I have been fortunate enough to be able to say I have been in a few places that just feel very significant. You know, you get that shiver up the spine, or that hushed feeling of reverence, or just sometimes you just darn well know.
Every time I walk into the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville I feel this way. My dear wife, Carrie, and I have seen The Moody Blues play there twice and we have attended a few Grand Ole Opry shows there. The history in the place is palpable.
When I took my Dad to see Notre Dame play at Notre Dame Stadium I knew I was in a special place. I have never been an Irish football fan. I am, however, in tune with the history of college football. When I walked to our seats I couldn’t keep my eyes off the field and the places etched in my memory where heroes made contributions to the game of college football that should never be forgotten.
The Art Institute in Chicago. How can so many people be that quiet in that small of a space in a VERY LOUD city? Centuries of great art…that is the answer. I love the place.
When I visited the Ebeneezer Baptist Church in Atlanta a few years ago I knew I was somewhere special. Though Carrie and I were among the very few white folks I saw there that day, it was a day of discovery. Not all we discovered was to be proud of. We learned none the less.
This catalog could go on…as I said, I am a fortunate man.
Yesterday I was in one of those great historical spots.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Down the front stretch.
The other side of the front stretch.
The Pagoda from the Infield
Yesterday I was on a field trip with 4th grade students. To its credit, IMS spends nearly two months inviting school groups in to learn about the track and the history of the Indianapolis 500. This was the third time in four years I have gone on the field trip, thanks to Mr. Disque. He is a great American.
Students learn about the cars and how they maneuver around the track. Did you know the tires on these cars are about the width of a credit card? I picked one up and it felt like I could throw it twenty yards!
Speaking of yards…I “kissed the yards of bricks” along the start-finish line. This was my third trip and the first time I kissed the bricks.
I doubt I will kiss the bricks again. Here, however, it is recorded that I did.
This is the car driven by Gordon Johncock that won the 1982 Indy 500. To date this is my favorite race. I doubt that will change. Yes, there was a classic duel between Johncock and Rick Mears that day. That is not why I remember the race. I remember this race so fondly because of the guy that finished in 3rd place behind Gordon Johncock and Rick Mears. His name? Pancho Carter. A Hoosier native, Pancho is my favorite driver of all time. My dirt track hero was Paul Crockett. Paul was also the first guy to cut my hair. He is a Brownstown Speedway legend.
Pancho Carter? Thankfully my Dad took me to the Salem Speedway when I was a youngster and I fell for Pancho Carter and his aggressive driving style. He raced Midget cars and he was more than great on that half-mile high banked track west of Salem proper. I remember his driving to this day.
When I am in the Museum at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, I get nervous when I see the cars of the guys I so admired when I was a youngster. A.J. Foyt’s 1977 winner is there. Mears, Sneva, Johncock, Unser…these cars just make my knees weak. Why? Because these cars are important to me. I never enjoyed racing like I did when I was a kid watching the races with my Dad. When I was a kid we listened to the race on the radio as it was being ran and then the replay of the race would be on television later that night. That is how I know what Foyt’s 1977 winner looks like. I can still see it in my mind…watching that tape-delayed broadcast. I can still see that checkered flag. Dreams are made of such stuff.
A Famous Address…
The Rolling Stones are playing a concert at IMS on July 4th. Why would anyone want to see a British group play on July 4th? My big question is….why would IMS schedule a British group on July 4th? Did someone just shout out “Money!”? I’d say you are correct.
Two years ago my sweet Carrie made this field trip with us.
Being a Hoosier has not been easy the last week or so. We have gotten plenty of bad publicity. I am so thankful Indiana has a venerable old tradition that is both relevant and respected the world over.
Thank you Indianapolis Motor Speedway for giving us what is truly THE GREATEST SPECTACLE IN RACING.
Speaking the racing rights.
Danny Johnson