Indianapolis 500 Oldtimers NewsletterIssue Number 2 – 2020

Curt CavinThere is now a new way to

access Indianapolis 500 Oldtimers’information.

The first phase of the group’snew website became active inearly April, available atwww.500oldtimers.com. The web-site does not replace the newslet-ter but serves as an additionalcommunications offering. No per-sonal information is required toview any portion of the website.

The website has been formattedfor desktop computers, tablets,and mobile devices. Its black andwhite images reflect the era ofIndianapolis Motor Speedway thatso many of us fondly remember.

One of the coolest photographson the website is an overhead shotof the entrance to Gasoline Alleyas it looked in the early 1970s.Another photograph in the “News”section shows the “100 Mile AnHour Club” board that many of ourmembers will remember.

In addition to providing keyinformation about the Oldtimers,its events, and membershiprequirements, the website cele-brates the 50th anniversary of AlUnser’s first Indianapolis 500 victo-ry, in 1970.

Photographs include Unserposing with his pole-winning No. 2Johnny Lightning Colt-Ford alongwith a photograph of Unser sittingon pit road with car owner ParnelliJones standing in the background.

Unser won the pole that yearwith a four-lap average of 170.221mph. The victory in that 500 wasUnser’s second race win of thatseason. He won 10 races thatyear, including eight of the final 10races in capturing his first seasonchampionship.

The website tells the history ofthe Oldtimers along with listing thenine charter members (TomCarnegie, Henry Hartz, RayHarroun, Al Bloemker, Herman

Oldtimers Launch New Website

(Continued to page 5)

The Home page for the new, Oldtimers Website. Be sure tocheck it out at www.500oldtimers.com

Deupree, Karl Kizer, Art Wright,Fritz Duesenberg and DonMenke). Officially, the group wasknown as the InternationalAssociation of Indianapolis 500Oldtimers, founded in 1961 inadvance of the 50th anniversary ofthe 500.

The idea for the associationstemmed from a conversationbetween Carnegie, then the sportseditor at WFBM and the chief pub-lic address announcer atIndianapolis Motor Speedway, andWright, the publicity director of theAAA Contest Board.

The two men sought to gathermen with the deepest ties to the500 to promote the race and thesport. The association settled ona mission of “providing guidancefor the younger generat ion,bringing about recognit ion ofpersons outstanding at theIndianapolis 500, promoting fel-lowship among members andfurthering the interest of automo-bile racing generally.”

Those founding principlesmade the Indianapolis 500Oldtimers one of racing’s finestorganizations.

The website also providesdetails of one of our annualevents, a reunion barbecue thatwas first held during the week ofthe 1961 Indianapolis 500. At the

inaugural event, the first “GoldenRace Car Award” was awarded toBloemker, who had written thebook “500 Miles to Go.”

That award is still presentedtoday, although it is now given inhonor of longtime track superin-tendent Clarence Cagle. Severalother awards are presented annu-ally at the barbecue held beforethe race.

Due to the postponement ofthis year’s Indianapolis 500 amidthe Coronavirus pandemic, theOldtimers’ annual barbecue hasbeen rescheduled for Tuesday,Aug. 18 in the IMS’ East Chalet.The website also provides infor-mation for the Indianapolis MotorSpeedway Hall of Fame andIndianapolis 500 Oldtimers’Special Recognit ion Dinner,rescheduled for Thursday, Aug.20 at the JW Marr iot tIndianapolis.

The website also details mem-bership eligibility requirements.Membership is based on having atleast 20 years of service to theIndianapolis 500. Those who quali-fy and wish to be considered formembership should contact anactive member to sponsor theirapplication.

With INDYCAR forced to adjustthe 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES

– 2 – Issue #2 2019

Bob Gates As the world continues to strug-

gle with the COVID-19 virus that’sravished so many lives, it’s anopportune time to recall a turn ofthe 20th-century racing icon,Johnny Aitken. The IndianapolisMotor Speedway and anotherworld-devastating pandemic, theSpanish Flu, shaped his legacy.

An Indianapolis native, Aitkenwas born in 1885. His formativeyears coincided with the automo-tive era’s exciting advent, so it’s nosurprise that the restless, adven-ture-seeking youth turned to autoracing.

He became an exceptional driv-er, fighting his way from the fair-ground dirt tracks, to the AAAChampionship races. Of the 33AAA races he competed in, hewon seven, with strong finishes inthe others. It was at theIndianapolis Motor Speedway,however, that Aitken made hismost significant impact on autoracing.

A longtime friend of Speedwayfounders, Carl Fisher and JamesAllison, Aitken became a dominantforce in the pre-World War I yearsof the Speedway. To initiate hisnew 2-1/2 mile track, Fisher pro-moted a series of races between1909 and 1910. Aitken won 12 ofthem.

These races revealed that theSpeedway’s tar and stone racingsurface was inadequate for contin-uous high-speed competition, andan urgent search for a new pavingmaterial began. When engineerssuggested bricks as opposed toconcrete, Fisher turned to Aitkento test their applicability.

Fisher had a strip of bricks laidalong the front stretch that Aitkensuccessfully tested with a series ofaccelerating and braking maneu-vers. For the final trial, workerschained Aitken’s car to a post.When Fisher gave the signal,Aitken lit up the tires and per-formed a burnout that lasted sev-eral minutes. Perhaps the first

Johnny Aitken, Racing’s First Pandemic Victim?

burnout in Speedway history! Thebricks remained solidly in place,and Fisher ordered the million-pluspavers needed to cover the 2-1/2miles. The “Brickyard” was born.

With the paving of the trackcame the first 500 in 1911. Aitkencompeted in that historic event,and driving an Indianapolis builtNational, became the first driver tolead a lap in an Indianapolis 500.

Arthur Newby, one of theSpeedway’s four cofounders, wasalso the president of the NationalAutomobile Company. WhenAitken retired as a driver after the1911 500, Newby asked him tomanage National’s effort in the1912 race. Aitken guided JoeDawson to a 500 victory.

Newby didn’t enter a Nationalin the 1913 500. He did, however,allow the French Peugeot team towork out of the National factory,and asked Aitken to overseethem. With Jules Goux at thewheel, Aitken again managed a500 victory.

Anticipating a shortage of carsdue to the outbreak of hostilities in

Europe, Fisher purchased twoPeugeots to enlarge the 1916 500field. Aitken returned to driving inone of them and captured the PolePosition.

Believing America would soonbe involved in WW I, Fisher addedadditional racing to theSpeedway’s 1916 schedule.Dubbed the Harvest Classic,Fisher intended the event to pro-duce enough cash to maintain theSpeedway through the hostilities.The September 9th undertakingconsisted of three races of 20, 50and 100 miles in length. Aitkenwon all three!

With those wins, Aitkin’s totalvictories at the Speedway rose to15, and the number of Speedwayevents he raced, to 41. Both arerecords that stand to this day.

Aitken enlisted in the military,then after the war, James Allisonnamed him a vice president ofhis new company, All isonEngineering.

Allison’s grew to a massiveinternational corporation, later

Johnny Aitken in his 1911 National. Johnny was the first driverto lead a lap in the Indianapolis 500. He competed in 41 races atthe Speedway, and won 15 of them!

(Continued to page 3)

Issue #3 2030 – 3 –

500 OldtimersIndy 500

August Events

BBQ: The annual BBQwill be on Tuesday August18, 2020 at 4:30pm in theEAST Chalet at track. Withthe changes in track sched-ule we have been asked byIMS to move our BBQ toTuesday.

IMS Hall of Fame &Oldtimers SpecialRecognition Dinner: Theevent has been moved to theJW Marriott (new one down-town) and will be onThursday August 20, 2020,beginning with a social hourat 6pm.

From The President . . .Steve Somermeyer

Who could have predicted:

• The Indianapolis 500 sched-uled to run in August this year!

• IndyCar and NASCAR runningtogether on the same July 4thweekend at IMS!

• The Speedway hosting 3IndyCar races within 4 months!

The global pandemic hasturned our lives and the autosportsthat we love upside down. Afterstaying home and practicing socialdistancing we’re increasinglyyearning to get racing going againbut we still don’t know very muchabout this invisible virus.

Hopefully, the restrictions willsoon be lessened without a resur-gence of COVID-19 which wouldforce governments to shut theworld down again.

The Oldtimers have also beenaffected as we’ve had to resched-ule/postpone our 2020 events. Asmuch as possible we’ve tried tofollow our original event schedulesequence and place them into therevised IMS schedule.

We still plan on having our hos-pitality suite open during the twoweeks of the 500 schedule except

now in August. Likewise, we haverescheduled our annual BBQ andHall of Fame Banquet co-hostedwith the Museum. Our April Boardof Directors meeting also had tobe cancelled.

One positive note, we now havean active website. Former DirectorCurt Cavin has taken on this pro-ject and has the initial public siteup and running. He’s aiming tohave the members’ only portion ofthe website — active membershiproster, present and past publica-tions, etc. — active in July. Take alook at it — 500oldtimers.com —and let us know what you think.This is an excellent way to quicklyupdate our membership as thisunpredictable world plays out soplan to check it regularly.

We’d like to increase our mem-bership and spread our fixed costsover a larger population. Boardmember Bill Marvel is spearhead-ing an effort to recruit more former500 drivers as many of them aren’taware of us, or their eligibility tojoin. While we have many drivermembers it’s a minority of the liv-ing drivers.

Our treasury is healthy and wedon’t anticipate a dues increasebut if we can decrease ourcost/member we can free upresources to spend on additionalprojects such as helping to restorethe Museum’s Lotus or create akiosk inside the Museum featuringour collection of members’ video-taped interviews.

I’m sure most of us can think offriends that might be eligible (20+years of professional associationwith the Indianapolis 500 amongother criteria) so think about men-tioning the Indianapolis 500Oldtimers to them and offer tonominate them.

I had intended using this col-umn to encourage everyone toparticipate at the Speedway duringwhat’s usually the best month ofthe year — May and theIndianapolis 500 — but COVID-19put a halt to almost everything.

Instead of frequent lunches withfriends, visits to IMS, and enjoyingother sporting events, weekly trips

to the grocery store have becomemy primary interaction with theworld outside of the house.

The world, country and thestate of Indiana will eventuallycome back to life and we’ll be ableto see and hear the racecarsagain. As most of us are in the‘high risk’ population, please besafe whenever you’re out andaround people — Be safe.

Steve

owned by GM and then RollsRoyce. Regrettably, Aitken didn’tget the chance to fulfill the oppor-tunity he had with the business.Shortly after accepting the posi-tion, he grew ill with the pandemicthat was then engulfing the world,the Spanish Flu.

Achieving its peak in 1918, it’sestimated that it infected 28% ofthe nation’s population, causingnearly 700,000 deaths. JohnnyAitken was one.

Contacting the virus in the fall,he passed away in his Indianapolishome on October 15, 1918.

Johnny Aitken(Continued from page 2)

Oldtimer Board Member,Steve Shunck practices thesafety procedures needed toget rid of this pandemic andget back to racing!

– 4 – Issue #2 2020

by Barbara HellyerExecutive Secretary

Email: indy500oldtimers@att.net4967 W. 12th Street

Speedway, IN 46224-6968

The year 2020 will go down asone we’ll all remember. The racingworld has been turned upsidedown, along with all other sportsand social gatherings. Luckily withthe help of a few promoters, thefolks at IMS have created a two-week window in August to placeall our May activities.

For the Oldtimers organization,there will be a few changes.Please make note: The Annual500 Oldtimers BBQ will be onTUESDAY, August 18, 2020. It willbe held in the East Chalet inPagoda Plaza. Remember to enterfrom the front gate off of 16thStreet and bring your Oldtimershat and membership card. Doorswill open at 4:30, with dinner start-ing at 5:00 pm.

The Indianapolis MotorSpeedway Hall of Fame InductionCeremony and Indianapolis 500Oldtimers Special RecognitionDinner will take place on THURS-DAY, August 20, 2020.

The event will take place at aNEW locat ion. With the datechanged to August, the down-town Marriott could not host ourevent, so we moved down theblock to the JW Marriott at 10 SWest Street. Cocktails wil l bestarting at 6:00 pm with dinner tofollow. Parking for the event willstill be in the same garage. We’llhave updates as the event drawscloser.

This year we’ll be honoring theliving Multiple Winning Car Ownersof the Indianapolis 500. Invitationshave gone out to Roger Penske ofTeam Penske, Michael Andretti ofAndretti Autosport, Chip Ganassiof Ganassi Racing, A.J. Foyt of AJFoyt Enterprises, Pat Patrick ofPatrick Racing, Parnelli Jones of

Vel’s Parnelli Jones Racing andJim Hall of Chaparral Cars.

We’ll also be honoring therecipient of the Louis MeyerAward, presented to individualswho have contributed significantlyto the continuing success of theIndianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Indianapolis MotorSpeedway Hall of Fame will alsobe inducting their newest mem-bers, Janet Guthrie and DaleEarnhardt. Mark this evening downon your calendar. The last fewyears have been a sellout, so getyour ticket orders in quickly.

Before the Indy 500, the IMSseason kicks off with the GMRGrand Prix on July 4th and the BigMachine Vodka 400 at theBrickyard on July 5th. The excitingweek starts on Wednesday andThursday nights with the BC39midget race on the dirt track.

Friday sees practice and quali-fying for the Indy Cars andNASCAR Xfinity Series practice.Saturday the Indy cars have amorning warm-up, and the Xfinitycars qualify. In the afternoon thereare two races. The Xfinity Series at1:30 and the Indy cars at 3:30.Cup Series start their practice afterthe Indy Car race. You’ll get to seea full, packed day of action inthree different divisions.

Finally, on Sunday theBrickyard 400 concludes theweekend. The Hospitality Roomwill be open during all the activi-ties.

The Coronavirus has affectedmany of our friends and families.One gentleman that lost his life tothis disease was a local Speedwaycitizen, Tom Popcheff. (He lives inthe house Jim Packard owned.) Ihad the pleasure of working withTom on putting together a walkingtour of Old Speedway City forIndiana Landmarks. We were doc-umenting the history of the originaltown as it tied to racing.

In the early days, many of thedrivers and mechanics stayed inthe homes of the local SpeedwayCity citizens. If you were part ofthis group, or have memories ofthis time, we would appreciate

hearing from you. Where youstayed, or if you remember thename of the family you stayedwith, would help put more of thepieces together.

We were sorry to hear the sadnews that Bob Lazier lost his battleto the COVID 19 virus at the age of81. He was the father of 1996Indianapolis 500 winner BuddyLazier and Indy 500 veteranJaques Lazier. If you know of anyfellow Oldtimers that have fallen tothe COVID 19 epidemic, please letus know, so we can share that withour members.

April also saw us lose BrianHasler to his long bout with can-cer. He was one of the co-founders of IRMA, the organizationthat honors the people and placesin Indiana racing history. You haveprobably read about some of theirceremonies in our past newslet-ters.

We would l ike to send ourcondolences to Joyce Vukovichwife of Bill Vukovich, who losther brother, midget standoutTommy Astone, in a farmingaccident in Fresno. Tommy wasmarried to Joy, the daughter ofWally Meskowski. Our deepestheartfelt sympathy goes out tothe families.

If you’re looking for somethingto do while housebound take alook at a new i tem theIndianapolis Motor Speedwayhas put on their s i te. Go toims.com/digitalarchive.

There's a chronological timeline,with new stories every week from adifferent decade. This is a veryinteresting way to be reminded ofthe rich heritage some of youlived.

Another site to take a look at isby our partners at the IndianapolisMotor Speedway Museum. Go toindyracingmusuem.org. They havea virtual visit and a new blog tocheck out.

They also have a YOU TUBEchannel that contains the entirepast speaker series, work on theLotus restoration, and stories fromDonald Davidson to name a few

(Continued to page 5)

Issue #2 2020 – 5 –

choices. Good way to spend somehousebound time.

PLEASE remember if you moveor change your email, address, orphone, take a moment and let usknow. Our email is indy500oldtimers@att.net

Does anyone know Will iamWidmer Jr, #559, AccessoryMember? His last mailing wasreturned.

Oldtimers Website(Continued from page 1)

Member’s News Corner(Continued from page 4)

Photo from the “About Us” page on the Oldtimers website.

Go to www.500oldtimers.com for the latest news and events.

schedule, the website provides thelatest information on races, sched-uled start times and televisionplans. The banner highlightsINDYCAR’s 2020 marketing cam-paign, “A Different Breed.”

Another section of the website'shomepage details the current day-to-day plans for the 104thIndianapolis 500, set for Sunday,Aug. 23 on NBC. Links to IMS.comand INDYCAR.com are provided,too.

The “News” section of the web-site provides illustrations of pastnewsletter cover pages. The moti-vation for offering these is to showprospective members what con-tent will be available to them. Thewebsite aims to provide newslettercontent for members only in themonths ahead. Stay tuned formore information about that.

Additionally, new informationwill be provided about theOldtimers and Indianapolis 500activities as they become avail-able.

Feel free to share the website’saddress with current Oldtimersand individuals who either aim tolearn more about the group and/orjoin it. The Oldtimers’ mailingaddress and email address arealso available on the website forthose who might want it.

Enjoy reading and reminiscing!

– 6 – Issue #2 2020

Museum Moment:An Important Note from Director Betsy Smith

Dear IMS Museum Supporters and Friends:

First and foremost, the IMS Museum staff and I hope that youand your families remain healthy and coping well during this chal-lenging moment in our history. I also want to offer our sincere andheartfelt appreciation for everyone who has offered moral andfinancial support to the Museum, via donation or new and renewedmemberships, while we remain closed.

Due to the incredible and continuing local, state and federalefforts to slow the spread of COVID-19, the IMS Museum willremain closed on an “until further notice” basis. Our staff is moni-toring the recommendations of public health officials and maintain-ing communications with Indianapolis Motor Speedway manage-ment.

Needless to say, we are as eager to reopen as you are to havethe IMS Museum open, and will endeavor to offer our tours, ourexhibit “From the Vault presented by Bank of America,” and thebalance of our treasured collection as soon as appropriately possi-ble.

Schedule Changes: You’re likely aware by now that IMS andNTT IndyCar Series management announced March 26 that 104thIndianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge activities are moving toAugust 12-23, and the GMR Grand Prix is moving to July 3-4.

For the Museum, this means our major “Month of May” events-the Corvette Pace Car Homecoming, Historic Racing Exhibition,Hall of Fame Day Legends Autograph Session, and the IMS Hall ofFame Induction Ceremony and Special Recognition Dinner pre-sented by Firestone and other scheduled member events-willeither move or be cancelled. Our goal is to move everything toAugust, but we ask for your patience as we work with IMS and out-side vendors to make this unprecedented Indy 500 a success. Wewill share new information as soon as it is available.

Bored? Looking for Educational tools? Find us online! Forfamilies and race fans sheltering at home, the Museum staff isworking hard to keep your children occupied and everyone elseentertained. Brand new to our website — www.indyracingmuse-um.org — are educational resources for young children and agrowing 3-D image gallery of items in our collection! Currently wehave downloadable and printable activities and lesson plans(grades 3-6) available by clicking on the “Learn More” tab, thenselecting the “Education” icon.

Our staff is also very busy posting historic videos, interviewswith IMS legends as well as present-day discussions about our fea-tured exhibits, and other fun multimedia. It's available on ourYouTube channel (“Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum”) andat the @IMSMuseum page on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Again, we wish you continued good health, rest and quality timewith your loved ones, and we look forward to welcoming you backto the Museum very soon.

Sincerely,

Betsy Smith, Executive DirectorIndianapolis Motor Speedway Museum

Jimmie Johnson talks withIndy 500 winner, SimonPagenaud at a COTA Indy Cartest earlier this year. willJimmie race in the GMR GrandPrix?

Bob GatesOne positive that could come

out of the turmoil of cancelledraces and reshuffled schedulescreated by the COVID19Pandemic, is the possible appear-ance of seven-time NASCARChampion, Jimmie Johnson in anIndy Car race.

The GMR Grand Prix, originallyscheduled for May but moved tothe July 4th Brickyard weekendpresented an opportunity for thatto become reality.

Johnson, who grew up withRick Mears as his hero, has longaspired trying Indy Car racing, butrestrictive contracts and conflictingschedules have prevented it. In hislast season of NASCAR, Johnsonhad planned on testing an IndyCar at Barber Motorsports Park onApril 6, and called the test a “buck-et list” item. But, the pandemichalted that.

Johnson became aware of theopportunity to race on theIndianapolis road course througha tweet from friend, Graham Rahal.“Hey @JimmieJohnson, you busyJuly 4th?” tweeted Rahal. “TheIndianapolis 500 presented by

Will JimmieJohnson RaceIndyCar?

(Continued to page 7)

Issue #2 2020 – 7 –

By Indianapolis Motor Speedway

INDIANAPOLIS, Tuesday, April 14, 2020 — The Indianapolis MotorSpeedway has opened its deep, 111-year archive for race fans around theworld to access, enjoy and use as a tool to learn about the extensive her-itage of the Racing Capital of the World.

The IMS Digital Archive takes fans on a journey through the racetrack’sfabled history by highlighting some of its biggest moments in a chrono-logical timeline. IMS Historian Donald Davidson is featured and shares hisunparalleled knowledge by telling stories about the Speedway orally andin written form.

Each Tuesday for the next 13 weeks, IMS will release a new decade inchronological order. Fans are encouraged to checkIMS.com/DigitalArchive weekly as more content will be unlocked andgreat stories will be told. The rich, multimedia content is optimized forenjoyment on mobile devices, such as phones and tablets, and browsers.

“The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has hosted some of the greatestchampions, pioneers and innovators in auto racing, motorcycle racingand aviation competition history,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said.“It’s important that we honor our history and show our race fans where wecome from as we grow into the next generation as a modern racing facili-ty. As a passionate fan of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway myself, I can’twait to learn new stories right alongside our amazing fans and see whatthis archive tells us next.”

From the track’s original dimensions as a 5-mile road course-ovalhybrid to stories about the Speedway’s most prominent and successfulfigures, additional written and visual content will provide race fans withdetailed and entertaining information about the Brickyard and the iconicpeople that have walked its hollowed grounds.

With IMS well into its second century, it’s impossible to highlight everymoment of its rich history. However, the Digital Archive prominently fea-tures some of the most significant moments that have defined the facility,the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and the Big MachineVodka 400 at the Brickyard.

The portion of the timeline released today takes fans to the racetrack’sorigins in 1909 when IMS' four founding fathers, Carl Fisher, JamesAllison, Arthur Newby and Frank Wheeler, pooled their resources to builda testing ground for Indianapolis’ growing automobile industry. This sec-tion also details the hot air balloon and motorcycle races and competitorsthat defined the first year at the track.

Fans Can Learn More About History of IMS through New OnlineDigital Archive

Gainbridge has been rescheduledfor Aug 23rd, and the GMR GrandPrix to Saturday July 4.”

Johnson told NBC Sports’ LeighDiffey, that he will take a very hardlook at the possibility. “I think thatwould be an awesome opportuni-ty,” Johnson told Diffey. “Clearly alot of things to sort out, and Ihaven’t even asked permission yetto pull it off. But I love the idea andam so thankful Graham brought itup because I would have probablymissed it and reacted too late.”

“Johnson went on to tell Diffeythere were issues to deal with tomake it happen. “Definitely, thereare approvals on my side from myteam, Mr. Hendrick, and spon-sors,” Johnson said. “It would bein a Chevy, so that part would bepretty easy to pull off.”

Jimmie Johnson in an Indy Caris a tantalizing proposition for fansand could bring another level ofattention to the sport.

But will it happen? The pandemic restrictions that

opened the door to the possibilitymight be the very thing that pre-vents it. NASCAR and Indy Carscheduling are still very much in astate of flux. And if Johnson can’ttest beforehand, it is doubtful he'dwant to make his first laps in anIndy Car on race weekend.

Stand by!

Jimmy Johnson(Continued from page 6)

Graham Rahal and JimmieJohnson at COTA. Graham iswho alerted Jimmie to the pos-sibility of competing in therescheduled GMR Grand Prix.

Pat SullivanRacing PR and Oldtimers

Member since 2013

Recalling Our Legacy: Johnnie Parsons

The 1950 Indianapolis 500 ush-ered in one of the most celebrated,and romanticized decades in thehistory of the Speedway. The racemarked only the second time, tothat date, that the distance wasshortened by rain. Like everyIndianapolis 500, it’s been scruti-nized from every angle and remainsthe source of one of the longest-standing myths in Brickyard lore.

In 1926, Frank Lockhart won therace after officials had stopped it forthe second time because of rain at160 laps. As fate would have it,Lockhart figures prominently in thestory of the 1950 classic.

Johnnie Parsons’ family wasvaudeville entertainers. And, as ayoung man, he too became a partof his clan’s song and dance rou-tine, a background that left a lastingimprint. However, his life changeddramatically after his parents split.

Johnnie moved in with his UncleJack, who happened to rent outgarage space nearby. His tenantsweren’t run of the mill citizens, how-ever. They included Frank Lockhartand Ralph DePalma. One lookLockhart’s sleek racecar was allJohnnie needed to set his l ifecourse in a new direction.

The midget racing craze was infull bloom, and young Johnniecaught the fever. He hung aroundthe famed California midget hauntsand stooged for Hall of Famedrivers Ronny Householder, MelHansen and silky-smooth BobSwanson.

Anxious to give the sport a try, In1940 Johnnie got a chance withowner Bill Rice at AtlanticSpeedway in Los Angeles. Theresults were as expected from acobbled-together race car, with anovice driver.

But things improved. In 1941, hemade a clean sweep at Colton,earning a staggering $6! Later in theyear, he held off Walt Faulkner to

win a 150-lap grind at AtlanticSpeedway. Some sources namedhim the “B” class midget championthat year.

His next step was a big one, aidedby obtaining a ride with well-respect-ed owner Ernie Casale in 1942. Whilesources vary, he won at least 18times, dominated the action atAtlantic Speedway and became the1942 United Midget AssociationChampion.

Following the war, Johnnie contin-ued his winning ways in the midgets.At a time when success in midgetspunched one’s ticket to theBrickyard, he took the 1948 AAAMidwest championship and capturedthe famed Night Before the 500 raceat the 16th Street Speedway inIndianapolis.

Johnnie passed his driver’s test atIndianapolis in 1948 and got hischance on the Championship Trailthat same year driving for owner EdWalsh and mechanic HarryStephens.

Walsh was the classic sportsman

owner, who hailed from a well-established St Louis family. In fact,Walsh's father deeded land to St.Louis University for the constructionof an all-purpose sports facility. Intime, Walsh Stadium became one ofthe premier locales for midget rac-ing in the nation.

For his part, Stephens was one ofthe first to acquire the stoutOffenhauser midget engine and hadfielded midgets for the likes ofHansen, Swanson and Perry Grim.

Johnnie took the reins of Walsh'sKurtis-Kraft/Offy that short-track wiz-ard Tommy Hinnershitz carried to a9th place finish in the 1948 500 andquickly demonstrated he belongedat racing's top level. He finished 2ndat Milwaukee and Springfield andthen was the victor on a dankOctober day at DuQuoin, Illinois.

While it was a personal mile-stone for Johnnie, the race will beforever remembered for the loss ofthe incomparable Ted Horn.Nonetheless, given the promisehe’d shown, Walsh was understand-

Barbara Stanwyck greets Johnnie in Victory Lane following his 1950500 win. Did the kiss linger a bit long? Notice the raindrops on WilburShaw’s jacket to the left. Rain shortened the race. IMS photo

– 8 – Issue #2

ably anxious to retain him for the1949 campaign.

Johnnie quickly became a fan-favorite. His grounding in showbusiness was evident in his presen-tation and demeanor. According toDonald Davidson, he also watchedDuke Nalon, who impressedJohnnie with how he carried him-self.

“Johnnie saw how sharp Dukelooked in his uniform,” Donald said,“and he noted that when driverswere introduced, Duke was one ofthe few who actually waved to thefans.”

As a result, Parsons also worespecially tailored uniforms, and inthe days when he raced seventimes a week, he proclaimed tohave a different color for each day.Smooth and graceful with fans, hemade women swoon. He was thetotal package.

All of Parson’s personality traitswere useful, but in a bottom-linebusiness, he had to deliver. In 1949he did just that. He competed inevery championship event, savePikes Peak, and scored victories atArlington (Texas), Milwaukee,Syracuse, Springfield, andLanghorne.

At the end of the year, he was the

National Champion. A significantoutcome for certain. But a second-place finish to Bill Holland at Indystuck in his craw. It was a race hecould’ve won. Some speculated thatStephens felt a rookie atIndianapolis needed firm direction.

Thus, once Parsons establishedhis pace, Stephens instructed himto stay in his lane. As the storygoes, a perturbed Frank Kurtis final-ly intervened. The car builder plead-

ed with Walsh and Stephens to turnhim lose. They finally signaledJohnnie to go after George Connorin third.

He increased his pace andimproved a position, but with no fur-ther instructions, he again eased upon the throttle. Late in the race,Mauri Rose lost a magneto, andParsons finished comfortably in therunner-up spot.

The 1950 National Champion-ship season began at Indianapolisand based on his performance theyear before, Parsons couldn’t beoverlooked. That said, owner LouMoore, the winner of three-straight500’s was on hand with drivers BillHolland, George Connor, LeeWallard, and Tony Bettenhausen.Also entered was three-time winnerMauri Rose driving for HowardKeck, and armed with an ElmerDiedt constructed car.

Holland and Rose were the onlyformer winners in the field, whichwas also composed of 9 rookies.The festivities started with 66entered cars vying for the 33 avail-able slots. Adding to the luster ofwhat was already a big-time event,was the presence of wildly popularClark Gable and Barbara Stanwyck,stars of the racing-based film, ToPlease a Lady.

The Clarence Brown produced

Johnnie got his start in midgets. He was the first of the midgetdrivers to succeed at Indianapolis, and his style changed the way therace was run after that. Bob Gates collection

Adding to the excitement of the 1950 month of May was the pres-ence of Clark Gable and Barbara Stanwyck, filming the movie “toPlease A Lady.” This is a publicity still. Bob Gates collection (Continued to page 10)

e #2 2020 – 9 –

– 10 – Issue #2 2020

(Continued to page 11)

Johnnie Parsons(Continued from page 9)

movie relied on actual and stagedrace footage, and called upon thetalents of many well and lesser-known drivers. Midget standout“Bullet” Joe Garson had a promi-nent role, while newly retired driverCliff Bergere, who had served as aHollywood stunt driver, had acameo appearance in the film as atrack guard. Significantly, JohnnieParsons served as the film’s tech-nical director.

Because of his diminutivestature and heavy right foot,midget veteran Walt Faulkner wasknown as “The Little Dynamo.”He’d enjoyed plenty of success inWest Coast midget racing, but hewas a rookie at Indianapolis. Thiswasn’t Culver City or BalboaStadium, but an awe-inspiring 2-½mile oval.

“The Little Dynamo” wasn’tintimidated. During his four-lapqualification run, he set a newtrack record at a 134.333 mphaverage. Lined up next to Walt wasFred Agabashian, who it turns out,offered needed assistance to Waltbefore his run, and Mauri Rose.

On race day, opera star JamesMelton treated the crowd to BackHome Again in Indiana, and SethKlein snapped the green flag tostart the race. Sitting next to aradio in Newhall, California wereeight-year-old Joanie Parsons, andher five-year-old brother JohnWayne, who were staying withtheir grandparents.

In the complicated andentwined world of racing, the chil-dren’s parents had divorced. Theirmother, Arza married DuaneCarter and was pregnant with afuture star, who’d forever beknown as Pancho.

For Joanie, it was the last 500she would miss. Johnnie took thelead on lap 10, and from there, therace largely became a duelbetween Parsons, Holland, andRose. Mauri offered some excite-ment when he came in for fuel just

past the halfway point, and anoverflow caused a momentary fire.Undaunted, he rejoined the hunt.

As Parsons found his groove,Stephens once again displayedthe EZY sign. To the delight ofmany, Parsons responded with aone-finger salute. By the 125th lap,Parsons pointed to the sky, indi-cating that rain was on the way.When the rain came Paul Russoand Jack McGrath spun as aresult. Two-time 500 winnerTommy Milton, the Chief Stewardhad seen enough and brought theproceeding to a halt.

Young Johnny Parsons remem-bers standing by the radio gettingreports on the race at 30-minuteintervals. The family knew thatJohnnie had the lead when therain arrived, but the word that heactually won came a bit later.

Almost stunned, Parsons head-ed to victory lane, his life foreverchanged. When you’re a dashingracer, handsome, and anIndianapolis 500 winner, there areimmediate payoffs. He accepted adrink of water from Wilbur Shaw,and then, reportedly, received an18-second kiss from BarbaraStanwyck before his wife Lilaarrived.

According to Joanie ParsonVoyles, Stanwyck had grown closeto Parsons and encouraged him toobtain a Screen Actors Guild card

(which he did ), and considerbecoming an actor.

There have been many talesabout this race, some passed onfor seven decades now. It’s truethat before the race Jim Robbinspurchased the striking yellowmachine from Walsh. Yet, hewould not share in any of the prizemoney. The total prize money out-lay exceeded $200,000, and thewinner’s share exceeded $57,000.It was also the first win for a Kurtis-Kraft chassis in the 500.

The story for years held thatHarry Stephens discovered acracked block before the race, andas a result, Parsons went for broketo get the win. While there wasmoisture around the block, no lessthan noted mechanic FrankieDelRoy (DeRosa) disputes thenotion of significant damage. Theproof? Mike Nazaruk finished sec-ond in the 1951 500 in the JimRobbins entry, using the sameblock.

Such reports also suggestParsons was the beneficiary ofgood fortune. Good fortune alwaysplays a hand in the 500, but thetruth is, he was strong all day andwas, without question, a dominantcar.

Famed journalist, ChrisEconomaki felt that the 1950 500was a game-changer in how

Johnnie Parsons with the famed Borg-Warner trophy followinghis 500 win. His name is spelled wrong on the trophy. Johnnyinstead of Johnnie! IMS photo

Issue #2 2020 – 11 –

Johnnie Parsons(Continued from page 10)

drivers approached the race.Previously, in l ine with HarryStephens’ thinking, a driver founda pace and held it, in hopes thiswould lead to victory. Economakinoted that Johnnie drove flat out.

Perhaps this was a product ofhis midget racing background. Henoted, “You know, I’ve had thebest training in the world for thisbusiness, the midgets. Some peo-ple who think if you’re a midget orhot rod driver, you can’t drive thistrack fast. They’re wrong. You askany of those drivers. They’ll tellyou they’d rather be running withmidget drivers than anybody.”

Even as a 500 winner, Parsonscontinued to race midgets andsprint cars. He finished 3rd inEastern sprint points for 1951 andenjoyed continued success inmidgets. In 1955 he claimed thegranddaddy midget race of themall, the Turkey Night Grand Prix atGardenia Stadium. In 1956 hebecame USAC’s Pacific CoastMidget champion.

Johnnie continued to competein the 500 through 1958, finishing4th in 1956.

On the National ChampionshipTrail, he scored a win at Darlingtonin December, of 1950. In 1951 hewon the last two races of the sea-son, at Phoenix and BayMeadows. And in the 1952 seasonfinale, he grabbed his finalChampionship Trail win.

According to Joanie ParsonsVoyles, the loss of Pat O’Connor atIndianapolis in 1958 was personal-ly devastating and hastened hisdeparture from the sport.However, he continued to serve innumerous capacities, from officialto promoter.

In 1952 daughter Pati was born.She became an enthusiastic rac-ing fan and professionally has hada long association with ESPN as acosmetologist. Pati recalls comingback to spend summers in ahouse on 15th Street in

Speedway, traveling acrossCalifornia when her father was aUSAC official, and waiting in thecar listening to Dodger gameswhile her father wrapped up hisduties at Ascot Park.

She never misses the 500, andsays, “Racing has always been apart of my life.” Johnnie alsowatched his son Johnny forge anoutstanding resume. Johnny stillremembers the day his dad deliv-ered a quarter-midget to his homein Speedway and practicing in itaround a nearby baseball dia-mond.

Johnny made 12 Indianapolisstarts, finishing 5th on two occa-sions. Like his father, he alsoenjoyed success at some of thelongest standing venues in theland, which gives him an immensefeeling of pride.

He won twice at Du Quoin inUSAC silver crown series action,and by averaging over 107 mph in1992, he established the all-timerecord for 100-mile events held onone-mile dirt ovals.

Also, unless things changedrastically, his 1995 one-lap quali-fying run at the Indiana StateFairgrounds will never be broken.Johnny also joined his father as amember of the National MidgetHall of Fame.

Donald Davidson insists thatJohnnie was one of the sportstremendous characters andambassadors. He further notesthat when Johnnie worked with

legendary East Coast promoterSam Nunis, he did more than justshow up and race.

“He would go out and run sec-ond or third in the race,” Donaldexplains, “but he would do muchmore. He would talk to localreporters and television stations,and he would even go to boxingmatches to promote the race. Hewas great with people, and he wasgreat with fans.”

In 1976 Donald, Johnnie, andnoted female racer Paula Murphymade an around the world trip (in80 days), a promotion sponsoredby General Motors through thePontiac brand.

“It was an incredible opportuni-ty,” Donald recalls, “and it meant Ispent a lot of time talking withJohnnie. He was an incredible sto-ryteller and mime. By that, I meanhe had a series of gestures andfacial expressions that added tothe story. He could also imitateother drivers.”

Suffice it to say, 44 years afterthis incredible journey, the recol-lections of a once in a lifetimeopportunity still causes Donald tobreak out in laughter.

A postscript. After winning the500 Johnnie expressed modestgoals. He wanted to pay off hishouse in Van Nuys, California,maybe add a few light switches,and put a new washbasin in thebathroom.

He earned that.

– 12 – Issue #2 2020

Pat SullivanRacing PR and Oldtimers

Member since 2013

Saluting Our Members: Floyd Dreyer Jr.

Floyd Herbert Dreyer Jr. wasborn in Indianapolis on February25, 1931. The son of the legendaryFloyd “Pop” Dreyer, before long,everyone called the youngster,Junior.

By the time Junior arrived, hisfather had long been immersed inthe speed game aroundIndianapolis, because in 1925 Popmoved there from his native Ohio.

He stopped in Greenfield,Indiana, on the way, and desper-ate to find work asked a localIndian Motorcycle dealer foradvice. He suggested Pop checkwith the Duesenberg factory in theCircle City. Pop was a welder, andthe Duesenbergs needed welders.He was soon under the watchfuleye of their master metalsmithHerman Rigling.

A quick study, Pop struck outon his own, and by 1931, hisrenown was such that he was con-tracted to craft the bodies of theentire Indianapolis 500 front row.Restless and inventive, Pop beganbuilding cars for short track racing

while developing an ingeniousmoney-making idea involving hischildren.

He constructed a child-size racecar.

Junior took one look at his, abirthday present, and asked wherethe engine was. Pop eventuallydeveloped an engine, and the carsbecame immensely popular. EvenShirley Temple had one that she

tore around her movie studio lotin.

In May, 1934 these miniaturecars participated in an event calledthe Children’s Speed Classic atthe Speedway, on a makeshiftcourse marked with barrels on themain straightaway. Pop enteredJunior and his brother Arnold.

When Arnold began to scamperaway from the field, Junior chasedhim down by diving inside the bar-rels to shorten the course. It didn’tpan out. Junior lost control.Tossed from his miniature racer,the abandoned car continued untila wall informed it that it had gonefar enough!

Perhaps scarred by the harrow-ing experience, when explainingwhy he didn’t seriously considerbecoming a racer, Junior said,“The desire wasn’t there. Or, “hecontinues with a laugh, “maybe Iwas just a coward!”

His appetite for racing wasn’tdampened, however. He remaineddeeply involved in the sport fromthat time forward.

Well before he was able todrive, Pop sent Junior on the roadwith a midget of his design andconstruction. Future short tracklegend, Jackie Holmes, was the

(Continued to page 13)

Young Junior Dreyer is at Winchester with the Dreyer sprintcar, and 1949 AAA Sprint Car champion, Jackie Homes.

Pop Dreyer’s kid’s cars, developed for his children, became sopopular that even Shirley Temple had one. Shown here with hercostar in many movies, Bill Robinson, who bought the car for her.

Issue #2 2020 – 13 –

Dryer(Continued from page 12)

driver. Unable to drive the rig,Junior was still in the middle of theaction.

And exciting action it was. With his recognizable striped

shirt serving as his uniform,Holmes was as brave as theycame, particularly on the Midwesthigh banks. He won in the Dreyermidget but was no slouch in asprint car either.

In 1948 he came from seem-ingly nowhere to finish second inAAA Midwest points to Travis“Spider” Webb. The next year heheld off the precocious TroyRuttman to secure the crown. ForJunior, the batt les betweenJackie and Rutt were thrilling. ToAAA officials, who felt a need tosit the pair down for a seriouschat, they were terrifying.

Junior has held IMS credentialssince 1946, but his first time on apit crew was 1953, with a carentered by grocery store mag-nate/driver Ray Crawford. The AAAbrass, however, deemed helacked sufficient experience andsent him home.

Several notable drivers gave thecar a shot before 1949 500 winnerBill Holland climbed in. Fresh offsuspension from AAA, Hollandmade the field. For race day,Junior manned the right frontwheel, as he did in many subse-quent races.

When you were in the thick ofthe action for decades like Junior,you were a part of some remark-able experiences. In 1955 he wasfront and center for a remarkablechapter in Speedway lore, as heworked for owner Jim Robbinsand his talented young driver,Jerry Hoyt.

The weather was so dicey thatmost drivers agreed not to qualifyon Pole Day. Hoyt’s crew didn’tget the message, and Jerrysnatched the top spot. Junior sayswith a chuckle, “He pulled a slickone.”

For the bulk of his time atIndianapolis, Junior worked mostoften wherever mechanic DaveLaycock plied his trade. Viewed asa wunderkind, Laycock, l ikeJunior, grew up in the sport.Dave’s father Bob worked foryears in the pressroom of IMS,and later as the Speedway’s histo-rian.

Junior worked for Dave on BillForbes’ racing team with driversShorty Templeman, JimMcElreath, and popular LloydRuby. He enjoyed a long andwarm association with Ruby in par-ticular, sharing his good times andhis heartaches.

In 1969 Ruby seemed to havethe race in his back pocket, whenhe made a pit stop. It was a disas-ter. For some time many believedit was Junior’s fault. “Peoplethought I’d patted him on the headto tell him to go,” Junior explains,“but the film footage shows I did-n’t. Ruby admitted his foot hadslipped off the clutch and pulledthe side of the fuel tank out.”

Another driver Junior drewclose to was Jim Packard. “Wewere very good friends,” Dreyersays, “He was from NorthCarolina. When he got out of theArmy, he wanted to race in theworst way. He figured Indianapolis

Four generations of the Dreyer family around one of theDreyer’s miniature cars. Pop on the left, Junior in the back.Junior’s son Mike holding his son, Matt.

was the capital of racing, so hetook a bus here. When he arrived,he looked through a telephonebook and found Dreyer RacingEquipment.

“He didn’t trust taxi cabs,”Junior continues, “so he walkedfrom the bus station to our shop.We didn’t know him from Adam.He stood around for a long time,and if you stood around my dadwould put you to work. He finallyasked Jim to hold something forhim while he tack welded it inplace.

“One day dad asked Jim if hecould strike an arc. He said yes,and welded a nice bead. Dad said,‘My goodness, why didn’t you tellme you could weld like that.’ Jimbecame our welder. Later he droveour sprint car. He was a greatguy.”

Like his father, Junior was ametal craftsman and once sur-vived a significant trial by fire. Thegreat Bill Vukovich came by theDreyer shop looking for someonewho could repair his midget’sdamaged nose. Junior receivedthe assignment. When Vukyreturned, he examined the work,and then asked menacingly, “Whodid this?” Somewhat meekly,Junior admitted he had. Vuky

(Continuted to page 14)

– 14 – Issue #2 2020

Dryer(Continued from page 13)

Junior Dreyer and Pop Dreyer behind the counter at the familymotorcycle shop. They were the first Honda distributor in the US.

looked him in the eye and said,“Pretty good for a kid.”

It was high praise. For the 1961 500, the Golden

Anniversary of the first 500, a spe-cial man-Tony Hulman-asked theDreyers to take on a special pro-ject. He wanted a vintageDuesenberg restored. Adding tothe project’s importance, EddieRickenbacker was to drive the carin pre-race ceremonies.

Karl Kaiser, the first Presidentand curator of the IMS Museumknew of a Duesenberg that lay inpieces and entrusted the Dreyersto rebuild it.

“One day Karl came to the shopwhere we worked on the car,”laughs Junior, “but we were at ourmotorcycle showroom. He openedthe shop’s door, and our bigpolice dog attacked and ripped hisjacket. He somehow got the doorclosed, but apologized over andover about it. He was just a terrificman.”

Junior participated in restora-tion projects for years but alsoworked on timely fabrication pro-jects. Again with Dave Laycock,who was then with car ownerGene White, he helped developthe famed Mongoose racecar.

The car is perhaps best remem-bered when Lloyd Ruby hit theSpeedway grid with it in patrioticred, white, and blue livery. It wasan era of experimentation with andthe development of aerodynamics.As a result, the car was an excep-tional fabrication challenge.

Besides the fabrication work,Junior spent much of his timealongside his father at DreyerHonda Motorcycles, now fresh offtheir 60th anniversary.

“My dad saw a Honda ad foroutlets for their products inPopular Mechanics,” Junior says,explaining how they became adealer. “Pop answered the ad, andwe became the first Honda dealer-ship in the United States.”

Pop Dreyer died on Junior’s58th birthday, he was 90 years old.He worked to the end and went fora motorcycle ride the day beforehe passed. Junior, who turned 89in February, routinely reported towork until he backed off at thebeginning of this year. However,son Mike says his father checks inby telephone daily.

It is been a good life. A life ofspeed. Summing it up, Juniorsays, “I am very thankful to havebeen born in Indianapolis and hadthe chance to participate in the500 all those years.”

Asked if he truly likes racing,Junior Dreyer, pauses, thenexclaims emphatically, “No! I loveit!”

E-mail ChangesJohn Barnesjbindy4@gmail.comRichard K Coyrkcoy500@gmail.comClaude W Fisher Jrclaudefisher2951@gmail.comGeorge B Petersivemilestogo@yahoo.com

Address ChangesGary J Casella, PO Box 1240,Oregon City, OR 97045-0240Phillip M Casey, 1048 WSimpson Ave, Fresno, CA 93705-3941Curtis R Dobbins, 5252Rosegate Place, Apt D,Indianapolis, IN 46237-8444William J Greenan, 10365Ulmerton Rd #96, Largo, FL 33771William J Vukovich, 2827 WCompton Ct, Fresno, CA 93711-1181

Racingly Yours,Bob Gates2181 Dockside DriveGreenwood, IN 46143Email: rgates1@msn.com

Issue #2 2020 – 15 –

DeceasedPaul E. Asa, 1275, Official,12/11/2018Robert DiCenzo, 1829 LM,Mechanic, 2/25/2019William A Fowler, 2082, ChiefMechanic, 2/4/2020Frank P Giuffre, 2084, TeamMember, 3/8/2020Bruce A Hinsley, 1666,Accessory. 8/17/2019Patrick W Kennedy, 2067,Accessory, 4/12/2020David L LeFevre, 1965, CarBuilder, 3/1/2020William J Reeser, 1967LM,Official-T&S, 4/2020John H Spidel, 1537 HL, SafetyPatrol, 4/22/1915William H Yoder, 1486LM,Photographer, 4/9/2020

Attention Members!

All changes of homeaddress, phone numberor email address shouldbe mailed to:

Barbara Hellyer4967 W. 12th St.Speedway, IN 46224

Or email toindy500oldtimers@att.net

Other Donations Mitchell FinkRalph Spencer

Donations in Memory ofRichard Bivens, Memory ofSonny MeyerRichard Bivens, Memory of BillSimpsonTim Delrose, Memory of TonyFoytTim Delrose, Memory of HowardGilbertTim Delrose, Memory of GaryBettenhausenTim Delrose, Memory of CharlieThompsonTim Delrose, Memory of DonSmithSteven Kontney, Remembranceof NDT/Safety Team members whohave passedDan Luginbuhl, Memory of JohnAndretti

The Last Word(Continued from page 16)

One on the oval at Iowa, theother at Laguna Seca.

The St. Petersburg street race,eliminated as the season openerbecause of the initial impact ofCOVID-19 is back in place and willclose the season sometime inOctober. And in a significant, his-toric move, there will be a thirdIndy Car race at the IndianapolisMotor Speedway.

Reminiscent of 1916 whenSpeedway founder, Carl Fisheradded three short races inSeptember called the Harvest AutoClassic, the 2020 race, scheduledfor the IMS road course onOctober 3rd, is dubbed theHarvest Grand Prix.

With the cooperation of theirpromoters, other changes fell intoplace. Mid-Ohio, originally sched-

Saturday, June 6 Texas Motor Speedway Sunday, June 21 Road America Saturday, June 27 Richmond Raceway Saturday, July 4 IMS Road Course Sunday, July 12 Streets of TorontoFriday, July 17 Iowa SpeedwaySaturday, July 18 Iowa Speedway Sunday, Aug. 9 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Sunday, Aug. 23 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race Sunday, Aug. 30 GatewaySaturday, Sept 12 Portland International RacewaySunday, Sept. 13 Portland International Raceway Sunday, Sept. 20 WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca Saturday, Oct 3 IMS Road CourseTBD Expected Finale Streets of St. Petersburg

uled for August 14-16, will happenon the weekend of August 7-9. Theoval race at Gateway will run onthe Sunday afternoon after Indy,August 30, with practice and quali-fying the day before. Portlandmoves to September 13th fromSeptember 9th.

As fans of the Indianapolis 500,and IndyCar racing, our thanks goto Roger Penske, Doug Boles,Mark Miles, Jay Frye and all who

worked diligently to pull thistogether.

IndyCar’s revised schedule,precluding any other COVID-19interruptions, follows. EddieGossage of Texas Speedwaystates that he has no interest inrunning a race without spectators.So, if assembling in large crowdsis still prohibited in early June,Road America might open theschedule. Stay tuned:

Dan Luginbuhl, Memory of DickJordanDan Luginbuhl, Memory of BillSimpsonDan Luginbuhl, Memory of BobLazierJoanie, Johnny & Patricia,Memory of 1950 Winner JohnnieParsons

Phone NumberChangesWilliam R Marvel Sr., 859-212-3617 home phone

Indianapolis 500 Oldtimers4967 West 12th StreetSpeedway, IN 46224-6968

The Last WordBob Gates

PRESORTEDFIRST CLASS MAILUS POSTAGE PAID

BROWNSBURG, IN 46112 PERMIT #40

– 16 – Issue #1 2020

Unless the pandemic that’scurrently wreaking havoc on ourcountry and the world takes adecided turn for the worst, we willenjoy the 104th Indianapolis 500yet in 2020.

As you most likely know, theIndianapolis 500 is currentlyscheduled for August 23rd. Andall the traditional on-track activi-t ies, including Fast Friday,Qualifying, Bump Day, Miller LiteCarb Day, the Indy Pit StopCompetition and the Indy Lightsrace, as well as their qualifyingwill remain in place.

However, the Indianapolis GMRGrand Prix that in recent yearskicked off the month of May willnow be a part of the JulyBrickyard 400 weekend, as willthe popular BC39 midget race.With the NASCAR Infinity seriesrace already scheduled on theroad course for July 4th, adding

the Indy Cars the same day cre-ates an exciting historic double-header between the two series.

Also in place is an essentialingredient in making these his-toric changes viable. In additionto the race, NBC wil l televisemany hours of other track activi-t ies as well. Said PenskeEntertainment CorporationPresident and CEO, Mark Miles ofthe updated coverage, “…weextend our thanks to NBC for itsterrific partnership and diligentwork to maximize broadcast cov-erage with this new schedule.We'll, in fact, have more live cov-erage than we did last year.”

To make all this happen tookmore than simply shuffling a fewdates around on the calendar. Itrequired the coordination, coop-eration, and collaboration of theSpeedway, a major TV network,two sanctioning bodies, and sev-eral other tracks and promoters.

A daunting obstacle to movingthe traditional May activities intoAugust was conflicting dates with

the previously scheduled IndyCarraces at Mid-Ohio, Gateway andPortland.

IndyCar President, Jay Frye,who has worked t irelessly toenhance the schedule, the com-petit ion and the visibi l i ty ofIndyCar, applied his work ethicand ability to this problem. And achallenging task it was.

He originally developed arescheduled season to open withDetroit doubleheaders on May30th and May 31st. But when itbecame time to set up the coursein mid-April, the quarantine wasstill in place, making that impossi-ble. With the Detroit races can-celed, Frye began again with mul-tiple chess-like moves to developyet another schedule.

The result, if it can remain finalthrough the unpredictability ofthis pandemic, is an excit ing,unique schedule containing 15races. Presently the season is toopen at Texas on June 6 andcontains two doubleheaders.

(Continued to page 15)