HAMMOND, IN: Just after Christmas, I opened a box containing the latest and greatest model from the Carousel Indy Roadster series: the 1957 Belond Exhaust #9 driven to victory by Sam Hanks. Wow…talk about a
time machine…at least for me.
My first Indy 500 was in 1956, at the age of ten. Prior to that, I had been fortunate enough to have attended plenty of races in the Chicagoland area. I loved the midgets, and had seen them run at venues like Soldiers Field, Raceway Park in Blue Island, 87th Street Speedway (Gill Stadium), and Santa Fe Park. But none of this fully prepared me for my first visit to
the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
My Dad and I spent the night before the 1956 Race in Terre Haute and, in spite of a speeding ticket and dire weather forecasts, including possible postponement due to flooding, we made it to our seats in time. Pop had gotten us two tickets in old Grandstand “D”, located on the outside between turns 1
& 2.
Even though it was gray and threatening, my ten year old “frame of reference” and been totally tweaked. “Man”, I remember thinking, “this place is a little bigger than Raceway Park!” Then, as the 33 starters came by on their single pace lap, my next thought was,
“Awww, they’re just big midgets!”
What happened next changed me forever.
As the Race unfolded, I just got more and more into it. My first memory was seeing the end of leader Paul Russo’s crash as the beautiful red NOVI ground to a stop near the exit of turn one. Later in the event, Tony Bettenhausen’s big hit took place directly in front of us. Unlike Russo, who had scampered away from the NOVI, Tony was obvious hurting, and was carried to
the ambulance.
Finally Pat Flaherty, hiking his left front wheel in the air through the turns (just like the midgets I was familiar with), held off Sam Hanks for victory. AS we filed out of the Speedway that day, I vowed to learn as much about the Indianapolis 500 as I could before
we would return next year.
All I wanted for birthday, Christmas, etc. that year were Floyd Clymer Indy Yearbooks, and I totally absorbed each page. Slowly, I began to learn the
history of the Speedway, and how much it meant.
The thing that seemed to catch my attention was the story of the veterans, who had raced the longest at the Speedway without a victory. In that category, the three names that stood out were Sam Hanks, Tony Bettenhausen and Fred Agabashian. I really liked what I read about Hanks and, with eleven year old logic on my side, I decided he was going to win the 1957 Indy
500!
For the first time before of since, I wrote a fan letter. I addressed it simply, “Sam Hanks, Race Car Driver, Pacific Palisades, California, having no idea if would even be delivered. However, a few weeks later, I received a small, black & white postcard from Sam, showing his 1956 Jones & Maley Kurtis. Mr. Hanks answered all my dumb questions with good humor and, suddenly, I had a race driver pal. I know I wrote him once more that winter of 1956-57, telling him it was “his turn” next May at the Speedway. Again he answered, mentioning that he would be driving a new car being built by his mechanic, George Salih. I didn’t know it at the time, but that was an important
point!
In May, 1957, I subscribed to the all three Indy newspapers(Star, News and the Times) and kept track of the daily activities as best I could, just waiting for raceday. I even found a radio show on WIBC, the “Fox’s Den” with sportswriter Bill Fox, which would give daily track wrap-ups every evening at 6:15 PM. Even though I was 150 miles north of Indianapolis, I could
get it most nights…barely…on my Dad’s car radio!
The night before the 1957 500, we went to the midget races at the wonderful old 16th Street Speedway across the road from the “big joint”. I clearly remember that there were a bunch of happy guys sitting in front of us, drinking beer and discussing tomorrow’s big race. I kept hearing them mention Jimmy Bryan, Pat O’Conner
and Paul Russo as potential winners.
Finally, one of them turned to me and asked, “Who do you think is gonna win the 500, sonny?” With no hesitation, I looked him in the eye and said, “Sam Hanks is gonna do it tomorrow”. He shook his head and smiled. I don’t believe he patted me on the head, by he might have. He replied, “Sure sonny, sure. You have fun tomorrow”. Then, he and his buddies had a good
laugh.
As history shows us, Sam Hanks WAS ready to win. After first staking and passing Russo in the mighty NOVI for the lead, Hanks later recovered from a slow pit stop to catch and pass a charging Jim Rathmann to assume a lead he would hold until the end. Believe me, Sam Hanks wasn’t the only one crying as pulled the Belond Exhaust #9 into Victory Lane on that beautiful Spring
afternoon some 50 years ago.
A month or so after the race, I wrote Sam Hanks one final letter of congratulations. He promptly wrote back, this time on a larger color postcard, featured the Belond #9. He said that I was his “#1 fan”, and had been the only one who picked him hands down to
win.
Fast forward to the early ’90’s. By now, I was just another old, bald guy roaming the pits at the Speedway each May. Suddenly, there he was…my old hero…talking to a group of guys that I remember
included Duke Nalon.
I waited until he paused in his conversation, and
said, “Sam…can I ask you a quick question?”
“Why sure”, he replied
“Do you happen to remember a kid from Northern Indiana who wrote to you during the winter of 1956, convinced
that you were going to win the 1957 Race?”
Mr. Hanks looked startled for several seconds…then
said, “YOU?”
“Yup” I grinned, holding out my hand.
We must have B.S.ed there on the pit wall for 20 minutes. He totally remembered “the kid from Indiana who knew he was going to win”, and said he always wondered what became of me. It was easily one of the special moments of my life, and he seemed pretty
happy, too!
Finally, we shook hands and wished each other luck. I knew I might never see him again and, sadly, I was right. On June 27, 1994, Sam Hanks passed away near his beloved Pacific Ocean after a very full and
rewarding life.
Isn’t it amazing what a new race car model can do for
you?
John AtlasMotorsports NewsThe Dirt Guy