History I.R.P. Timing Tower picture thread

I dont know anything about the timing tower at Indianapolis Raceway Park; but I always thought it was cool. Im guessing it was made of porcelain coated steel like most of the gas stations and diners were made of back then...Post your pics of the Indianapolis raceway park timing stand from the 60's.

 

My Favorite !! OCIR

 

Pics of Indianapolis timing stand from the 60's ...

 

Happens every time. Maybe big bold letters would help? No, it will happen again.

 

I could be wrong about this but i think Dave Hales told me that the tower is still there at the track just in a different location and is now covered with vinyl siding.

 

thats kinda cool, ill have to pay more attention next time im there...

 

here it is in the 70's....it was looking pretty fugly by then

 

The original IRP Drag Strip tower was eventually relocated to the adjacent Oval Track. It sits there now with vinyl siding covering that mustard yellow original finish. I thought I had a photo of it somewhere but I can't find it....yet!

 

They uglied the **** out of it.

 

Hey,
At least it's still there and not torn apart and thrown on the dump like so many others.

 

^ crazy, had no idea it still existed, always thought it was long gone. Would be cool to peal back the siding and see if the "IRP Home of the NATIONALS" was still on it

 

True.
Bit it's still ugly.

 

There's more pictures out there....

 

My memory proves me wrong more often than right but I seemed to recall there were two of these towers at the dragstrip. One at the line & the other somewhere around the thousand foot mark. Could that be right or was it one tower (on wheels?) and they just kept moving it around.

 

^I think the second picture I have with the FORD sign on it is the second tower, it looks like the main tower doesnt have those agled windows on top

 

The finish line tower was torn down a couple of year ago... it was actually about 100 feet past the finish line on the left side of the track.
I used to drive one of the NHRA Safety Safari trucks full time and sat in the shade of that tower many times during the US Nationals.
It wouldn't surprise me if the old tower that sits at the oval now will someday meet it's death.
The powers to be at NHRA now don't care about the history of the sport or what things mean to people.... it's all about the $$

 

more pics

 

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A few years ago, Bob Daniels, who was GM at IRP for many years, and I were on his golf cart....he stops near turn 4 of the oval and says, "Recognize that?"... I said sure, that's the old starting line tower....He told me, they were going to tear it down to build the new tower, and he said NO move it here....Then they were going to paint it and he said NO, and had vinyl siding put on it....He said if you take the siding off, the yellow paint and the D-A Speed Sport logo is still there....RIP Bob, your sure are missed....Fred

 

Great information Freddy Bear.

 

very cool, good info

 

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My father and I did the Rusty Wallace racing experience a couple of weeks ago at IRP. I'm not old enough to know any of the track's history.... If it wasn't for this thread I wouldn't have given that tower second look! Thanks for the history lesson, and the pics are great also...

 

blue racer '64

 

This 1961 photo was taken before the Indy tower was built.

 

Here's an early Indy tower photo. No grandstands on west side built yet.

 

Cool!!...nice pics