 cars were still running. George Robson took the checkered flag.

George was born in England in 1909. In 1911 his family moved to Canada and then moved to the United States in 1924, settling in Huntington Park, California. He married Marjorie June in 1933 and had a son the following year named George William. George began his racing career in the mid 1930s and his first experience at the Indianapolis 500 was as a relief driver. Robson would qualify for both the 1940 and the 1941 Indianapolis 500, finishing in 23rd and 25th place.

In 1946 Robson qualified on the fourth day of qualifying but with the fifth fastest time. He started in 15th position and took the lead on lap 56. With the exception of pit stops he held onto the lead the rest of the race. After the race there was a bit of controversy as Robson was accused of not following the rules by staying in his car during the pit stops but it was determined that he was the winner.

The Indianapolis 500 win must have given Robson a boost of confidence because he went on to win 6 races (these were non points races) and was second in the points standings among championship races. Unfortunately, George Robson would lose his life at a race at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta. It was a track know for being dusty and visibility was poor. George tried to avoid hitting Billy DeVore and was hit by George Barriner. Robson was not able to avoid DeVore. DeVore’s car went over a stone wall and he landed upside down in a creek. People from the crowd rescued him. Barringer had massive internal injuries and died a few hours later. George Robson’s car rolled and he was thrown to his death.

I guess I am not surprised to learn that George died shortly after his Indianapolis 500 win, it was often the case in these early days of racing. I do wish though that this first driver profile had ended on a happier note. While sad and tragic, I do hope you enjoyed learning a bit more about the 1946 winner and I look forward to posting each week about the men who won the Indianapolis 500.

This is my 200th blog post.

The Lionheart

I am not your typical race fan. I know hardly anything about cars, I can’t tell you what gear a driver is using, how he brakes or what engine he has just from the sound of it. I’ve come to love and appreciate the sounds, sights and smells of racing but what I love are the drivers themselves. I love their passion for winning at all costs. I love seeing grown men so excited to win the Indianapolis 500 that they give big sloppy kisses (Granatelli and Mario), they climb fences, cry even bawl, pour milk over their heads (even when they’ve been told they will stink of milk all day) and have such passion you can’t help but to be pulled in. I became a fan from hearing their stories and then watching them win. It all started with AJ Foyt for me and reading his biography long before I watched him in a race. I am much more invested in the drivers than the cars.

Sunday I planned to watch the documentary, The Lionheart, directed by Laura Brownson, telling the story of Dan Wheldon, his fatal accident and how his family is carrying on his legacy.

I delayed watching it all day. Did I really want to watch? I mean we all know the story. We all lived it in our own ways on that October day in 2011. While I had been watching the Indianapolis 500 since 1985 and had heard of a couple deaths only Scott Brayton’s really hit me. Somewhere around 2006 or 07 I began watching more of the IndyCar series and watched several horrific accidents but everyone walked away. I really wasn’t prepared for that type of accident. It’s an odd thing too, mourning the death of someone you never knew, friends and family don’t really understand how you feel and expect you to move on much quicker than you do.

So with some apprehension I began the documentary. One of the first things you see is Dan Wheldon on what I’m guessing was a media day doing some videos. It’s classic Dan and I loved it. Just after that you see Susie, Sebastian and Oliver reading sympathy cards they received and one boy leaves because it is just too intense. The documentary continues that way with lighthearted scenes followed by heart wrenching scenes.

The documentary simultaneously follows Dan’s career and the career of his boys. Struggles and wins for all of them. I learned a bit more of the back story of Dan’s last year in racing. At the time I didn’t keep up with IndyCar on social media so all my racing information came from the racing coverage. I knew what Randy Bernard was planning for the Las Vegas race and thought it sounded amazing, I had no concerns about it at all, completely oblivious. Unfortunately, Randy didn’t heed the advice or concerns that several people had for racing at Las Vegas. Randy’s job was to bring more eyes to IndyCar, to promote it, he was doing that and that was his driving force. It wasn’t ever meant to put the drivers in extreme situations, but sadly Randy was like me, he hadn’t been in the sport long enough to have the real dangers touch his life and went about his job of promotion. It was tragic but I do not blame Randy for the accident. Randy refused to be interviewed for The Lionheart.

Spoiler- The documentary ends with the boys doing a race in Las Vegas and Susie has their initials tattooed onto her arm just as she did with Dan the night before his race. It is a sweet scene.

I give Susie so much credit for being able to open up and be so vulnerable. It had to be hard and yet what an incredible story to see how the boys have learned to love racing and are moving forward in their racing careers. Telling this story continues Dan’s legacy and I don’t believe it is over. When Sebastian and Oliver become race winners and the Wheldon name is again on the top step of the podium no one will be surprised, but I’m guessing many grown men will once more shed tears. I know I will. IndyCar is all about passion.

Two-Seater Ride

Shortly before my birthday this past November, I hinted to my husband that a great gift for me would be a two-seater ride in an IndyCar. It’s something I’ve definitely thought about but between the price and the scheduling of it I never got it done. So even though I had suggested the gift I was completely shocked when I received a printout with all the two-seater options and 5 100 dollar bills. Now the ball was in my court.

The first decision was the easiest decision. I would book my ride on the oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The road course at Indy might be less terrifying and the course at Mid-Ohio or Road America might be beautiful but there is only one that has all the beauty, thrills and history all tied up in a magnificent two and a half mile oval. Definitely the easiest decision to make.

Next you have to choose the length of your ride, 2,3 or 4 laps. This should also seem like an easy decision but for me there were several factors to consider. The most obvious is price. Two laps costs $500. Three laps costs $650 and four laps is a whopping $750. Of course there are more costs to consider, gas, hotel and restaurants along the way. So I procrastinated on making that decision. If you are going through the effort of planning the ride you should just go for the max number of laps but my conservative side said I should just do the two laps. Another factor is fear. I don’t fear crashing, I fear passing out. How intense will the G-forces be. I used to love roller coasters but now at age 53, not so much. Will I be able to enjoy the ride or will it just make me feel awful and pass out? Another concern is my sleep. When I am excited for something I have a ton of trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. The trip I took to Indy in September with friends I hardly slept at all. If I was that excited to do a golf cart tour how will I ever sleep before a two-seater ride? I don’t dare take any sleeping pills because I would be too groggy the next day, but if I don’t sleep I will also feel horrible. So I continued to procrastinate so I could worry about these decisions later.

Another decision is when to book it. There are several dates in May and I plan to spend several of them at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway so that would make sense but for me those days are busy enough without the added “pressure” of the two-seater ride so May was not the answer. July was definitely not the answer. I didn’t confirm but I’m guessing it was over the NASCAR weekend so that was reason number one to not plan it in July. The heat was the second reason. I have no desire to attempt my ride in the sweltering July weather. However, they also offer dates in October and that sounds about perfect so if I can figure out the number of laps I can book in October.

So as the Christmas season neared, Facebook informed me of a deal offered by the Indy Racing Experience. Use the code Merry30 to receive 30% off your experience. Hmm. That just made the decision between 2 and 4 laps easier (or more complicated). I continued to procrastinate but put a reminder on my phone to book soon. I didn’t know how long the coupon offer went but assumed it was good through Christmas.

On Christmas morning I both received and gave several IndyCar gifts. I still had not made a decision on the two-seater ride. It wasn’t until much later that night after all the meal prep, eating and cleaning was done that I went up to the computer to finally make my decision. Randy and Sue had spent the day with us so as I began to book it Randy encouraged me to go for the 4 laps. I always knew it would be four but the fear factor has kept me from making that decision in real life. Well until Christmas night anyway. The discount brought the price down to $525.00 so I can’t go wrong there. I booked for the October date and not until 12:30 in the afternoon so hopefully I can get the sleep I need and not feel anxious about needing to fall asleep. While booking the experience, Randy decided that he wanted to do it too so we booked his for the same time as mine and that will definitely help me with my anxiety as we are getting ready for the ride.

If you’ve read this you are either laughing at how nervous I am or are wanting to reach out with advice and tell about your experience. I would greatly appreciate any tips or advice for making it an easier day for me with my anxiety. I also wonder if anyone knows which drivers do the two-seater rides at Indy. It will be quite awhile before I can let you all know how it went but a little time to get used to the idea that I’m doing it might not be a bad thing. I think I might need to plan a day at an amusement park and get myself on some roller coasters. Stay tuned!

Keeping the Memories of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum Alive

George Phillips of oilpressure.com is known for saying “change is bad”. Often I agree with him, but in one area we disagree. He is excited for the changes coming to the museum at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and I am not. It’s the one time George wants change. When it was announced that the museum was going to be getting a makeover I was hoping they would leave a lot of the old just the way it was and add on a new wing. However, that is not the case and it will be getting a complete renovation. All the things that make it special and nostalgic will be gone. I was crushed hearing the news.

I immediately made plans to get one last trip in to see the museum. When I suggested the idea to some girlfriends that had never been, they decided that would be a blast and we planned girls weekend in September. Six of us made the drive to Indy and stayed at an AirBNB within view of the Speedway. We could sit on the patio and see the Pagoda. I loved it. Saturday, we took a golf cart tour of the museum and saw areas I had never seen. We were on several floors of the Pagoda, Victory Circle and even the Media Center. We were able to go on both the oval and road course. We kissed, or pretended to kiss, the bricks and once the tour was done we went to the museum. I showed the girls my favorite cars and displays and we watched the movie in the museum theater. We sat in a car, tried on yellow shirts and danced in the Snake Pit. I pointed out the Timeline on the long wall with every winner of the Indianapolis 500 and thought that the timeline display would be what I would miss the most. I love standing at the beginning and look all the way down. Then I move up to 1970, the year I was born and sadly see how far away the current winner still is. Next I move on to 1985 and test myself by holding up a hand to block the next winner and make sure I still know the winners of each year from the first 500 I watched till the present. I love the history of the Speedway condensed down to a single wall and walk from the past to the present and look ahead and wonder about the future and who will be next on the wall and of course the Borg Warner Trophy.

I take several pictures when I am at the museum but there are only a few I take every time I am there. The Marmon Wasp, Dan Wheldon’s car, the Borg Warner Trophy and the timeline. Of all of those I’m sure the timeline pictures outnumber the others. So we made our final trip to the Museum and I took it all in one last time. Those who know me will not be surprised that I teared up as I walked out of the building the last time. The first time I walked in was with my dad. Even though I was only there with him once I still think of him every time.

Fast forward to about a week ago and I saw a post on Facebook for Earl’s Auctions in Indianapolis. I’ve seen their auctions before as they often have items from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Usually what I see are signs for concessions or the bathroom or maps of the Speedway. I clicked on the link and saw some golf carts and pictures and quickly realized I recognized them from the museum. As I scrolled through the list I saw the 10 foot by 5 foot metal signs that made up the timeline. Each section was being auctioned off individually. Current bids were quite low and I made a note to keep an eye on them but assumed they would be out of my price range within a few days.

I talked myself out of bidding several times because of the size of the boards. I have a wall large enough to hang one, even two, but transporting them would be a different story. The bids closed on a Saturday night and then pick up was the following day. Shipping wasn’t an option and failure to pick up during the pick up window would result in forfeiting the board and a permanent ban for future auctions. Then I realized the first and last boards of the timeline were only 6 feet long. The price was low on all the boards and the more I thought on it the more excited I got. Friday I put my first bids on the smaller boards and was the highest bidder. I knew that the bidding would increase as the auction drew to an end but I remained hopeful.

Saturday evening I upped my bids because now I was really excited to own them but the first board quickly went above a price I was comfortable with and eventually sold at $510.00. I quickly made the decision to bid on the larger boards and put a bid of $100.00 on the board covering 1946-1956. I still was winning the last board so I didn’t place a bid on any other boards. We were at a friends house for dinner so I could not watch as intently as I wanted. The last board also rose above my max bid, but I won the 1946 board for a mere $41.00. Several of the boards went for under $100.00 and a part of me wishes I had bid on them. Since I already had to travel to get one board it would have been easy to pick up a couple more. I don’t have room in my house but the garage wall could house them too. However, I promise you that my husband is thankful we only have one.

I never could have even considered bidding on the boards if not for my cousin, Randy. He promised he would help pick them up and provided both the truck and trailer we needed to get them. I met him at his house at 6:30 a.m. and we drove to his friends where the trailer was stored. We drove back to his house thinking we would need to unload the trailer but decided that we would be able to leave the materials in it and still have room for the board. It was a windy and drizzly day but traffic was light and we had no problems on our drive to Indy.

Pick up at Earl’s Auctions was super easy and within minutes after arriving I was the proud owner of a piece from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. So what did we do? We drove to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I had really wanted to take the board out of the trailer and stand with it by the fountain and take a picture with the museum in the back but the winds were too strong and we decided against it. I did open the trailer and attempt to get a picture but its not what I had wanted. We went into the gift shop and bought a couple things before heading to Main Street. We had planned to have a glass of wine at the Foyt Vault but it was closed for a private party so we went to Daredevil and met our friend, Lisa, there. We chatted and caught up and the decided on dinner at Big Woods. After dinner we drove home.

Once we reached home and Steve saw in person how large the board was he regretted telling me I should get it. Steve and Zach carried the board into the basement and set it against the couch. In a few days we will permanently mount in on the wall. I love it and it makes me smile every time I see it.

I had wanted the first board because of Ray Harroun. I wanted the last board because it was missing the 2023 winners and I planned to get pictures of the winners with me and Randy and fill in the board. I wanted the board with 1985 because that was my first Indy 500. However, the more I look at my board the more I love it. It has the years the Speedway was closed due to World War 2. It shows the condition the Speedway was in from the years of neglect. There is a great picture of Tony Hulman and Wilbur Shaw. The winners include back to back winners Mauri Rose and Bill Vuchovich. It was when the first museum opened and the medical center was built. It covers a lot of history and it brings up all the nostalgic feelings I have for the museum when I see it and read about that era. It’s a perfect piece for me to keep my memories of the old museum alive.

Once the board is up I hope to also put up some shelves and display some souvenirs I have collected over the years and make an IndyCar section in my basement. Steve might not agree but I’m hopeful.

Before wrapping up this post I have to thank Randy for all he did to make this possible. There is no way I could have done this without him and I am so grateful. Randy, I think this officially puts you in the “Super Fan“ category. It was a blast picking it up. Thank you so much!

A much smaller piece that I also won.

The Highs and Lows of the Indianapolis 500

If you have been following along on my blog, you know that while in Indy my first stop every morning was the Dreyer & Reinbold/ Cusick Motorsports garage to visit my favorite team. My family has been a fan of Stefan Wilson since his days in Indy Lights and we were thrilled when he teamed up with Don Cusick. We were even more excited to learn that Cusick Motorsports would team up with Dreyer and Reinbold for the 107th Indianapolis 500. This was announced early in the year giving Stefan a wonderful opportunity to focus on the racing rather than putting a ride together. I’m forever grateful for all Don Cusick has done for Stefan.

First day seeing Stef at IMS

Love this team!

Don Cusick doesn’t stop with putting the team together. He is incredibly engaging with the fans. He posts his own social media and reaches out to many. He has given away tshirts and other gifts on Facebook sites (particularly Elite IndyCar) and multiple times has told members of that group to please stop by the garage and say “Hi”. I have not met anyone who is not impressed with Don both as team owner and a genuinely nice guy.

Of course, we all know Stefan is equally as kind and engaging. Last year he stood and talked with me for several minutes in the rain. This year, I enjoyed several conversations with him and have never once seen him act unkind to anyone. I couldn’t wait to cheer him on in Sundays race. I could see his determination on his face every time he stepped in the car.

I don’t believe you can jinx something by speaking about it loud, the world doesn’t work that way but nevertheless I did not say out loud or on social media how surprised I was that not a single car had been involved in an accident. I was watching the Monday practice in my kitchen while cleaning up when I heard the crash and realized it involved Stefan. Katherine Legge failed to slow down and hit Stefan from behind. Both cars made contact with the wall but Stefan’s car hit at a force and angle that looked scary. Katherine exited her car but Stefan did not. The cameras were not showing much and that is usually not a good sign. A stretcher was brought out and after what felt much longer than it really was Stefan was extracted from the car and gave the crowd a thumbs up. Finally, some good news. I was so grateful for that thumbs up. We still didn’t know the extent of his injuries but we knew he was awake and able to move his arms.

We eventually learned that Stefan did not have life threatening injuries but that he was taken directly to IU Health Methodist Hospital for evaluation. It was determined that he suffered a fracture of the 12th thoracic vertebrae and would not be allowed to compete in this year’s Indianapolis 500. Tears of joy that Stefan would recover and tears of sadness that he would not be racing. We still wait for more news on what recovery looks like and pray that it is a quick and full recovery and he can get back to racing soon.

Statement regarding Stefan Wilson’s incident that occurred during practice today at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. pic.twitter.com/LSrr6rWFXK

— Cusick Motorsports (@CusickMSports) May 22, 2023

The mixed tears were similar to what I experienced with Graham Rahal and Jack Harvey just a day earlier. Now speculation had begun about who might fill Stefan’s seat and three drivers topped that speculation list, Graham Rahal, JR Hildebrand and Sage Karam. Any one of them would have been a great choice. Any one of them would take a lot of work to get the switch made. It seemed to me though that Graham would have the most obstacles to overcome.

Don Cusick posted on his Facebook page that a driver announcement would be made at a Tuesday morning press conference at the media center at IMS. Before the cameras are rolling you can hear Don say, “I guess the cats out of the bag now.” Someone laughs and responds “yeah” and I was fairly certain it was Graham Rahal. As the press conference begins and people are introduced we learn that it is indeed Graham Rahal that will be replacing Stefan Wilson in this years Indianapolis 500. I am happy with that decision.

As you reflect over the last 24-48 hours so many ups and downs. Stefan was solidly in the race with a great team and a great car, Graham failed to qualify and would be sitting on the sidelines. Now, Stefan is in the hospital awaiting more tests and news on his recovery and Graham will be driving in this years Indy 500. The range of emotions is all over the place. How can you be happy for Graham when you know what it cost Stefan? After the emotion we saw from Graham after he failed to make the race how can you not be happy for him and then again with your very next thought you go back to Stefan and are heartbroken. I’m honestly a bit numb. It’s been a crazy couple days as a fan. I can’t imagine how much more intense for all those involved.

What I do know, there is never a dull moment when IndyCars are racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Drivers put everything at risk to be the one whose face is added to the Borg Warner trophy. The Speedway can produce the lowest low and the highest high. Thankfully, this time the low did not take a life and Stefan will be back more determined than ever. He has a great team standing with him and I’m very excited to see how they continue to grow and move forward. This was a heartbreaking couple days, prayers will continue for Stefan and the team.

I had said on Sunday that I was wearing my Graham Rahal shirt and would wear it again on race day. I might need to change that to my Cusick Motorsports shirt that Stefan, Don and Anders Krohn signed for me. I want to see that team running up front and showing the world how very determined they are. I am glad Graham has this opportunity, I never would have chose for it to work out this way. Some things are completely out of our control and since someone needed to fill that seat I am glad it is Graham.

This is just the start of the Cusick Motorsports team story. It will go on and build and this will be a team fans cheer on for so many reasons. They will be fast and competitive on the track and they will be kind and gracious in the paddock and that combination will make them a favorite and respected team throughout IndyCar. I expect great things in their future.

Stefan, please know you remain in my prayers for both a quick recovery and that you can have peace in this situation. I know it must seem impossible but I do just pray that you can keep your eyes on the future and not dwell on the past. I can’t wait to see you at a race track soon.

Qualifying Weekend for the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500

The weather was beautiful for practice on Wednesday and Thursday. I was so grateful for the opportunity to spend the week at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. My first stop of the day would always be the Dreyer & Reinbold/ Cusick Motorsports garage to see Stefan Wilson and Don Cusick. Both are amazing with the fans and I enjoyed checking in each day. I’m very excited to see how Don continues to move the team forward and get even more involved with IndyCar. He has such a passion for racing and is extremely welcoming to the fans.

I spent a fair amount of my days walking around the garage area but also enjoyed watching the cars from several vantage points. I enjoyed meeting other fans and catching up with friends. I happened to run into George Phillips and John Oreovicz on Wednesday night at Dawson’s on Main and they were kind enough to let me join them for the evening. We had a good time discussing IndyCar.

Due to my sons High School graduation I had to leave town on Friday morning. After saying goodbye to Lisa and thanking her for hosting me I made a quick drive through Crown Hill Cemetery to see the final resting place for Carl Fisher and also Bob Jenkins. I also stopped by Wilbur Brinks plot. He is the young boy that was killed in his backyard from a tire that got loose. So tragic.

Then I made my way to Charlie Browns for one last amazing breakfast. The diner was quite crowded but I was able to get a single spot at the counter. I struck up a conversation with the man sitting next to me and offered him some advice on navigating the Speedway. He thanked me and also surprised me by paying for my breakfast. I didn’t learn this until I went up to the register to pay and was told it was taken care of. So sweet. Thank you kind sir.

It was a long drive home because I was tired from the week but listening to fast Friday on Peacock helped. I was very disappointed that the qualifying draw was not televised at all. The coverage the last few years has been awful because they had too much going on with someone running the draw and then another person or two doing interviews after. If you are a big enough fan to watch the draw you don’t need any extra glitz, you just want to see where everyone will line up for qualifying. It was very disappointing to not have it aired.

Saturday Qualifying

Saturday, day one of qualifying went off about as expected. The only really big surprise was how well the AJ Foyt team did. Both Santino Ferrucci and Benjamin Pedersen made the fast 12. Tony Kanaan seemed satisfied to just be in the field but the Arrow McLaren team insisted he go out again and TK also made the top 12. Stefan Wilson has a very respectable 25th starting position and feels they have a strong car for race day. Stef had been 24th most the day but towards the end of the day David Malukas who had been near the back all day had a great run and jumped to the 23rd position. That set Stefan back one spot but puts him on the inside of the row. I think that might be preferred so perhaps it’s not all bad. Katherine Legge was the only member of the Rahal Letterman Lanigan racing team to make the field on Saturday. Christian Lundguard, Jack Harvey and Graham Rahal would be joined by Sting Ray Robb from Dale Coyne racing on Sundays last chance qualifying.

Sunday Fast 12 Qualifying

The fastest 12 went out with one chance to make the fast six. No big surprises there. The field was very close and Dixon, O’Ward, VeeKay, Palou, Ferrucci and Rosenqvist would move on to the fast six. After an hour break the last chance qualifying began.

Last Chance Qualifying

Christian Lundguard went out and had the highest time among the four trying to fill the last three spots. Sting Ray Robb was next and had the second highest speed. Jack Harvey was bumped out by Graham Rahal and it became obvious that it would be either Jack or Graham that failed to qualify. Graham could do nothing but wait. If he tried to qualify again he would have to pull his time so waiting and hoping Harvey would not improve was all he could do. Harvey made a second attempt that did not improve his position. With only a few minutes left in qualifying they sent Jack out to cool down the engine by running air over it. He came back in, the team made a few more adjustments and they sent Jack out in a last ditch effort to get him in the field. Time ran out for qualifying as Jack made his run, no more chances would be given for either driver. It was a long shot because usually a car needs to cool down to be at its best. Harvey drove his heart out though and amazingly made the field. Jack’s average speed was 229.166 and Graham’s was 229.159. It was extremely emotional for both drivers. I wasn’t sure who my tears were for, joy for Jack or heartbreak for Graham. With very little time to process what had just happened we moved on to the fast six, this was where we needed the hour break.

Fast Six Qualifying

I was really hoping Santino Ferrucci would win the pole but he will be starting third. Scott Dixon will be sixth and once again a driver failed to win the pole for a third time in a row. It was Alex Palou that won the pole with the fastest pole speed in history. With Palou’s win at the GP and now the pole you have to assume he is feeling extremely confident about winning the race.

It was a fun and exciting day at qualifying. It had all the elation and heartbreak that makes the Indianapolis 500 the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. I can only imagine how exciting race day will be. Many have speculated that Graham will buy his way into the race and possibly even bump Katherine Legge from her spot but I don’t see that happening. I think Graham understands and the team respects that qualifying should remain as it is. It really sucks for Graham but we have seen it happen many times before to other talented drivers. It is part of Indy history and I think Graham will return from this stronger and even more determined.

Thanks for reading this lengthy post. I had a lot to cover. I have a couple more posts planned for the week and hope you will check back. Happy Race Week!