– Active, Reserve, and Retired Military Receive Free Admission –
ELKHART LAKE, Wis., May 4, 2021 – It has been 71 years since racers tore through the streets of this tiny village about 60 miles north of Milwaukee. Still, every spring, you would swear time stood still when the sounds of historic racecars from days gone by echo throughout the surrounding hillsides.
Racing came to Elkhart Lake in 1950, with cars competing against the backdrop of the countryside course. In 1953, auto racing was banned on open roads in Wisconsin, and as a result, the need for a real racetrack became apparent, and Road America was established, with the first event taking place in 1955. Clif Tufte designed the four-mile, 14-turn road course as an adaptation to the existing hillside commonly known in eastern Wisconsin as the Kettle Moraine – complete with corners and straightaways that have taken on names of their own, based mainly on their configuration but more often the intimidation level.
With radical elevation changes, tree-lined straights, and spring flowers blooming at every turn, Road America’s four spectacular miles are in a one-of-a-kind class with racers the world over. At the same time, photographers view it as a paradise for split-second shutters and scenic backgrounds.
Whatever your desire, from May 14-16, the SVRA Vintage Festival Weekend serves it up in classic form. Witness the power, pageantry, and picturesque landscapes of Road America, a track that is every bit as impressive as the cars that will compete.
Fans that enjoy grassroots racing of all types are encouraged to mingle in the pits, peek under the hoods and visit the paddock area for an up-close look at these rare vehicles, all while chatting with the men and women who dedicate their time to preserving the rich history of auto racing. This event also allows enthusiasts to watch many of their favorite vintage sports cars and formula cars as they race around the tricky 14-turn course offering an unprecedented side-by-side view of many different machines.
In light of recent schedule changes, F4 U.S. and FR Americas will also join the SVRA schedule for the weekend.
Gates will open to the public each day at 7 a.m. Admission is $45 for the 3-day weekend, $20 Friday, $25 Saturday, and $20 Sunday. A tentative schedule is available at www.roadamerica.com
Anyone 16-years-old and under are always FREE with a paying adult at the gate.
As part of its commitment to honoring America’s heroes, Road America will provide free admission to all active, reserve-duty military and veterans with ID during the SVRA Vintage Weekend at Road America.
Fans have three quick, convenient methods to buy tickets:
Online: Visit www.roadamerica.com Tickets are available 24 hours a day, seven days per week. Print your tickets to save time and enjoy a contactless experience at the gates.
Phone: Call 800-365-RACE or 920-892-4576 between 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday.
In-Person: Visit the Road America Ticket Office at the Road America Administration Building off of State Highway 67 (Gate 6) between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday.
Races run rain or shine. For more information, call 800-365-RACE (7223) or visit www.roadamerica.com
For additional details on Road America’s Active Measures Against COVID-19, check out our webpage at www.roadamerica.com/safety
To plan your visit, check out Road America’s Frequently Asked Questions webpage at www.roadamerica.com/faq
ELKHART LAKE, Wis., January 28, 2014 – Gardner Denver, a leading worldwide manufacturer of highly engineered compressors and pumps for various industrial, medical, environmental, transportation and food industries, will serve as title sponsor for the June 21 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Road America, The Gardner Denver 200 Fired Up by Johnsonville.
The Gardner Denver 200 Fired Up by Johnsonville will feature a 50-lap format on Road America’s legendary 4-mile, 14-turn road course and is slated for a 1:45 p.m., start time. The feature event will be run in-between races from both the Pirelli World Challenge and the SCCA Trans-Am Series, providing fans a full day of action-packed racing.
“We are very excited about our new relationship with Road America because it allows us to promote Gardner Denver’s market-leading products and solutions on a unique platform while showing appreciation for our team of highly talented employees,” said Tim Sullivan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gardner Denver, Inc. “Motorsports is fueled by innovation and through this entitlement we intend to use the power of motorsports to further increase our momentum in the industry while raising the level of recognition for Gardner Denver’s best-in-class technologies to a whole new level.”
Road America marks the first of three road courses on the NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule and The Gardner Denver 200 Fired Up by Johnsonville could provide a look into how drivers will perform in the other two: Watkins Glen International and the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, both in August. The event has also been known to draw an influx of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stars and various sports car series veterans, eager for seat time and a chance to capture a win at one of the nations’ most storied circuits.
“Without question we are very excited that Gardner Denver has agreed to be the title sponsor for our NASCAR Nationwide race,” said Road America President and General Manager, George Bruggenthies. “We look forward to showcasing Gardner Denver’s passion for NASCAR with their employees and our fans and we are equally excited that the Pirelli World Challenge and SCCA Trans-Am series’ will be joining in the fun because this is going to be a tremendous weekend of racing.”
The race weekend begins with Pirelli World Challenge action on Friday, June 20, followed by more incredible door-to-door Pirelli World Challenge excitement on Saturday morning, June 21. The green flag drops at 1:45 p.m., Saturday afternoon for The Gardner Denver 200 Fired Up by Johnsonville NASCAR Nationwide race, which will also be broadcast live on ABC. Additional SCCA Trans-Am series racing rounds out the action-packed weekend on Saturday evening. Tickets are available and additional event details and camping information can be found at www.roadamerica.com or by calling 800-365-7223. Kids 12 and under are free with an adult and racing runs rain or shine.
Mazda leads others in tightly bunched run into turn 7. [Joe Jennings Photo]
by Joe Jennings
WATKINS GLEN, N. Y. – Adhering to the “We will never give up motto,” Mazda Team Joest put it all together at Watkins Glen International, sweeping to victory in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen, a fixture event on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship circuit.
Even more impressive, the Mazda team not only dominated the race, the two cars finished 1-2 and were separated by a scant 0.353 seconds.
Said Bomarito, “Given what we have been through this win is special and it feels so good to be on the top step today.”
Although the trio dominated from the outset of the 211-lap race, Tincknell was challenged by Acura driver Juan Pablo Montoya in the final minutes. However, the Brit wasn’t to be denied as he barged past Montoya to garner the elusive victory.
Finishing a close second in the sister No. 77 Mazda DPi were Oliver Jarvis, Tristan Nunez and Timo Bernhard.
Third went to Montoya and Dane Cameron in their Acura Team Penske Acura DPi. The pair trailed the winning car by 11 seconds.
Fourth and fifth went to the Konica Minolta Cadillac of Jordan Taylor and Renger van der Zende and the Acura of Helio Castroneves and Ricky Taylor.
The LMP2 victory went to the PR1 Mathissen Motorsports entry of Matthew McMurry, Eric Lux and Gabriel Aubry.
In the highly competitive GTLM class, the Porsche GT team advanced through the field to seal the win for the potent team. Patrick Pilet and Nick Tandy secured the win.
Corvette Racing’s Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia finished second with Ford Chip Ganassi Racing’s Ford GT of Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook winding up in third.
A second Corvette was eliminated in an opening lap crash.
In GTD action, the Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 of Mario Farnbacher, Justin Marks and Trent Hindman took the class win.
A Turner Motorsport BMW finished second and the Scuderia Corsa Ferrari took third.
It’s that time of the year when the preeminent sports car series American LeMans Series makes its annual trip to the premiere road course in North America, Road America. This track is most of the driver’s favorite tracks to race at because of the high speed corners and changes in elevation.
ALMS have record 34 cars entered for the race, so it is showing growth through the tough economic times the nation is currently going through. I’m pleasantly surprised at how the GT2 class has really shown the most increase and how very competitive it is between Porsche and Ferrari. The Risi Ferrari is running a second car putting factory F1 test driver Giacarlo Fisichella in and for Road America adding Mika Salo and Pierre Kaffer. This will be Mika’s second time back in and he is looking forward to coming to Road America.
The P1 class has become very competitive with different team’s taking wins. Last race the Dyson team with Chris Dyson and Guy Smith come to Road America as winners of the last race at Mid-Ohio on August 7th in their #16 Castrol Mazda Lola coupe. It was the first overall ALMS victory for Mazda, for BP Biofuel IsoButanol, for Dunlop tires and for Castrol. But I think it will be wide open this weekend and maybe John Field’s team could get their first victory? However the Dyson team updated me that the team has finished on the podium in five of their last seven races here. In addition to Marino and Butch’s LMP2 podiums in 2009 and 2008, James Weaver and Butch was third overall in 2006 with Guy Smith setting the fastest race lap. In 2005, Chris Dyson and Andy Wallace finished second overall while James was the pole winner. Butch won the pole in 2004 and in 2003, Chris and Andy finished first in LMP2 and second overall. In addition, James won the LMP2 pole and Butch had the fastest LMP2 race lap in 2003. Dyson Racing has been lap leaders in four of the past seven races. So, maybe they can win two in row?
Also looking forward to the return of the Muscle Milk Porsche Spyder at Road America after Greg Pickett’s bad crash at Mid Ohio, they’ll add to the mix of first-class cars. They have been working hard to get car back together and will be putting LeMans 24 hour winner Timo Bernard in the car and with his resume’ he’ll make them a contender.
The ALMS teams will take to the track this weekend at Road America. For tickets go to roadamerica.com. The American Le Mans Series powered by eStar take to the track Sunday at 2:05 p.m. CT, August 22 Elkhart Lake, Wis. SPEED will air the race live at 3 p.m. ET with live radio coverage available on American Le Mans Radio presented by Porsche – a production of Radio Show Limited – as well as Sirius Channel 127 and XM Channel 242. Americanlemans.com will stream Friday’s qualifying session starting at 3:10 p.m. CT. Visit the Series’ schedule page for ticket and accommodation information. Live Timing and Scoring, track schedule, entry list and much, much more will be available on Racehub at americanlemans.com.
Eddie has been involved in motorsports for over 30 years as photographer, columnist, and driver. Eddie also is now a retired racer (well, retired unless a good ride pops up).
Eddie LePineOn The RoadUnited SportsCar Championship
Wake-up, you thought the IndyCar Series was done for the season? Well, we got one more race. Though it doesn’t count for points, consider it a sneak preview of the 2009 season. Four drivers will be breaking in new rides when the IndyCar Series visits picturesque Surfers Paradise on October 26th. The big story is 2007 ICS Champion and Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti taking over the #10 Target-Ganassi car formerly driven by Dan Wheldon. Wheldon the ’05 ICS Champ & Indy 500 winner moves over to Panther Racing replacing perennial bridesmaid, Vitor Meira. Meira jumps into the #14 A.J. Foyt Racing seat that was piloted by Darren Manning. Manning as of now is on the outside looking in. Champ Car refugee Alex Tagliani continues his job interview at Conquest Racing and hopes to get the ride full-time in ’09.
Wheldon has targeted his strategy in the land down under, “There’s two things (we want to accomplish),” said Wheldon, the 2005 IndyCar Series champion who returns to Panther Racing after winning 15 races with Andretti Green Racing and Target Chip Ganassi Racing over the past six seasons. “It’s a good time for us to get a feel for one another under race conditions. When you test, that’s great, but it’s always a bit more laid back. I think it’s good to see how people perform under pressure. We’ll definitely utilize that time to get to know one another and hopefully for them to get a good feel for what I need on a road course and vice versa.”
“And then, you want to go for the win. You don’t have anything to worry about. There’s no points up for grabs, it’s just kind of bragging rights, and to some degree you might be able to put an exclamation point on the season that just finished. That’s the intention.” Wheldon remarked.
Meira spoke to fellow Brazilian Christian Fittipaldi, about driving at Surfers, “He gave me some pointers. He said it’s a very demanding race track for the car because you are constantly running on the curbs and the circuit has pretty fast chicanes. Because of the chicanes and curbs, the car’s bouncing around all the time-you have to hit the same spot every time. But you’re going pretty fast – it’s got 4th gear and high 3rd gear chicanes so it’s really fast. Because the track is rough, it’s one more complication. When the car bounces up, the wheels are off the ground so that’s a big complication right there. On a smooth race track, you just have to be worried about braking and the car sliding. On a bumpy race track, sometimes the best line is not the line that theoretically appears to be the best-but the one where you can avoid the bumps so it narrows down the margin of error even more. But Christian said he likes the track and I bet I will too.”
What is Meira’s goal in Australia? “I think the goal is to really get to know the team – that’s the primary goal and getting the Foyt team to know me. By that I mean, knowing where we’re at on set-ups in relation to the others and then figuring out what we can do to make it better. For example, pitstops- if the race pitstops are not good, what can we do to make them better? I need to learn about the team overall and the team needs to learn me so we can nail down all the projects for the winter. That’s the main goal. If we accomplish that, we’ll be good but accomplishing that with a top-10 finish to be realistic-that would even better. So those are my primary goals-a top 10 finish and learning about the team.”
Meira did a shakedown run the #14 car during the “ABC Supply Day at the Track” at the 2.4-mile road course outside of Houston on Oct. 8th.
The Eric Bachelart led Conquest Racing will again be judging ‘Tag’s” performance at Australia. Tagliani who raced eight seasons in the Champ Car World Series and has two podium finishes in Australia, had a 12th-place finish at Chicagoland (last point paying race of ’08 season). He hopes a strong showing in Australia will lead to a full-time ride in 2009.
“I’ve been fortunate to have had a couple of races already with the team, but the Australia race will be a good way to keep building that team chemistry that is so important,” he said. “We won’t just be working on me getting used to the team, but this race will also allow us to work on the car for next year. So far I’ve only done one street course race (with the team), and we didn’t have much time to get ready. It was pretty much get in the car and drive. Now we’ve had time to work on different things, and I think in Australia we will be able to see where we stand on this type of track compared to other teams. We will also continue learning how to improve this car with our sights on next season.”
Bob Jenkins, Scott Goodyear and Jon Beekhuis will call the action from Surfers Paradise, Australia for ESPN. Jenkins is a longtime favorite of many of us who enjoyed the races he did with Larry Nuber in the ‘old days’ back at ESPN in the 1980’s.
Beekhuis who was a stalwart on the Champ Car broadcasts since the mid-1990’s will report from the pits, which he also did from Edmonton.
The race will air live on ESPN Classic at 10:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 25 and will re-air on ESPN2 at 11 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 26.
Veteran NASCAR crew chief and ARCA and Nationwide Series car owner Corrie Stott is looking for sponsorship for this year and the ’09 season. Corrie said, “I’m searching for dollars to go (racing) and I’m trying to contact anyone who might have an idea or lead. I am not looking for the big dollars, but enough to get us in a position to run the race.” Stott Classic Racing has several unique opportunities for you to get involved in racing. You don’t have to spend $500,000 to be a sponsor. Teams like Stott have many opportunities for you to be involved on a national level. Sponsorships can be one race or multiple races. They’re also an excellent team to work with if you’re a young driver looking to get some ARCA or NASCAR seat time. You can call Corrie at 980-241-8439.
Racing photographer Phil Rider was at the Danny Kladis auction last weekend, he writes, ‘I spent some time Sunday at an auction of a lot of Danny Kladis’ stuff. Kladis, the last living driver from the 1946 Indy 500, has been in a nursing home for a few years, but the auction was held at his home/shop. I last saw Danny two years ago, but I talked to one of his daughters on Sunday and she said he was still doing reasonably well. His brother George was at the auction.
I am told that Kladis was a pack-rat, and there was an incredible amount of “stuff” at the auction, including a sprint car, a midget, two motorcycles, several tractors, tons of parts (of what, I’m not certain), trophies, pins and badges, books, programs, phonograph records, tools, and much, much, more. I don’t know how much the sale brought in. There was a lot of stuff, but much of it looked like junk. There were two auctioneers working simultaneously, but the crowd didn’t seem very big. I didn’t stay for the whole deal, but what I saw was interesting.’
Indy Car Series Media and Foyt Racing contributed to this column.
Steve Zautke, a Milwaukee, WI native, was raised in the sport of auto racing. His father, Bill, was a movie photographer that shot racing footage at tracks such as the Milwaukee Mile and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the 1960’s and 1970’s Steve’s first professional job in racing was as an Emergency Medical Technician at tracks such as Angell Park and Hales Corners Speedway (1988-1991). Steve has also worked for the Milwaukee Mile as videographer, in media relations and historian (1993-2011). Steve also has worked as a reporter for Racing Information Systems (RIS) and has written features for ‘Vintage Oval Racing’ and ‘Victory Lane’ magazines. Most recently, Steve has written a book on Road America for Arcadia Publishing. ( http://www.amazon.com/Road-America-Nascar-Library-Collection/dp/1467111457 ) Steve co-hosts “Sparky’s Final Inspection” a motorsports-based radio show with hosts, Steve “Sparky” Fifer and “NASCAR Girl” Summer Santana on Sports Radio 1250AM in Milwaukee and is also available on the internet at www.Sportradio1250.com. A member of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Induction Committee, Steve follows all types of racing from the dirt tracks to Formula One.
Harley-Davidson Reinforces Racing Support with Flat Track Museum Exhibits
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 8, 2016) – Entering another year of their key sponsorship, Harley-Davidson Motor Company and AMA Pro Racing have confirmed that the same generous contingency and bonus structure for riders in the Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines class will be available during the 2016 AMA Pro Flat Track season.
Over the course of the season, Harley-Davidson will show their support for the sport in the form of a per-race contingency payout totaling $96,000. Following each main event featuring AMA Pro Flat Track’s premier division, the top five competitors will receive a payout, regardless of the brand of motorcycle entered. As a bonus to motivate the top rider racing for the Milwaukee-based marque, the Harley-Davidson mounted rider with the highest point total at the end of the season will receive a year-end bonus of $25,000.
Harley-Davidson and the Grand National Championship have been synonymous since the series was formed in 1954. To honor the heritage and the history of the sport, the Harley-Davidson Museum is hosting an exhibit featuring the work of the world’s most renowned photographer of flat track racing, Dave Hoenig.
“Race Day: Photos from the Flat Track” will be on display at the attraction in Milwaukee, Wis. from Jan. 22 – Sept. 5. Flat track racing’s preeminent photographer takes the viewer down to pit row and into the grandstands to document the thrills and chills of life in the fast lane. Hoenig has captured more than 1,000 races in his career, keeping his lens trained on the pageantry, emotion and camaraderie of a day at the track.
A second exhibit, “Racing Machines from KR to XR,” will pay homage to the engineering and innovation that pioneered the sport. The Harley-Davidson Museum’s Design Lab reopens with a focus on the role Harley-Davidson’s hardscrabble engineering team played in creating the legendary bikes that would dominate the race tracks of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. In all, 10 of the legendary machines will be put on display for fans to view.
The iconic brand has had a long, lasting and important impact on the sport of AMA Pro Flat Track, creating memories, lore and legend for fans to enjoy. The Motor Company has also created lasting impressions on the stars of the sport. One racer, in particular, that has reaped the benefits of the Harley-Davidson lifestyle is Jared Mees, the 2015 Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines Champion.
“Harley-Davidson has been a part of Flat Track for as long as I can remember,” Mees said. “I’ve been riding the Harley-Davidson XR750 since I started in 2002, and I’ve been fortunate enough to gain their support throughout my career. A lot of what I’ve been able to accomplish has to do with the Harley-Davidson. I’m proud that I ride a Harley.”
To learn more about the exhibits at the Harley-Davidson Museum, please visit http://www.harley-davidson.com/content/h-d/en_US/home/museum.html.
Next Up: The 2016 AMA Pro Flat Track season will once again kick off with a doubleheader at the DAYTONA Flat Track during Daytona’s Bike Week festivities. The twin short track races will take place at the “World Center of Racing” on Thursday and Friday, March 10 & 11. For additional information and to purchase tickets, please visit
How to Watch:
FansChoice.tv is the official home for live streaming coverage of AMA Pro Flat Track events. The site also provides coverage of IMSA’s development and single-make series, and NASCAR’s touring and weekly series. Catch all the action at http://www.FansChoice.tv.
On Oct. 2, Indy Racing League officials announced the details of IndyCar TEAM, the new earnings distribution program for the IndyCar Series.
Here are selected quotes from the Q & A portion of the press conference, which featured Brian Barnhart, president of the competition and operation division of the Indy Racing League, Terry Angstadt, president of the commercial division of the Indy Racing League and Joie Chitwood, president and chief operating officer of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Q: What is your expectation in terms of bringing in new teams and entries thanks to the introduction of the TEAM Program?
BRIAN BARNHART: I don’t know that we have expectations set as much as we’re just trying to provide a stable platform for existing teams as well as an opportunity for potential ones. It would be difficult to speculate or look into a crystal ball and see what kind of an effect it has. Clearly, as you can see and hear from the numbers, it’s something that moves us in the right direction in terms of a business model and a stable platform for teams to take a look at.
Q: Joie, what is going to be the minimum payoff for an Indy-only team?
JOIE CHITWOOD: For a team that’s not participating in the IndyCar TEAM program, their prize money will be $270,000. That’s a normal prize situation. Again, that does not count any contingency that the team might be eligible for by participating during the month of May.
Q: What if an existing IndyCar team such as Panther Racing would enter a third car for the ‘500?’ They qualify for the 300(,000) or the 270,(000)?
CHITWOOD: Each car participating in season-long program will be eligible for the $300,000 minimum. A one-off situation, regardless of being a team that’s participating in the season, will only be eligible for the $270,000.
Q: Terry, you said, if I understood you, that every full-time member of the League that comes to Indianapolis, whether they make the field or not, will be guaranteed a minimum of $300,000.
TERRY ANGSTADT: That’s correct.
Q: Brian, with the possibility of winning close to $3 million in the ‘500’ and 17 races, you add another million-dollar bonus plus whatever, is this going to make you competitive for the drivers that have been slipping away to NASCAR? Seventeen compared to 35.
BARNHART: It certainly improves it. We’re going to run 16 races in 2008 on the schedule. It helps everybody. And that’s the most important aspect of this program, is that it helps the one-offs at Indianapolis, whether it’s the PDM or Greg Beck or people that have run just a handful of races.
The $270,000 that’s available if they make the race in the Indy 500 is a significant increase, as well. These numbers are there for a reason. I mean, that number includes and should be enough money to pay for your full-season engine lease or full-month engine lease, as well as your tires for the entire month of May for one-off cars.
The full-season program at a million two is the same deal. That pays for your full-season engine lease and your tires for the year. It’s our way of providing stability for the teams and improving the business model, hoping to attract new ones. It should benefit everyone, whether it’s teams that are well-funded and have all the sponsors, all the way down through each and every team involved in the Series.
And it’s the responsibility of those owners, as it always has been, to make sure they have relationships with their drivers and their crew members. And it certainly gives them more flexibility. With the increase of the monies you see, the increase in percentages, it gives them an opportunity to continue to hire the best people and hopefully retain the best people, including drivers.
What They?re Saying About IndyCar TEAM:
JOHN BARNES (Co-owner, Panther Racing): ?I think this is something that needed to happen for a long time. This moves the IndyCar Series from the way it was in the early 20th century to something we needed to move us into this century. Teams need to know what they have coming in and how they can spend that with their different programs. Look at Major League Baseball and how the profit-sharing program has worked and benefited everybody involved. The Yankees spend a lot of money towards revenue-sharing every year and, if they didn?t do that, they?d be playing against themselves. This is, without a doubt, going to take IndyCar racing to the next level.?
GREG BECK (Owner, Beck Motorsports): ?The program gives us an opportunity to get back in the series full time, which is what we?ve been trying to do. This gives us a great base to work from. We?ve already talked to some of our sponsors and they are willing to participate because there?s already some funding in place. We?re actually very happy with it and hopefully it can help me get back into the series as a full-time competitor.?
LARRY CURRY (Team Manager, Vision Racing): ?I think IndyCar TEAM once again shows the commitment that Tony George has made to the Indy Racing League. Hopefully, car owners will look at this as positive step as to why they would look seriously at fielding a team in the IndyCar Series. I think what they are going to do at Indianapolis is fantastic. It once again sets the 500 way out there compared to any other racing event that?s put on in the world.?
MIKE HULL (Managing Team Director, Target Chip Ganassi Racing): ?As has always been the case, Target Chip Ganassi Racing is fully supportive of the IndyCar Series and in its continuing efforts to grow and strengthen the series. Anything that we can do to help support the growth of the series is in all our best interests.?
DENNIS REINBOLD (Co-owner, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): ?This is clearly an investment into the future of the IndyCar Series by Tony George and his family. I look at this as a very generous way for them to reinvest the proceeds of their growth back into the IndyCar Series by helping each of their teams. They are very committed to the continued growth and development of the IndyCar Series, and this is just another step in that process. Any time you wake up and are better off than you were the day before, it?s a good day.?
KEVIN SAVOREE (Co-owner, Andretti Green Racing): What the (Indy Racing League has) done by basically rewarding every entrant with what amounts to a second-place finish based on the old prize money is great for everybody, small teams, big teams, everybody. When you look at what they?ve done for the Indy 500 and to still have championship money available, that?s got to be exciting for the bigger teams. I think it?s awesome. They?ve done a great job of thinking through how it affects everyone.?
Jeff Gordon during qualifying for his final Brickyard 400 race. [John Wiedemann Photo]
As intense as ever, Jeff Gordon during a break in practice for the Brickyard 400. [Father Dale Grubba Photo]
Once or twice in a generation drivers come along who become legends, heroes and the ones you followed religiously week after week.
Mario, AJ and Rick in Indy cars, Earnhardt, Petty and Kulwicki in NASCAR were the guys that you personally, or fans collectively, rallied around and cheered for. You bought their die-cast cars, wore their hats, joined their fan clubs and had their car number stickers in the window of your auto. You probably waited in line for hours to get their signature on a collectible that cost you way too much money.
Jeff Gordon is one of those guys and he’ll be leaving the fold at the end of this season. Retiring before he had to, but better now than “too late” later.
Why did we like him? Why did we boo him for winning? And what is there about him that we’ll miss most when he’s not there on the entry list?
After a brief childhood in California racing quarter midgets and go karts, his family moved east to Pittsboro, Indiana so he could drive sprint cars before he was 18-years-old.
Racing sprint cars at age 15 caught the attention of race fans in the mid-1980’s; a practice that’s become more common-place today, but was quite unusual back then.
The national spotlight hit Gordon hard when ESPN’s popular Thursday Night Thunder television broadcasts featured his exploits each week at Indianapolis Raceway Park, where he raced, and seemed to beat, the veterans of USAC sprints and midgets regularly.
The Hut Hundred, Belleville, and the Night Before the 500 midget classics fell to him and he captured championships in USAC’s Silver Crown and Midget divisions.
Open-wheel fans couldn’t wait until Jeff was old enough to go to “The Speedway” just down the road from IRP and mix it up with Foyt, Andretti and Mears.
But, as happens too often today, open-wheel champs drift south and the allure of stock cars, with their sponsorship $$ and factory involvement, are often too much to resist.
The early 1990’s were Gordon’s first contact with the world of NASCAR’s Busch Grand National wars. And despite showing a Hoosier’s interest in Indy cars, a meeting with Hugh Connerty who owned some Hooters and Outback Steakhouse properties put the Indiana transplant into a Pontiac sponsored by Outback with a young crew chief named Ray Evernham in the pits. And so it was at Rockingham, NC, on a cool October Saturday afternoon in 1990 that he started second, but crashed during the race; a trait that would be a mark of his early stock car career.
Veteran car owner Bill Davis put him in the iconic Carolina Ford Dealers (later Baby Ruth) Thunderbird where he was Rookie of the Year in 1991 and won the pole spot 11 times in 1992.
The ’92 fall Hooters 500 in Atlanta was the magical race that launched the Gordon name into the world of Winston Cup racing. The stars aligned that November day as Richard Petty competed in his final race, Alan Kulwicki won his only NASCAR championship and Gordon qualified for his first Cup event, crashing to a 31st-place finish in a then-unknown No. 24, Rick Hendrick Chevrolet.
Jack Roush had wanted him to sign to drive a Ford, but a disagreement over whether Ray Evernham would become the new team’s crew chief, and who should make that decision, ended that discussion. Gordon stayed with Hendrick Motorsports for the next 24 years; one of the longest-running relationships in racing history.
Races early in his Cup career were marked by learning-curve crashes, prompting fellow competitor Darrell Waltrip to note that Gordon would likely “hit everything but the pace car.”
Gordon admitted recently that those 24 years with his now close friend/owner Rick Hendrick became a blur of championships (4), wins (92) and poles (80) over the years, with a hand-full of races remaining in 2015.
But Gordon will be remembered as much for his off-track life as he will for being Jeff the racer.
He has hosted TV shows like Regis and Kathie Lee and Saturday Night Live, appeared in movies and documentaries, represented charities and continues as a spokesperson for multiple commercial products.
He has lived a celebrity’s life in public view, with the tabloids scrutinizing everything he’s said and done, including victory lane religious witnesses and family issues resulting in two marriages and a messy divorce. That second marriage, to Ingrid Vandebosch, has brought him and his wife into the world of parenthood as they raise Ella Sofia (8) and Leo Benjamin (4).
Gordon will still be around NASCAR tracks as he signed a contract in May to be a full-time analyst for Fox Sports’ Sprint Cup coverage which begins in February, 2016 at Daytona Speedweeks.
But with most of his racing activity now behind him, we wonder just what it was that caused so many to like him so much.
Some have said that he changed the sport by making it okay to race in NASCAR and not be from North Carolina or Alabama. He also led the way for the likes of Stewart, Johnson, Larson and Newman to be open wheel racers who left that world for the grits and glamor of NASCAR.
But more-so he’ll be remembered as the guy who stepped out of the cockpit and into your living room and movie theater. Who wasn’t afraid to share his faith or cry when he won a race.
He appeared on a Wheaties box with Dale Earnhardt and “The Intimidator” gave him the nick-name “Wonder Boy.”
He tested Juan Pablo Montoya’s Williams F1 machine at Indy while JPM jumped into the Hendrick Chevrolet. Some wanted Jeff to run Indy cars or take his talents to Europe but he said there were “too many steps” to full time F1.
All of his fans will miss the boy who grew up before their eyes and the man who became a champion, the one who will always be in their hearts and minds.
This Sunday he probably raced in his final Brickyard 400 at Indy, the race that the hometown boy won from the pole in its inaugural running.
I had the pleasure of covering that race and his first regular Winston Cup win at Charlotte in 1994.
Thanks for the memories Jeff; we’re all happy for you.
Paul Gohde heard the sound of race cars early in his life.
Growing up in suburban Milwaukee, just north of Wisconsin State Fair Park in the 1950’s, Paul had no idea what “that noise” was all about that he heard several times a year. Finally, through prodding by friends of his parents, he was taken to several Thursday night modified stock car races on the old quarter-mile dirt track that was in the infield of the one-mile oval -and he was hooked.
The first Milwaukee Mile event that he attended was the 1959 Rex Mays Classic won by Johnny Thomson in the pink Racing Associates lay-down Offy built by the legendary Lujie Lesovsky. After the 100-miler Gohde got the winner’s autograph in the pits, something he couldn’t do when he saw Hank Aaron hit a home run at County Stadium, and, again, he was hooked.
Paul began attending the Indianapolis 500 in 1961, and saw A. J. Foyt’s first Indy win. He began covering races in 1965 for Racing Wheels newspaper in Vancouver, WA as a reporter/photographer and his first credentialed race was Jim Clark’s historic Indy win.Paul has also done reporting, columns and photography for Midwest Racing News since the mid-sixties, with the 1967 Hoosier 100 being his first big race to report for them.
He is a retired middle-grade teacher, an avid collector of vintage racing memorabilia, and a tour guide at Miller Park. Paul loves to explore abandoned race tracks both here and in Europe, with the Brooklands track in Weybridge England being his favorite. Married to Paula, they have three adult children and two cats.
Paul loves the diversity of all types of racing, “a factor that got me hooked in the first place.”
On Staurday, May 26th, IndyCar Ministries will hold “The Indy 500 Breakfast” presented by Companies With A Mission, one of the most significant and impactful events created to celebrate “The greatest spectacle in racing”.
The event features specially produced highlight videos, live performances, and interviews along with appearances by some of racings greatest, most admired and honored racing legends. Well-known sportscaster, IndyCar broadcaster and author, Jack Arute, will be your host and master of ceremonies for the program.
Special guests include Ed Carpenter, IZOD IndyCar Driver and Team Owner, as well as Bobby Rahal, Indianapolis 500 Champion and Team owner. Also Johnny Rutherford, world famous Indianapolis 500 Winner and Champion will be there to help present the “Lone Star Johnny Award”.
The “Lone Star Johnny Rutherford Award” was established to honor the IndyCar participant who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, at the track and in the community. The Award is named after Johnny Rutherford who has won the Indianapolis 500 three times. In 1998 he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, and the Motorsports Hall of Fame in America. J.R. is an individual of great character who has served his family and community faithfully through the years and is a role model for drivers and business people alike.
For more information on the IndyCar Ministries “The Indy 500 Breakfast”, visit indy500breakfast.com
John Wiedemann is the owner, editor and developer of the RacingNation.com website.
A motorsports fan from his earliest memories, John started going to local short tracks and the Milwaukee Mile with his parents, brother and sister. John enjoys drivers racing side by side and battling for the same piece of real estate on the racetrack as much as he appreciates the technical aspects of the sport.
