The Official Blog of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

It’s easy to think back and recall Dan Wheldon’s greatest moments on a race track.

Scoring Honda’s long-sought first win at its home track of Twin Ring Motegi in Japan in 2004.

Taking a dominant victory in his first race for Target Chip Ganassi Racing, in 2006 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

And of course those two classic wins (and a few near-wins) at the Indianapolis 500. Wheldon’s 2011 triumph, when he won for the comparatively small Bryan Herta Autosport team against the might of the Ganassi and Penske organizations, ranks as one of the great David vs. Goliath stories in the century-long history of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

But today, on the one-year anniversary of Dan’s passing, the folks at the Speedway asked me to share some memories of the other side of Dan Wheldon – the side that the public doesn’t get to see on television, or read about in the stories I write.

The relationship between journalists and the subjects they cover is often tricky. By definition, we are supposed to remain objective, and not get too close so we don’t end up playing favorites.

I’ve been in this business for twenty years, and if you cover a single racing series over that length of time, it’s inevitable that as a writer, you’re actually going to be come friends with a few of the drivers.

Although I knew him since 2001, I don’t think I ever reached that point with Wheldon. Our relationship kind of reminded me of my high school days: He was one of the popular kids – a jock, if you will – and I was just a wallflower who was flattered when guys like Dan paid attention to me.

We may not have been outright friends, but IndyCar is a small community, so we were certainly more than acquaintances. And just seeing the way Dan developed as a person (as opposed to a race car driver), I’m pretty sure we would have ended up being friends, swapping stories about our kids or our latest racing memorabilia acquisition.

Here are a couple of stories that illustrate the kind of relationship I had with Dan – stories that really bring out his personality within the IndyCar community – the people he interacted with on a daily basis.

 

It’s well known that Dan was very self-conscious about his teeth. Let’s face it, the British are often dentally challenged, and it you look at pictures of Wheldon celebrating victories up through his 2005 championship season, you’ll note that his mouth is rarely open.

Prior to the 2006 season, Wheldon had a reported $40,000 worth of dental work done that turned his smile into a radiant row of gleaming white Chiclets. No longer unwilling or afraid to smile, Wheldon’s new grille literally lit up a room.

IndyCar’s 2006 preseason media day was held in conjunction with an open test at Homestead. Throughout the day, Wheldon and all the other drivers were shuttled between stations for print and television interviews and photo shoots. About half a dozen photo agencies set up portable studios to capture ‘hero’ shots of the drivers fully kitted out in their new uniforms.

Near the end of the shoot schedule, I wandered into LAT Photo’s studio to visit friends. When I walked in, Wheldon’s teeth were obviously the point of discussion; in fact, a pair of Wheldon’s countrymen – Laurence Foster and David Malsher of RACER Magazine – were preparing to wind him up about the new choppers. They were doctoring a banana peel to insert over their own teeth to poke fun at their pal.

Spying a stack of white Styrofoam cups, I realized they could do better. I tore off a piece of the cup and inserted it on my teeth. Laurence exclaimed, “Oreo, that’s brilliant!” and set about drawing lines on my ‘teeth’ with a black Sharpie marker.

You know what happened next. Almost as if on cue, in walked Wheldon, completely busting us as we prepared our ‘teeth’ gag. Looking back now, several years later, it’s not surprising that Wheldon didn’t get upset, but in the heat of the moment in early 2006, that’s what we expected. Instead, he just laughed along with us.

A few hours later, after the cars had run a night practice session on the Homestead oval, I was walking through the paddock to chase down an interview. Around the corner walked Wheldon; we were the only people within 30 yards. I was worried that Dan was upset about our earlier gag, but instead, he shouted out, “Hey Oreo, where’s your teeth?”

“Uh, they’re back in my hotel room, soaking in some Polident,” I stammered. And we both slapped a high-five and had a good laugh before we went on about our business.

In those days, Wheldon didn’t have the smoothest relationship with the media – as my next story will illustrate. But that moment – when I saw that Dan actually had the ability to step back and laugh at himself, and he realized that the media really wasn’t out to get him – was a turning point in our professional relationship. And we always got along just fine after that.

***When Wheldon won the 2005 Indianapolis 500, he didn’t earn a place on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Instead, the driver who finished fourth in the race stole the spotlight, and that infuriated him.

Wheldon dominated the 2005 IndyCar season, but it was the Summer of Danica, and every other driver, no matter how much success they achieved on the track, was cast in a supporting role. And Wheldon didn’t like that.

Like SI, RACER magazine made the snap decision to feature Patrick on the cover of its post Indy 500 issue. At the time, RACER also published IndyCar Series magazine, and Jeff Olson was the main Indy writer for both publications. Through a miscommunication, Wheldon thought he was going to be featured on the RACER cover, and when it didn’t happen, he took out his frustration on Olson.

Jeff went to interview Dan a couple weeks later for an IndyCar Series magazine cover story, but still stinging from the RACER cover snub, Wheldon decided not to cooperate. Jeff tells the story much better than I ever could (it’s his story, after all!), but the end result is that within the space of 24 hours, Wheldon cooled down and gave Jeff an outstanding and revealing interview, and finally got his cover story.

Fast forward six years to 2011: I’m sitting with Dan at the Honda hospitality area during Wheldon’s endless summer. He had won the Indianapolis 500, against all odds, really, earning the cover of RACER Magazine in the process (but alas, again not Sports Illustrated). But at the time, that was the only race he was scheduled to drive all year, and while chasing a full-time ride for 2012 and beyond, he kept coming to races, sometimes doing television commentary for NBC Sports, and sometimes just hanging with his friends at Honda.

TE McHale, the manager of motorsports public relations for American Honda, burst into the tent with a box of books. “Honda’s Challenging Spirit: Adversity and Success at the Indianapolis 500” was literally hot off the presses, and TE distributed copies for all to see.

Any author knows that at least one mistake inevitably finds its way into print. As I leafed through the book, authored by my friend and colleague David Phillips, I noticed a doozy: The cover photo, featuring Dan in the #10 Target Ganassi entry leading a group of cars at Indianapolis, was incorrectly captioned, identifying his teammate Scott Dixon instead. The photo was also used on the last page of the book, with the same error in the caption.

As diplomatically as possible, I pointed out the error to TE. Muttering curse words under his breath, he stormed into the motorcoach to try to get the problem sorted. Left alone at the table with Wheldon, I turned to him and said, “Well Dan, it looks like you got a cover you weren’t expecting!” And we both had a hearty laugh.

Although I am not an autograph collector, when Dan offered to sign my book, I quickly accepted. His only question was what number to add to his signature…26? 4? 98? We decided on 26, because the photo across from the title page that he signed was from Victory Lane at Indianapolis in 2005.

He wrote: “To Oreo, Enjoy the book my friend!”

And that’s how I will remember Dan Wheldon.

***

• “Honda’s Challenging Spirit: Adversity and Success at the Indianapolis 500” by David Phillips is available from the Honda Racing Store. http://hondaracingstore.com/accessories/hondas-challenging-spirit-book/

• A prior book extensively documents Honda’s history at Indianapolis from 1993-95 – “A Winning Adventure: Honda’s Decade in CART Racing” by Gordon Kirby and John Oreovicz is available from David Bull Publishing http://www.bullpublishing.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=46

Don’t ever let anyone tell you working at IMS isn’t a dream come true. Sure, as with any job, it has its moments. There are times where you feel tested, frustrated, tired, lost and burned out. But then, without any warning, a single incredible moment happens. A moment when you look back and realize, “Wow … THAT just happened.” A moment when you realize that you not only were you a witness to history but you actively participated in it. That moment happened for me this year about 10 a.m. Monday, May 28.

In the wake of the retirement of legendary IMS Director of Photography Ron McQueeney, I inherited a few of the responsibilities of the photo department. While I certainly don’t claim to “run the photo department” or claim I’m talented enough to call myself the “head photographer,” I get the pleasure of organizing several of our shoots here at the facility. One specific shoot is arguably the most important every year. It’s often referred to as “THE DAY AFTER,” the shoot with the Indianapolis 500 winner the morning after the race.

I arrived at the track at about 7 a.m. that morning. Although I didn’t tell anyone, I was nervous about this one. I’d made it through another month of May, 33 qualifying photos, and two victory circle photo shoots. I had one task left, the winner’s shoot on the Yard of Bricks.

I headed out to the Yard of Bricks early to get a feel for what needed to be done. About that time, I looked down pit lane as the No. 50 Target Dallara/Honda of Dario Franchitti was being rolled out from Gasoline Alley and was heading north toward the start-finish line. The crew positioned the car perfectly along the bricks. The waiting game began. Photographers started to stroll in, and I did my best to make sure that everyone had a spot to get a great shot.

Dario was working his way through his string of media hits with assorted morning shows across the country while the rest of us were readying for a smooth morning.

After about an hour, Dario walked down from the media center and to the Yard of Bricks. He climbed into the car and positioned himself perfectly. He’s a three-time winner; he knows the drill. The dance began. “Dario wear this hat” … “Now look here” … “Next hat” … “Crew members, you’re in this shot” … “Family members only in this one.” Before you knew it, we’d gone through every sponsor shot, team shot, family shot and several others.

It wasn’t until after everything was over, Dario had left the track and I was sorting through photos before I realized something.

I was flipping through all of the various shots when I stumbled upon this shot of me handing Dario a hat.

Those of us that work in the motorsports industry — and professional sports, in general — strive to be professional at all times. Part of that attitude is keeping our “fan” urges in check. It’s a pretty common circumstance in May to sit or stand next to a well-known celebrity or a four-time Indianapolis 500 winner. So you need to act like it is an everyday occurrence. At the time this photo was taken, no part of me thought, “Man, this is Dario Franchitti, three-time Indianapolis 500 champion!”  I was more likely thinking: “Man, it’s hot out here … what’s the next hat? Is the next group ready for their shot? How much time do we have left?”

I should provide a little background information to help you all understand why this photo is important to me. I am a fan. There, I said it. I grew up loving this sport. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to be a part of, and Dario Franchitti has been my favorite driver since I was a kid. I’m truly blessed to be able to call the Indianapolis Motor Speedway my employer, and this photo made me realize something. In the rush that is May and in our efforts to remain professional at all times, we occasionally let these once-in-a-lifetime moments escape without noticing. We let these moments of history in which we’re actively participating slide by without record.

I was lucky enough to have a photographer snag this shot for me, and I’m forever grateful. The photo and experience also made me realize that our extremely vocal fans always tell us about their favorite moment at IMS or what the facility means to them, but we rarely explain to them what it means to those of us that are here every day and get up close and personal with the history. I’ve been to the Indianapolis 500 so many times I’ve nearly lost count, but I get chills every single year. Every race morning when I drive through the tunnel into a dark and virtually empty IMS I still get the nervous energy I did before my first “500.”

It’s easy for those of us that work here to fall into a routine. But IMS has a way of reminding you that just when you think you’ve seen it all and done it all, “you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

Speaking of getting chills…

Aerodynamics have been a part of the Indianapolis 500 since Ray Harroun designed the first rear view mirror on a race car in 1911. The “wedge shaped” contraption that would eventually be used on almost every automobile built was shaped like that to eliminate the drag of a flat piece sticking up from the car.

Even before that the shape of the Marmon Wasp, built in 1910, had a sleek shape compared to other race cars of the day.  The 1937 winner of Wilbur Shaw was an aerodynamic piece itself.  In 1955 2 cars entered (and almost a 3^rd car for Bill Vukovich, winner of the past two 500’s) that were called, back in the day, “Streamliner”.  The yellow Belond Miracle Power Special designed by Quinn Epperly and the blue and white Sumar Special designed by Frank Kurtis and Chapman Root started out as “fendered” cars.

The Sumar had full fenders and the both cars had enclosed cockpits. Jimmy Daywalt, driver of the Sumar car did not like the fact that he could not see the front tires and complained of being claustrophobic with the “bubble” installed.  After the 1^st day of practice, the team took the “fenders” and the cockpit bubble off of the car.  Jimmy Qualified the car 17^th and finished 9^th. In 1956, Marshall Teague failed to qualify the car. In 1959, the body was put back on the car and taken to Daytona to attempt a “Land Speed Record” run with Teague.  After taking the car up to over 171 mph early in the trials, Teague crashed the car attempting to break the 180mph mark and was killed.  The car was not raced again. It is still in the Root family.

The #33 Belond car driven by Jim Rathmann used fairings rather than a complete body. It also started out as a covered canopy on the cockpit but that was taken off early in the month.  Rathmann qualified the car 20^th and finished 14^th.  It did not qualify in 1956.

The Keck “Streamliner” was designed and being built by Norman Timbs, Quinn Epperly, Jim Travers and Frank Coon and was to have first a Novi motor.  When Lew Welch would not sell the motor to Keck, he wanted to have Leo Goosen build a new V8 Supercharged Offenhauser for the radical new car.  When it looked like the car would not be completed in time for the ’55 race, Keck released Vukovich to drive for owner Lindsey Hopkins. The rest is history.

The Keck Streamliner never arrived or raced in Indy although according to Jim Travers, the car was scheduled to be driven at Indianapolis in 1956 by Jack McGrath.  McGrath was killed in a racing accident in Phoenix in November of 1955. The Keck Streamliner was not completed until 1985 and it never raced.

My dad woke mom and I up early in 1956 and said we were “going for a ride” .  As we neared the area of 16^th and Georgetown, I realized we were headed for THEE RACE.  I do remember the traffic and my dad was not really looking forward to getting his year old Ford all dinged up so I was quite surprised when we actually turned into the infield and pulled up to the 1^st turn infield  area (front row actually).  The rains the week before and up to early raceday morning left the ground a bit soggy but I didn’t care…we were at the track.  It was a good day!

What a thrill to actually be at the RACE and while the pre-race hoopla was exciting, nothing could beat the sound of those 33 cars as they came barreling into the 1^st turn.  You could pick the Novi’s sound out from all the Offys immediately as Paul Russo came through the 1^st turn.  Then, on lap 21, we heard a loud pop and the red Novi was sideways through the turn and against the wall.  I was relieved as Russo climbed out of the car and walked to the inside of the track.   As the race progressed the clear favorite for me had to be the white and pink car of Pat Flaherty.  As he entered the turn, I could see that green shamrock on his helmet. Flaherty ended up winning the event that year and for me, my 1^st race was a memorable experience.  I have only missed 2 since then while in the Army in 1966 & 67.

Another favorite of mine, Tony Bettenhausen did not fare as well.  The beautiful blue and gold # 99 Belanger Special ended up on the South Short Chute with a hard hit, ending Tony B’s day.  Future winners including Sam Hanks, and Rodger Ward along with past winners, Johnnie Parsons and Bob Sweikert finished in the top 10 that year. But oh, the sound of that Novi…………..

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway partnered with Gleaners Food Bank (Indiana’s largest food bank) to help fight hunger in Indiana.  President and CEO of Gleaners Food Bank, Cindy Hubert, explained that the organization distributed over 25 million pounds of food in 2010.  Ms. Hubert also explained the significance of holding a fundraiser at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a larger than expected turnout staged eager to enter the track.  “The riders showed up this morning ready to go. IMS definitely draws people to take part in these events,” she said.

Nearly 300 motorcycles rolled into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on a warm July Saturday to support Gleaners Food Bank in their “Ride Your Can Off” fundraiser.  Wal-Mart sponsored the ride that began at Harley Davidson of Indianapolis, made a complete lap of the oval at IMS, and ended at the Gleaners Food Bank facility for lunch provided by Wal-Mart. The motorcycle event was a change of pace for Gleaners whose fundraisers usually consist of events such as golf outings and canned food drives. Approximately $7000 was raised through the “Ride Your Can Off” event. Money raised for the event will help fund Gleaners’ efforts of supplying food to 350 hunger relief charities in 21 Indiana counties.

All of the riders taking part in the ride had huge smiles on their faces while on the historic oval.  There were too many waves to the camera to capture due to a huge turnout of great people taking part in the ride.  It was great to see two historic organizations in Indiana join forces for a good cause.

Photos of the “Ride Your Can Off” event

A year out of high School and living in my 1^st place on my own, ½ of a double 1 house off of Crawfordsville Road and Gerrard (for racing fanatics, behind what would later become Hurtubise’s Muffler Shop) I was close to what I called Utopia, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Along with my best friend Dave, whose family had connections to the longtime car owner Lindsey Hopkins, we approached May with great anticipation.   In our hands ( our 19year old hands I might add), were 2 season Gate Passes, a Garage Area Pass each AND 2 great tickets to the race in the grandstands (yeah, like 2 nineteen year old testosterone loaded boys could sit still for 4 hours in a grandstand seat when the infield Snakepit was loaded with gorgeous cuties) and we couldn’t wait until Opening Day.

As I recall (and a LOT of time has passed since then), all days possible were spent there at the track.  As Race Day approached, my main entry (Crawfordsville Road) to my “digs” on Gerrard kept loading up with race fans and revelers and soon my 1 room studio flat became a “crash house” for other friends old and new.

We partied for 3 days and on race day we had, of course, sold our great tickets and headed for the infield (with new general admission ducats acquired from another source).  We had a great time until the big crash and drifted through the rest of the race in stunned silence (we were race fans too!). I still remember the silence of the crowd and the PA announcements that day………

AJ Foyt won the race, the last winning front engine car to do so, for his 2^nd win.

Little did I realize what the Speedway would become to me and the career I would make of it.

On Saturday, June 3rd, 1978, one week after the Indianapolis 500 I was looking forward to a well-deserved weekend off after my 2nd race as Director of Photography at IMS.  I was up early and headed down to meet a couple of friends and head to a new motorcycle shop to look at some accessories for my latest ride, a recently purchased Honda Gold Wing.

On I-65 as I approached the West Street exit, I was suddenly “flying” through the air after being hit by a car travelling southbound on the Interstate at a high rate of speed.  The “hit & run” driver never slowed down and as I rolled and tumbled , the cars behind me dodged me and when I stopped, I was conscious but realized my left leg and ankle were shattered.

I rolled to the median and before I stopped, a “Good Samaritan” who had witnessed my plight from the northbound lane was at my side almost instantly.  He said he was a Doctor and to lie still until he checked me out.  Upon removing my helmet, he recognized me from the track.  We had been introduced at the race, as a friend of the Valvoline photographer and a photographer himself.

He was on his way to work at Methodist Hospital and was at my side when I arrived by ambulance. With the extensive leg damage the car did, the Doctor in charge felt the only way to proceed was amputation.  The Doctor from the scene said he was familiar with me and felt he could save the leg due to new procedures he had studied at a recent seminar. He was given a 5% or less chance to save my leg.  He did his magic and with several operations and lots of time in casts, the leg was miraculously saved by time of the 1979 Indy 500, I was able to walk on it again.

The Doctor would become the famous Racing Doctor, Dr. Terry Trammell, and I was his 1st “at scene” customer!  He was not able to immediately take credit for the work for me because he was in his last few weeks as a Doctor in Resident.  Thanks to him, I have my leg and while it is not pretty, it is still quite useful.  Dr. Trammell went on to repair the limbs of IndyCar Drivers like Danny Ongais, AJ Foyt, Gordon Johncock and many more after their racing accidents and is still active with INDYCAR.

On the corner of Broome and Hudson in New York City, less than 36 hours before the first official practice session of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season, is not exactly the place race fans would expect to find a gathering of Indianapolis 500 race winners, rookies of the year, vintage race cars, the IndyCar Experience two-seaters and executives from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the IZOD IndyCar Series and PVH (IZOD’s parent company). But on the evening of March 23, The Classic Car Club in lower Manhattan was a gathering spot for a national media kick-off celebration the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500.

The event included some of the top producers, assignment editors and reporters in the country (in addition to a few representatives of global media outlets) representing non-endemic (meaning, not sports, racing or automotive) media. The purpose of the event was to introduce the Indianapolis 500, its drivers, its storylines and its pageantry (especially around the historically significant 100th anniversary) to media that would extend the reach of our brands (Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IZOD IndyCar Series).

From an Indianapolis 500 fan’s point of view, the evening featured plenty of content to satisfy. Drivers (Mario Andretti, Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe and Simona De Silvestro) mingled with media and posed for pictures with those in attendance. Four race cars from the 50s and 60s, as well as today’s Dallara and two IndyCar two-seaters, were on display. There were dozens of images of the stars and significant moments of the past century at the Indianapolis 500 and videos playing on various walls and screens throughout the warehouse-like facility. It was the perfect after-work gathering for Indianapolis 500 fans.

But this unique blend of history and hip, stars and stories, art and action, was designed to pique the interest of the media in attendance and establish that the Indianapolis 500 is not just another race or, for that matter, another sports story. The Indianapolis 500 is an iconic lifestyle event that possesses an infinite number of stories, most of which are stories of human interest, not just a story to be told on the world’s sports pages.

ABC IZOD IndyCar Series announcer Vince Welch kicked the program off for the evening and introduced Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president & CEO Jeff Belskus, who hammered home the significance of the Indianapolis 500 and its position as the global steward and leadership responsibility in racing, the automotive world and the entertainment community over the last 100 years. Belskus transition to INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard by saying the Indianapolis 500 would place significant emphasis on new transportation technology as it entered the next century and noted that the 2011 Emerging Tech Day on Saturday, May 7 at Indianapolis was the beginning to ensure that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway remains a true automotive proving ground.

Bernard talked about the core goals of the IZOD IndyCar series and its focus on fans and value, while noting that the new 2012 car continued to take strides forward and would soon off the drawing board and on display for fans, teams and drivers to get an up-close view of the future of the IZOD IndyCar Series. He also expressed excitement around the start of the 2011 season and the many new story lines that would develop.

Mike Kelly, PVH executive vice president for marketing, focused his messaging directly at the many lifestyle and business media that were in attendance. Kelly minced no words when he said there was no sports property that generated as much value and access for a brand as the IZOD IndyCar Series, while expressing the many boardroom reasons to participate in the sport. Kelly also talked of his first visit to Indianapolis and how he was instantly hooked because of the robust opportunities the sport presents to reach customers, build brand awareness and increase sales, all supported by the compelling storyline of INDYCAR and the “500.” Kelly also previewed some of the new INDYCAR-themed IZOD and Honda television advertisements.

Each driver then talked about what Indianapolis meant to them and provided a perspective of why it was so special. Each driver admitted, without reservation, that they would trade any championship for an opportunity to drink milk in victory lane at Indianapolis.

Andretti was asked what he was thinking about on his wild flip during a test drive in Tony Kanaan’s Indy car in 2003 at Indianapolis. Andretti smiled and simply said, “I was just hoping that there were no vacancies upstairs.” Mario then put in a plug for his longtime relationship with Firestone, saying “I was just happy to have four great Firestone tires to land on.”

Andretti also remembered when he first realized a driver’s accomplishments at Indianapolis resonate far more than other on-track achievements. Andretti said he was invited to go on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson in 1965 after he had just won the 1965 IndyCar championship. When he was introduced, there was no mention of the championship. He was introduced as “Mario Andretti, Indianapolis 500 rookie of the year.”

Castroneves spent time talking about how humbled he was to be in the very exclusive company of three-time Indianapolis 500 winners. But he also talked about how he really wanted to join an even more exclusive club of drivers who have won Indy four times. Briscoe broke up Castroneves’ conversation when he said: “You’re too greedy. You’ve got three already. Give some of the rest of us a chance.”

Briscoe focused on what it meant to lead the Indianapolis 500 and how he couldn’t imagine what it might be like to pull into victory lane at Indy. De Silvestro talked about her first experience at Indy in 2010 and how the sport was unique in allowing men and women to compete at the same level, with the same rules. Of the 732 starters in the history of the Indianapolis 500, 725 have been men. De Silvestro appreciates what it means to be one of just seven women to compete, but she said boldly that she wants to be the first female winner.

The evening closed with Belskus offering a toast to the many men and women who have come before to build the foundation for the Indianapolis 500, to the next 100 years of triumph, passion and memories at Indianapolis, but most importantly to an exciting, safe and fast 2011 Indianapolis 500.

For two hours, the media, many of whom might not otherwise have been exposed to the history and future of this great event, were immersed in the Indianapolis 500. By the time the evening ended, most were beyond talking about what they heard and experienced and had moved on to wanting to experience it for themselves, first-hand. It’s now their turn to tell the story of the 100th Indianapolis 500 in their way, through their eyes, from their experiences, to their readers, viewers and listeners.

Days like yesterday are the reason why the Indianapolis Motor Speedway proudly calls itself ‘The Racing Capital of the World.’

On a Sunday afternoon, with various series hitting the pavement across the globe, racing was very much so alive at a track where no cars sat waiting to jump into action.

Drivers? Well drivers yes, we had on hand. Indy 500 racing legends Bobby Unser, Al Unser Jr., Rick Mears, Gil de Ferran, and Arie Luyendyk appeared at the Hall of Fame Museum from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. signing autographs for a line of fans that often crept out the door and into the lobby.

Fans standing in line began to debate which position each of the drivers took in their dream Indianapolis 500 line-ups that they are working on for TheGreatest33.com. Children pointed just as excitedly at the display of 67, Indy 500 winning cars as the adults holding their hands. For nearly five hours, the Hall of Fame Museum bustled with as much activity as Gasoline Alley does in May.

Fans of the Brickyard 400 had just as much to talk about as the Sprint Cup Series race got underway at Bristol. Part way through the race, fans began sharing which driver they felt had the right stuff to take the checkered flag. Common names mentioned included perennial Brickyard 400 front-runners Tony Stewart, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kevin Harvick, and Carl Edwards. When Kyle Busch finished as the winner, fans commented on a photo of Busch’s M&M’s car crossing the Yard of Bricks during last year’s Brickyard 400 race weekend.

Back on-site at the Speedway, Red Bull Indianapolis GP fans gathered at Brickyard Crossing to watch the MotoGP season opener in Qatar. The parking lot was packed with two-wheelers and the tables inside were crowded with plates of food, drinks, and of course, bike helmets.

The group, a mix of avid and passive GP fans, talked about the sport, their rides, and the American riders competing at Qatar. Plans for improvements to the Red Bull Indianapolis GP, largely a new layout for the party scene, were also tossed around, but with six months lying between yesterday’s race in Qatar and our race here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the crowd was more than happy to be together amongst fellow riders for the afternoon. Even found amongst the riders was Arie Luyendyk, relieved of his autograph-signing duties and happy to grab a seat and disappear into the crowd to watch.

Like many fans did yesterday, I spent my entire day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and didn’t watch a lick of racing action on the track. Sure, I can hardly wait for the month of May, the “official” start to racing season here at the track, to arrive, but no matter where in the world racing action is happening, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will always be top-of-mind for race fans.

The next big thing? On Saturday, April 2nd the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament 4Kay run takes place at the track. Runners, walkers, and their supporters can come out to watch the run and count along with me the number of times that participants for-go a personal best time by stopping to kiss the Yard of Bricks.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is fully of life 365 days a year and yesterday was a very special chance to witness and be a part of a race day atmosphere without there even being a race. Indeed, yesterday we were all at ‘The Racing Capital of the World.’

As I mentioned in my first post, one of my goals of is to highlight those things that make the Town of Speedway a great place to call home.  One of the most important factors that makes Speedway a great place to live is the quality of the Schools.

When homes were first being constructed in the area now known as the Town of Speedway, the students attended Wayne Township schools.   The first school built in the original Speedway City development was a red brick school at 10th Street and Winton Avenue in 1912 which housed grades 1 through 8.

Due to overcrowding, a new school was built which opened in 1919 at 14th Street and Winton Avenue.  That original structure no longer stands, but newer buildings on that site currently house both an elementary school and the district’s only Junior High.  Here are images of the school shortly after it opened in 1919, and a view of the Junior High that sits on the same site today.

In 1928, two years after the Town of Speedway was formally established, the town took over responsibility for the education of the residents of the Town.  The school district which is called the “School Town of Speedway” continues to operate independently from the Indianapolis Public School District.

Here are some interesting facts about the Speedway Schools:

• There are 4 Elementary Schools in the school district, and each one is named after one of the four founders of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Carl G. Fisher School originally built in 1919, Arthur C. Newby School built in 1951, James A. Allison School built in 1956, and Frank H. Wheeler School built in 1959.
• The nickname for the high school is the Sparkplugs (commonly referred to as just “the Plugs”), but surprisingly the school colors are not black and white – they are brown and yellow.  In 2010, the Sparkplugs were on ESPN’s list of America’s funniest football nicknames.  The high school logo is a “human-like” sparkplug but as best as I can determine, the school does not have a full-size mascot.  Perhaps Texas Motor Speedway may be interested in donating a mascot uniform like the TMS mascot Sparky (are you reading this Eddie Gossage?).

• According to the most recent Indiana Department of Education statistics, the 2010-2011 enrollment for all Speedway Schools is 1,528.
• Also according to Indiana Department of Education statistics, the 2010 graduation rate for Speedway High School students was an amazing 100%, which means all the freshman who entered Speedway High School in the fall of 2006 either graduated or transferred to another school.  This compares to a state-wide average for public schools of 84.1%.  In addition, the report indicates that 88% of the graduates of Speedway High School in 2010 intended to pursue a college education compared to a state-wide average of 77%.
• Each year, the Speedway High School marching band is the first band on the track as part of the Indy 500 Festival of Bands pre-race activities.  The band’s flag corps features all of the flags used in the Indy 500.  Here is a photo from the 2009 Parade of Bands.
• In 2002, the Speedway Sparkplugs won the Indiana Division 2A Basketball Championship with a 62-48 win over Bluffton High School.
• Due to the compact size of the school district, the Speedway Schools do not have a bus system.