The Road to Indy
We are on the road to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to go racing. To begin, I have to go back some 60 years to 1959. I was 9 years old and it was race day at the Indy 500. It all starts with Mom making strawberry waffles for breakfast. Then turning on the radio for the race, as back then there wasn’t TV coverage. Dad would say this is the biggest race ever. I could hear the roar of the motors as they went by the announcers, and they’re off to a green flag start.
The race would last all day, so sometime around noon Mom would have lunch for us and Dad would crack open a beer, I always got a sip of that cold beer….From that moment on, I knew I wanted to race, just never had the chance to do it. Fast forward to now.
It was a four day road trip to Indy. Susie (my better half), Dan Esposito, David Clinkscales and I were taking two trailers with my race car in mine and David’s ‘66 Mus-tang in his. Just as a matter of info, my race car is a 1968 Mustang coupe. It is fully race configured as a tribute replica of the one Jerry Titus drove back in 1968 to win the Trans Am race at the 24 hours of Daytona.
The trip there was uneventful other than the motel in Am-arillo, Texas. It wasn’t the best of accommodations. On the fourth day we made it to Indy, driving through the tunnel under the track to the garage area of the infield. We found our pit space with the help of SVRA, (Sportscar Vintage Racing Association), and set up “racing pit camp” in a couple of hours. Dan and David were a big help with that.
The next morning we were up early, as I had a drivers meeting to attend. Then get the car “teched”, (tech in-spection), for racing. The car passed without an issue.
We had time to check out the museum. It was impressive to see what was raced back in the 1920’s and what the driver’s wore. Leather helmets and no seat belts. And they call us crazy! The hard hat was introduced in the 30’s as an upgrade.
Back to the track: The first test day had lots of cars on the track. I couldn’t wait to get out there myself. Thursday couldn’t come soon enough.
Later that afternoon the infamous Midwest rain hit. OK, maybe I should have got the rain insurance but didn’t. Too late now. I had visions of COTA (Circuit of the Americas racetrack in Austin, Texas), all over again when we got rained out on Sunday’s feature race. Maybe this will pass, and it did.
Fortunately, no more rain for the rest of the week, but very hot and humid. More of my crew came in. We had ten friends and family show up. Susie’s sister Sharon and brother-in-law Pete from Houston TX, Mac from Tucson,
Arizona, my cousin Glen, Adrienne and her brother-in-law Ken from Muncie, Indiana, Gary my crew chief and and his wife Lisa, Dan and David. It was great to have all of them there.
Up early again on Thursday as I had a practice round at 9:30 AM. Getting ready with so much going through my mind after all these years of wanting to be on this track. I can’t even begin to say how it felt! All I know is that I have goose bumps on top of goose bumps, with the hair on my arms standing up.
Out on pit row and into the first turn, wow, I’m doing this, so cool, now start learning the track, braking points, turn in points, exit points and shifting points. There is so much more to putting a race car on the track then speed.
All the cars are passing me and that is ok when you are learning the track. Oh no! Went into that turn a little fast and here is the next corner already, out of shape, right rear wheel hits the grass and I’m in a spinout! Wow, here come the cars at me as I spin and spin again and there goes all the cars by me.
My first 360 spinout and what better place to do it at then Indy. If I could have kept the motor running I could have done the famous Danny Sullivan spinout, (a 360 degree spin ending up pointing in the right direction and keep racing), but I didn’t, the motor died.
I figure I got my spinout out of the way so don’t have to worry about that for the rest of the weekend, unless I mess up again. I still have my record intact of spinning out on every track I have been on. Woo-hoo, one more practice that after-noon. No problems, two minute lap times, not bad for my first time there.
Friday is qualifying day, one in the morning and a second in the afternoon. First one out, I dropped my times down to 1’57”. Qualified thirty out of thirty three cars. Second Improved lap times by three seconds down to 1’54” and qualified twenty six out of thirty four cars. Better, as I was sixth in TA (Trans Am) class. There are five classes in the group six event and I’m run-ning with Corvettes and other cars that have big engines like 427’s. My little 302 just can’t keep up with them and that is ok as I’m only racing against other TA class cars in group six.
First race day, start time 4:40 pm, still 98 degrees out and very humid. Feels like 150F inside the car. Glad my sweetie got me that cool shirt. On the pace lap so much going through my mind again, I can’t believe I’m here doing this, so I pinch myself and say it is really happening…. Ouch!
Green flag drops and we are off. I pass three cars on the start of the race and then just try and keep ahead of them, more cars spin out and I’m moving up. The Camaro that spun out earlier, passes me on the white flag lap. I really wanted to stay ahead of him but couldn’t.
The race ends, and I have lost probably five pounds of body weight, David brings the results sheet over and I finished sixteen overall in the group and third in TA class. This is another OMG moment for me, third you say!!! I would have never guessed that, so awesome.
Dan and I have ten minutes to get the race car over to the car show where David and Pete are showing their cars for the parade lap. I put Dan in the driver’s seat to do it. He has the biggest smile on his face as he got to drive the big oval in the right di-rection. Now it is time to relax with friends and family and cook some steaks for dinner.
After that we went over to the tower where they had a band playing. A nice way to end the day with 1 more day to go. I have already done way better than I ever thought I would.
Sunday was the second race day with a 2:00 pm start. Gary and Dan are putting in new airplane spark plugs in the motor. Secret weapon stuff but don’t tell anyone. I had a 1’54” lap time in the first race so my goal is 1’53” for this one. Getting ready is crazy time, trying to keep the stress level down and stay cool when it is 102 degrees outside with a track temp of 135F.
Now it is to the grid for lineup, then ready, set, go. The pace lap is good and the green flag drops with four cars passing me on the start but I’ll start picking the cars off as the race goes on.
A few cars spin out. At least I spun out in practice and not in the race. The intensity has increased but that’s why I race. I feel so alive being in the car and part of the car as it goes around the track.
Six laps in when I pass the green Challenger in a tight right hand corner. I have the black #48 Challenger in my sights coming to the grandstand straight away and I’m closing in. I can out brake him in the corner, so all is good.
I see the second place Corvette coming up behind me and I point him by on my right. After the pass I figured he would stay down to take the corner, but oh no, he pulled up in front of me and hit his brakes, I’m still full throttle as I had not hit my brake zone yet.
Panic mode sets in and I have to swerve to my right hard and hard on the brakes, Pete and Sharon see me sliding on the big screen with all four tires smoking. The motor dies going into turn one and all the cars I passed are now pass-ing me.
I get going again. Coming into the back straight, I see smoke, yellow flags, and a tire and wheel in the middle of the track. The green Challenger is up against the wall. As I come back to the grand stand straight away the black Chal-lenger is on fire to my right. I managed to move up two spots due to losing these cars in my class.
Next time around and the checkered flag is waving.
I’m done, heat exhaustion and all. I would not trade that moment for anything. I looked up and thought of Dad. I said to myself, I made it here Dad, love you.
I finished the race in seventeenth overall and third in TA again. I reached my goal of 1’53” lap times and so much more. I feel so fortu-nate to have had this experience to race on these hallowed grounds.
I could not have done it without much help from a lot of people. A big thank you to Dan who worked his butt off all week and has done an awesome job for me. I could not have done it without your help. A big thank you too to all that helped get me here: The team at JBA, J, and Tim, Bryans Racing for setting up the car, awesome job, my crew Gary, Dan, David, Mac, Pete, Glen, and the ladies Sharon and Lisa.
The biggest thank you to my wife for a great birthday present, of going to INDY. I’m the luckiest guy in the world to have you as my wife Susie. Love You always.
