Past Verses the Present | Is Indycar Racing Gone the Way of the Dinosaurs

With the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 just days away and only 32 cars actually qualified, is the current version of the IRL going the way of the dinosaurs? In the hey day of the Indianapolis 500 more than eighty entries would have shown up. Today we get 33.

The IRL powers to be have developed a strategy that enables only the teams with big pockets to participate. With only four or five teams able to field cars and other drivers and team owners unable to find sponsors. We saw a lot of young people at the race last year, but will the series be able to sustain itself. The IRL has abandon tracks of the past and tried to get fancy road courses instead, like the ill fated Boston attempt.

Even the press are now writing articles about what about next year after the 100th running is over with. Will the race sell out. Will they continue to get dismal attendance at other races. Unless the formula changes and more teams and fans get excited about the IRL its popularity will be in question. You have one body and two engine choices. The only difference to tell the cars apart is the paint scheme. There used to be roadsters, Lotus, McClarens, Eagles, Coyotes, Marchs and such. Enovation by car designers, now we get mono Star Trek designs.

Enabling cars that don't cost millions of dollars, doing away with aero kits, and all the electronic features that raise the price and enhance drivability. Is racing more exciting with all of this than in 1974. As a person that has been going to the track since 1966, I vote no. We will be in turn 1 rooting our favorite drivers to victory on Sunday. Have a safe race. Until next time.

My First Track Visit to the Indianapolis 500 Track 1966 Qualifying Pole Day

Saturday 14 May 1966, I was 9 years old and this is my first of many trips to the famed Brickyard. I had listened to the race prior to this trip on the radio with my dad and can remember seeing the Sachs McDonald crash on the news that night in 1964, but when we got out of the car and I saw this huge facility and heard my first Indycar come out of the pits and in to turn 1 I was hooked.

[I took my granddaughter to time trials in 2014 and had the same experience as we got out of the truck just as a car came through turn 1 and her eyes got great big and she yelled what was that, I just replied back "welcome to Indy that was a race car and if you think that was loud wait until get inside".] 

We did and would always sit in turn 1 during time trials. A lot of action would happen there that day and into future years. It was a cloudy cool day and we were seeing the transition from front engine roadsters to the rear engine machines of today.

A.J. Foyt lost control in the short chute and hit the wall just before turn 2. I can remember A.J. getting out of the car car and stuffing his gloves into his helmet. I could tell he was not happy.


And then during the warm-up of his qualification attempt driver Chuck Rodee lost control in turn 1 and hit the wall right in front of us. I can remember that he did not move in the cockpit after coming to a stop. We were sitting in the 3rd row and could see everything during and after the accident. This was my first accident I ever saw in person and can remember all the emergency trucks and people coming around the car. Chuck died during that accident of a ruptured aorta.

Mario Andretti won the pole that day with a four-lap track record of 165.889 mph and I got to see one of my to be favorite drivers Scotland's own Jim Clark who had won the race in 1965. I would become a huge fan of his until his death in 1968. I then favored Mark Donahue who would win in 1972. 

Graham Hill won the race that year and I watched the Victory dinner on television and remembered his funny sayings during the dinner.

Until next time. 

Indianapolis 500 Track Personalities

Tom Carneige

Growing up in central Indiana in the 60s/70s radio was king to listening to the 500. Many track personalities became legends. Lets start with that booming voice heard for over 6 decades at the motor speedway Tom Carnegie. I can remember being there for those "new track records" of 170, 180, 190 and in 1977 (while home on leave from the USAF) the first lap timed at 45 seconds and 200mph by Tom Sneva. We were sitting in our usual turn 1 spot. Tom also broadcast high school basketball games for WFBM-TV, but his legend comes from the Indianapolis 500. Tom passed away in February 2011 at the age of 91. He passed the reins to the public address system along to one time Dayton Ohio sportscaster and Indianapolis native Dave Calabro now of WTHR-TV in Indianapolis.

Sid Collins

Radio listeners became familiar with the turn and straightaway announcers as they were our eyes to what was happening on the race track at any one time during the race. The legendary Sid Collins '52-76 who was the voice of the 500 way before there was a Paul Page. Turn 1 was Mike Ahern '66-73 who passed it on to Ron Carrell '74-85 then Jerry Baker '86 to today. Turn 2 was Howdy Bell '62-81. Doug Zink '66-73 would give us all the passes that were happening on the back straightaway. Turn 3 was again Ron Carrell '66-73 and Doug Zink '74-81. Turn 4 was Jim Shelton '57-78. Even Bob Lamey the voice of the Indianapolis Colts called turn 4 for the 1990 decade. And of course historian Donald Davidson who would bring us interesting factoids from previous races from that special mind of his.

These men made you feel like you were at the race with the excitement in their voices as they called a spectacular pass or were reporting on a horrible accident for which there were many during this period.  WIBC out Indianapolis was the flagship radio station who broadcast the race. I can remember listening to 1968 race in which Bobby Unser in the Rislone Special won while sitting on the bank of my grandfathers farm pond fishing with my transistor radio laying there in the grass beside me. During these times even qualifications were radio broadcasted.

Classmates of mine in high school would skip school to go to Carb day. Returning to school the next day with sunburns and a note from their parents saying they had been ill the day before.


Until next time. Indy

Welcome to the Vintage Indycar Blog

Welcome to the Vintage Indycar Blog. I grew up just outside Indianapolis and my first trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was back in 1966. We went to pole day as it was known back then every year until 1975 when I joined the United States Air Force. 

Chuck Rodee

As we approach the 100th running this year, this blog is designed to bring back memories of when Indycar was in its hay day. The opinions here are just mine and any of you who want to chime in. Keep comments positive and respect other opinions. Any violations will be deleted. Please share your experiences with us and share the blog with your friends.

I will include pictures and historical facts that may have not made the 6 o'clock news back then. I will also share my experiences including getting to meet driver Salt Walther and helping with a book on his life story. We are also producing a video on him that has pictures and interviews that came from Salt's estate.

My biggest thrill in doing the book was getting to talk with track historian Donald Davidson via  telephone. We discuss listening to the race on the radio, because living in Indy it was not televised back then so radio was the way we enjoyed the race. I can remember hearing the Eddie Sachs Tommy MacDonald crash and then seeing it on the 6 o'clock news on WISH TV channel 8.

Until next time.