My old man introduced me to hot rods at a very young age. In fact, my first exposure to cars built with a purpose was the 1980 Indianapolis 500. I was around four years old at the time, but I can still remember the sounds, the sites, and the people a... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
I am going to "The 500" for the first time this year. I am having a hard enough time concentrating on what is in front of me as it is and Ryan keeps posting up this kind of stuff. Keep it coming!
Cool! Muddy Waters "Mannish Boy" [1955] is probably one of my all time favorites, but I'm a little disappointed you didn't choose one of the fantastic songs that were recorded in '57. Buddy Holly, as well as Little Richard had their break outs and biggest hits in '57, and Chuck Willis' recorded probably the best version of "C C Rider" that year. Sorry Ryan, just a little pet-peeve of mine.
Ryan, That video brings back a lot memories.My relatives moved to Indianapolis back in the 50's I used to visit them as a teen ager but never got to see a race.My uncle took me from Tennessee in 1955 to live and work for him in Terra Haute,he had a gas station.He sponsored a dirt track car there,it was a 34 ford w/flat head engine.We would go to the races and work in the pits doing what ever,that was a thrill of a life time.I left Indiana and went back to Tennessee and went in the military and did the usual things like get married ,etc.Moved to Tx. in 68 w/IBM and in 1978 my oldest son graduated from Round Rock High,What did he want for graduation??? A trip to The Indy 500.From that time forward until 2005 we along with another younger son traveled to Indy. for the races.The boys are all relocated now and it is to much of a h***el to get together and make the race.Those are times I will always cherish. Note,I am showing the 34 at the IBM Show tomorrow(Fri) ,come by if you get a chance,would like to meet you. Don In Austin www.myspace.com/mylil34
Thanks Ryan, I too loved the video. Indy is such an experience. The excitement of the crowd, the scream of the engines, the colors, the smell of the racing fuel, the infield goings on (I think you were six years old when we walked up on the couple screwing in the back of a pickup in the broad daylight), and gasoline alley! So much to see and hear and feel. There is no such other event in the world. The people we were with, Franz Weiss, Count Rudy Vanderstraton, Mario Andretti and Micheal (the worlds nicest racers). I could go on and on. Yeah, I planned it, and it worked. There is nothing better to teach a son than the joys of hanging out together and giving a kid dreams of the future. I am very proud of you. pop
Great stuff, gotta love those roadsters. To me it hasn't been the same since the rear engine cars took over. I can remember listening to Sid Collins " the Voice of the 500" long before Wide World of Sports started same day delay broadcasts. I think it was Brock Yates a few years back floated a trial balloon to bring the roadsters back with Nascar type power plants. That would be cool. As far as the father/son hing my Dad used to take me to Philadelphia Eagles games backin the 50's and now my daughters and I catch a couple games each year. Great family traditions. Dad was not a hot rodder but loved cars and driving.Explains why I can't stay home.
Perfect timing Ryan, as usual, with action on the track starting this week. I have memories of going to the race in '58 with my dad, I was 17 and enjoyed driving there in our '56 Chevy 2d/ht with the power pack engine almost as much as the race. Took my oldest son to a F1 race there, the place still has a special magic - even with MotoGP coming this year and NASCAR in place. Like nowhere else. Le Mans is close, but completely different. Thanks, Al
Kool footage, the crowd perspective gives a real festival feel. Muddy is spot on when he sets the mood with "oh yeah, everything's gonna be alright dismornin". Camera man sure likes the batton/marching girl in gold (so do I).
As we alluded to last week in another post about Indy, the tradition lives on. Purdue University still parade that drum around, the marching bands and majorettes still file by. You transpose any date onto that video and it would seem to fit no matter what. How about refuelling with no safety gear, the knock offs, no pit lane speed limit, the crowd lining the race track and make no mistake, even though it was '57 those cars are hauling *** into the turns. Go, you will not regret it.
Wow. I grew up around this stuff and it still gives me chills to watch the old movies. When I was in grade school, every day during the month of May, I would rush home from school and flip on the TV to watch the last hour or so of practice (yes, they covered it every day). My earliest memory of the Speedway is painting the floors in the old garages at the beginning of each month of May. My dad would drop me off at whatever garage we had been ***igned with a few gallons of paint and a couple brushes and he would go work on the racecar. I had the run of the place. I thought I was king. There's quite a buzz around Indy this year. It's great to see excitement building again around 16th and Georgetown.
Ryan, we must be around the same age, because the early 80's as a kid is when I discovered Indy racing... I'm such a nerd, my dad had a book with all the indy winners and cars up til 82 and I memorized them.. I believe 57 was Sam Hanks in the Belond Exhaust special. The Offy was laid on its side...Jimmy Bryan (from Phoenix, my hometown) won in 58 in the same car, or one just like it.... Thanks for taking me down memory lane, even though I'm only 31.. By the way, I've technically been to Indy once... my mom was pregnant with me when my folks went in 77 to see AJ win his fourth...
Been blessed to be around some kool stuff in my life, but there is NOTHING like Indy...everyone should make it a part of their "checklists".....
In '57 I was 10 years old and my dad had died two years earlier. My mom's brother, Uncle ****, would take me with him to practice and qualifications in a '40 Ford sedan. We thought those Novis were about the coolest cars anyone had ever seen. I still have a few black & white snapshots from pit row and Gasoline Alley, you know, the ones that took forever to get back from the drugstore. A couple years later two or three of us would hitchhike from Irvington on the east-side to the Speedway, sneak in through the drain culvert under Georgetown Rd. and spend entire days walking the infield and watching through the fence around Gasoline Alley. Those were the days when the men and the cars had distinctive personalities. The smell of hot metal, hot brakes, hot rubber and the sweet smell of raw fuel in the exhaust ........ and is there a better sound than an Offy at part throttle down the front stretch? Priceless memories ......... thanks for the video!
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