The Official Blog of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Historian Donald Davidson has been the expert on the history of the Racing Capital of the World since he arrived in Central Indiana in the mid-1960s. Now 2010 Auto Racing Hall of Fame inductee Davidson is answering your questions periodically in this blog!

Q: Is there any truth that the late Ayrton Senna had a test run with Penske at the Speedway, back in November 1993?

—Michael Brucker Jr. via email

A: Senna did in fact test with Penske, but it was the week of Christmas 1992 and it took place at Firebird Raceway (a road course) in Phoenix, rather than IMS. The situation was that Senna was not at all happy with his current lot in Formula One and was undecided as to whether or not to stay with McLaren (which he did), especially in view of the fact that Honda would not be returning for 1993. Largely through the efforts of fellow Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi, Senna showed up at Firebird, and under Emmo’s tutelage, took a number laps in a Marlboro-liveried Penske car.

Not surprisingly, everyone involved was extremely impressed with his runs, and Emmo pushed for Senna to come on as teammate to Paul Tracy and himself, Rick Mears having just announced his retirement at the Penske Christmas party a couple of weeks earlier. There are several minutes of footage of that day available on YouTube, including an interview (in Portuguese) conducted with Senna and Emmo during which time Senna comes over as even a little bashful, the two of them clearly having great affection for each other.

With Nigel Mansell already confirmed as joining Mario Andretti at Newman/Haas and Nelson Piquet expected to return with John Menard (which he did), Emmo was fantasizing that there could be at least five World Champions at Indianapolis in 1993. There would only be four. The next step was to get Senna on an oval, which never happened, and it wasn’t before he was re-signed with McLaren for another year of F1.

In the meantime, longtime Penske engineer Chuck Sprague, who had been somewhat apprehensive as what Senna might be like to work with, was absolutely amazed that he showed up at Firebird as the lone passenger in Fittipaldi’s rental car. No handlers, no entourage, just himself. He was extremely polite, very complimentary about the car and gave tons of feedback after very few laps.

The following day, Senna accompanied the team over for a test on the other side of town at PIR’s oval with Fittipaldi and Tracy, and he paid plenty of attention but declined to take any laps. He shook hands with everyone involved when he left and a year later, Chuck was flabbergasted to receive a Senna Christmas card.

Q: I recently visited a signage business in Indianapolis, located at the southern tip of a road called Gasoline Alley. When I looked at the map, although there are northern sections of this road that bear other names, it might have originally led right up to the track itself? So is there a historical connection between the lower stretch of this road and the track?

—Mel Francis, Oconomowoc, Wis.

A: We know it well, and we’ll hazard a guess that the signage business you visited was Freelance Lettering. Prior to 1985—the year in which that stretch was officially re-named Gasoline Alley—it had always been Roena Street. It did cause some confusion at the time—and since—one having to specify precisely which “Gasoline Alley” was being referenced, that of course, having been the nickname applied to the Garage Area at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway a mile to the north as far back as the 1920s.  And yes, it did lead directly to IMS until quite recently, in spite of it going by three different names during the 1.5-mile trip.

We can remember when the Roena stretch (from Vermont Street down to where it dead-ends into Rockville Road) was pretty much out in the country, much of it being occupied by row upon row of fruits and vegetables and several large greenhouses. The sweeping left- and right-hander just south of Vermont Street where Bob East and Steve Lewis had their operation for several years used to be lined with so much foliage overgrowth that to drive through there was almost as if one was travelling through a winding carwash with the brushes on but no water! That’s all gone now.

A longtime “500″ crew member named Charlie Patterson purchased some property along Roena in 1978, with a view to relocating his driveshaft business there, but after clearing out a bunch of shrubbery, one thing led to another. He began purchasing more and more property and pretty soon was putting up buildings for the purpose of housing race teams, accessory companies and a variety of racing-related businesses. It has been a height of activity for the last 30-odd years, and at the risk of leaving somebody out, we recall at various times over the years Bignotti-Cotter being down there, along with Vince Granatelli, Ron Hemelgarn, Newman/Haas, Riley & Scott, Chris Paulsen’s C & R Racing, several drag racing teams, including Don “The Snake” Prudhomme’s, Herb Porter’s HP Performance (now Speedway Engines run by Rick Long), Rick Hendrick’s IMSA GTP team, Dan Gurney, Jud Phillips, Tony Bettenhausen, PacWest, Jackie Howerton, Steve Lewis and Bob East, Alex Morales and Johnny Capels, Elouisa Garza, Mike Fanning, Frank Weiss, Donnie Ray Everett, Jeff Sinden and Joe Kennedy, Gordon Barrett, Bob Lazier, Adrian Fernandez, Pagan Racing (with John Barnes), HVM Racing (driver Simona de Silvestro), J. J. Yeley, Steve Long, Dan Drinan, Jason Leffler, Bud Kaeding, Joe Devin, Gambler, Earl’s Supply, Van’s Metalcraft and countless others. Over this last winter, Hinchman Uniforms moved in there.

For many years, as you suggest, the journey from IMS down to Gasoline Alley was a direct route, specifically Polco Street running from West 16th Street south to West 10th Street, followed by Grande Avenue from 10th to Vermont Street and finally Roena/Gasoline Alley down to Rockville Road where it dead-ends. Polco and Grande have retained their names, but the very handy direct route to IMS did come to an end a few months ago when the Town of Speedway closed a portion of Grande Avenue in a transaction made with Allison Transmission.

The name Polco, by the way, has an Allison connection. Now approximately 100 years old, the name is derived from using five letters out of “Prest-O-Lite Company,” the firm underwritten in 1904 by Carl Fisher and Jim Allison for about $5,000 and then sold in 1917 to Union Carbide for $9 million!

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Historian Donald Davidson has been the expert on the history of the Racing Capital of the World since he arrived in Central Indiana in the mid-1960s. Now 2010 Auto Racing Hall of Fame inductee Davidson is answering your questions periodically in this blog!

Q: With the Red Bull Indianapolis GP MotoGP race approaching, I find myself wondering if any Indiana-built (or even Indianapolis-built) motorcycles ever raced or were tested at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

—Scott Smith, Brownsburg, Ind.

A: It turns out that there were actually several motorcycle companies in Indiana in the early days, but as with the majority of the automobile firms, they were short-lived, typically lasting only a year or two. Certainly none ever was tested at the track in the early days, the only makes participating in the seven events held during the one and only day of actual competition—Aug, 14, 1909—being Indian, Harley-Davidson, NSU, Excelsior, Reading Standard, Peugeot, Merkel, Minneapolis and Thor.

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The Novi engine in 1964

Throughout its 100-year history, there have been many great cars that have competed in the Indianapolis 500 – cars that ranged from cutting-edge innovation to legendary performance. But it’s likely the most popular car in Indianapolis 500 history is one that never won the race – the Novi.

Ask any longtime fan that has come to the Indianapolis Motor Speedways in the last 60 years, and they will never forget the Novi. That’s because it was so loud it would leave the spectators ears ringing long after the race had concluded.

“It was a one of a kind car – it had a sound to it that never ended,” said famed Novi car owner Andy Granatelli. “The Novi had such a sound to it that whether there were 32 other cars in the race you could hear it above all the other cars. When the other cars were on the backstretch, you couldn’t hear them at all, but you could hear the Novi. The Novi had a sound to it that you wouldn’t believe. People would hear that car and say the hair on the back of their neck would stand up. It was unbelievable. I was in love with the Novi, which is why I bought them.”

The Novi was ahead of its time in many ways. It was a double-overhead cam V8 with a bigger bore and a shorter stroke that made its first appearance in the 1941 Indy 500 when Ralph Hepburn drove the Bowes Seal Fast Special to a fourth-place finish.

“That was 20 years before Detroit even thought about that and 50 years before they built the double-overhead cam so that was way ahead of its time,” Granatelli said. “The other cars turned 4,000 or 5,000 rpm, and the Novi turned 10,000 rpm.” [More]

Roger Penske, left, and Bobby Allison in 1973 at Indianapolis

Throughout his career, Bobby Allison has always been known as a “racer’s racer.” Even at the height of his stardom as a NASCAR stock car driver, Allison still competed at the local short tracks throughout the United States so that he kept in touch with “his people” – the grassroots race fans who idolized the leader of the “Alabama Gang.”

From the “grassroots,” Allison made it to the “hallowed grounds” by racing in the Indianapolis 500 in 1973 and 1975 for famed team owner Roger Penske. And while his NASCAR career was legendary, earning him a place in the second induction class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame this week, his time at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway did not include similar success.

“My Indy deal was not really very good,” Allison said. “Donnie’s was great, and mine was just the opposite. The first time there I blew up on the pace lap. That was a heartbreak, especially after devoting a month to it and missing three NASCAR races to get the preparation done. Two years later, Roger Penske begged me to go on back, and I gave it another try. I actually led the 23^rd lap in 1975, but then the car had all kinds of problems. It got a lap down from a bad fuel leak and I was getting my lap back at halfway, and then the engine blew up again.”

Allison’s brother, Donnie, preceded Bobby’s appearance in the Indianapolis 500. Donnie Allison finished fourth and was named Rookie of the Year at Indy in 1970. He finished sixth in 1971.

“Donnie went up there and did well, and I was proud of him,” Bobby said. “At the time, Indy-car racing was different from so many standpoints. There were several guys that wanted to run very limited schedules, and I wanted to run everywhere. There were guys who were used to getting paid a lot of money just to be there and at that time I wasn’t getting paid money just to show up. Roger Penske insisted that I run that test. At the time, I was driving for my own team in NASCAR.”

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Casey Mears, left, and Roger Mears

As the eldest member and leader of the famed “Mears Gang,” Roger Mears took a unique path to the Indianapolis 500.

He actually followed his younger brother, Rick, to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

In fact, Rick – who is 5 years younger than Roger — had already competed in four Indy 500s and scored one victory before Roger made the starting lineup for the 1982 500 Mile Race.

“Rick came over to Indy cars and did very, very well, and that opened the door for me,” Roger said. “I was actually headed toward stock cars and off-road at the time. I feel very fortunate that I did get the opportunity to run there for a few years. I’m a little disappointed I didn’t get to run as long or as much as I would like, but I did what I could and did what I had to work with.”

The “Mears Gang” was among the best off-road racers that ever drove through the desert, and after the 1983 CART season, Roger had the opportunity to return to off-road where he continued an impressive career.

“Some opportunities opened up for me to go off-road full time, and I felt I had a better shot at making a full-time career out of it, which I did,” Roger said. “I rode the off-road wave that took off in the early 1980s and rode it into the 1990s and had the time of my life.”

Roger Mears’ career included stock car racing in the Bakersfield, Calif., area in addition to off-road racing. Rick was a noted off-road race but branched out to Formula Fords and Super Vee racing in the 1970s. That opened the way for Rick to head into Indy-style racing.

“We raced every weekend to have fun and we just loved doing it, and all of a sudden it turned into a career, which was a dream come true for all of us,” Roger said.

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Donald Davidson

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Historian Donald Davidson has been the expert on the history of the Racing Capital of the World since he arrived in Central Indiana in the mid-1960s. Now 2010 Auto Racing Hall of Fame inductee Davidson is answering your questions periodically in this blog!

Q: How many times has the race been “red-flagged” for reasons other than rain, i.e., for accidents?

—Rick Johnson, Lynnwood, Wash.

A: Other than for rain, I can only think of six times total, a mere three of which were after the race was off and running. Those would be for the second-lap accident in 1964, which took the lives of Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald; the Lap 58 accident in 1973 which ultimately resulted in the demise of Swede Savage; and the final lap of 1967, when A.J. Foyt had to pick his way through the debris of a multi-car accident to reach Pat Vidan’s simultaneous checker and red. The other three would be due to accidents right at the start of the 1966 and 1973 events, plus a stoppage on the 1970 pace lap when ninth-starting Jim Malloy spun out of Turn 4 (due to a suspension failure, miraculously to be missed by everyone) just as the field was heading down for the start. All of the other red flags were due to weather-related issues, plus of course to wave in all other cars at a race conclusion. In 1974, when the policy was still to let the cars run for five more minutes after the winner had completed the distance, the red came out after only three and a half minutes when infield fans began running out onto the track to salute winner Johnny Rutherford.

Q: I believe the first “500″ was started with the wave of a RED flag, which at the time signified a clear track?

—Racenutdon

A: True. In fact it was not until a revamping of virtually all of the flag meanings in 1930 that green took the place of red. Prior to that, green had meant one lap to go.

Q: I have heard that Tommy Milton had no sight in his right eye, which makes winning two “500s” even more amazing?

—Dave Watts

A: That was the word. You’ll note that in virtually all photographs of the cagey and even secretive 1921 and 1923 winner, he usually has a pronounced squint. The late Charles Lytle, perhaps the most eminent of all the historians on early American racing, once asked a Milton contemporary, “Do you think he really only had one eye?” to which the contemporary fired back, “One? Hell, he had at least five in the back of his head!”

Q: Was it Kosuke Matsuura in 2004 or 2005 who was shocked to learn that the start was three abreast and that he had not had that particular experience before?

—PatTheIceman

A: Actually, that was Tora Takagi in 2003. The Indianapolis Star had a studio set up on the grounds, for taking head shots of all the drivers for the starting lineup in its race souvenir edition, designed in such a way that each head shot would have precisely the same lighting and so forth. Over to one side of the room there was a “mock-up” to show what the finished page was going to look like. The word is that Takagi, a “rookie,” causally strolled over for a look, and that after a few seconds his eyes slowly grew as wide as saucers when it dawned on him what the design implied. He then turned to his interpreter and, with a look of great concern, subtly held up three fingers and raised his eyebrows. When the interpreter nodded in the affirmative, Takagi, who went on to finish fifth and win the Rookie of the Year award, is said to have spent the next many seconds staring at the floor with a look of astonishment on his face. Apparently, he had not been previously aware that the “500″ employs three-abreast starts.

Tony and his girlfriend, Carla, at IMS

The special relationship between fans and drivers has been a hallmark of the Indianapolis 500 since the inaugural race in 1911. But it never gets old to learn of a bond formed between a current INDYCAR driver and a passionate follower of the sport.

Tony Laurenzana, 24, from Bedford, Ind., recently shared this story about his history with IMS and his passion for 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner Scott Dixon.

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I grew up at IMS, from 1986 to 1995. My dad was one of the contracted electricians for Moran Electric during that timeframe. I presumably was the first baby in the garages after they were rebuilt in 1986, as I was born in Feburary 1986, but that cannot be confirmed. My dad had an office in the garages, and growing up there for nine years gave me a ton of memories. Meeting drivers, hanging out all day with my mom at the track while dad worked, all developing a passion for auto racing.

I now live in Bedford, Ind. My mom works as a dental assistant down here. The dentist’s daughter married someone within the racing industry, and he knows a ton of drivers in many racing series. They are currently very good friends with Scott and Emma Dixon.

The dentist’s daughter works as a hygienist in her father’s office and was cleaning my teeth in September 2010. In between the suction being in my mouth, we talked about our experiences at IMS. My mom had mentioned to me before that they were guests at the Dixon’s wedding, vice-versa, so I thought it was fun that I knew someone close to a famous race car driver.

Autographed ticket

After the 2008 Indianapolis 500, I purchased the 1/18 scale race-won Dixon car from the IMS Gift Shop. I started using it as a centerpiece for my living room, since I recently bought my house and furnished the living room in IMS memorabilia, past and present.

While at my appointment, the dentist’s daughter mentioned the cool photos I took of Scott’s car during the 2009 Indy 500, and I told her I bought the car, etc. She offered to take the car and have Scott autograph it when he and Emma got back from Homestead in October. She then told me whatever I had, go ahead and give it to her and Scott would sign it. I had my ticket from 2009 with Scott’s image on it, and the lanyard and ticket holder with the Indy 500 logo on it.

Autographed diecast car

Once Scott got back, over dinner he was handed an IMS Gift Shop bag full of those things, and he signed each one. About two weeks later, I received my car, lanyard, ticket holder and ticket — all signed. I rushed out to buy a thank you card, and added a personal message. She delivered it to both Scott and Emma.

Before this I really wasn’t much of a fan of his; I never knew why. I have always liked Dario Franchitti since his days in CART/Champ Car. I can at least say Scott has gained a new fan. He could’ve easily said, “Don’t bother me with that.”

They are still in my living room predominantly displayed for all my guests to see, and a story to tell.

This is INDYCAR.

Welcome to 2011. No, Splash And Go is not working on the Roman or Julian calendar. It’s just getting quite busy around here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as preparations for this season — especially the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29 — are pedal to the metal.

Everything is just as hectic in the world of INDYCAR, where good news continues to be generated at a breakneck pace. The first big change is the elimination of the old Indy Racing League name and the creation of a new logo. INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard is right — the old name conjures too much bad mojo, too many memories of the split.

So INDYCAR it shall be. You won’t see any mention of Irrelevant Racing Lingo (IRL) around here anymore. Big-time open-wheel racing in North America is INDYCAR, baby.

That was just the start of the news surrounding INDYCAR during a major summit with teams, drivers and sponsors Tuesday, Jan. 11 in Indianapolis. Among other IZOD IndyCar Series nuggets, Edmonton is back on the 2011 schedule, engine displacement is being reduced from the planned 2.4 liters to 2.2 liters in 2012, double-wide restarts on ovals in 2011 will start at Indy, restarts will take place closer to the start-finish line and more.

The dramatic buzz created by these changes and other positive developments is catching the eyes of the INDYCAR blogosphere and media. Robin Miller at SPEEDTV.com pays tribute to Bernard’s role in INDYCAR’s resurgence, while Tony Johns at Pop Off Valve talks about the vital, smart decisions Bernard has made in the last 10 months. Mike Knapp at 15 Days in May mirrors the optimism of nearly every INDYCAR fan, while Christopher Leone at Open Wheel America looks at the importance the strengthened Mazda Road To Indy ladder system will play in INDYCAR’s future.

These are Timbuk3 times for INDYCAR. (Remember the classic one-hit wonder, “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades?” Yeah, they sang it.)

The good news could keep on rolling on the television front, as a proposed merger between NBC and Comcast could signal a significant change for the IZOD IndyCar Series TV package.

NASCAR also is on the verge of a major change, as NASCAR.com reported Jan. 11 that drivers will be forced to choose one of the three major series in which they want to earn championship points in 2011. This could reduce the number of Sprint Cup drivers dipping into the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series, as they won’t be eligible for championships.

This proposed move is going to take some digesting, just like the big Christmas meal I enjoyed. The ramifications are huge.

Will it reduce the marquee value of the Nationwide and Truck series if fewer Cup drivers participate? How can a driver who performs regular double or triple duty, such as Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick, lure or keep a sponsor for the two lower series if he’s not running for a championship? How will that effect race teams in Nationwide and Busch owned by Cup drivers?

In another change, California Speedway is reducing its spring race distance from 500 to 400 miles. Halle-freaking-lujah. Here’s to hoping other tracks follow suit. Forcing fans to sit in front of a TV for a 500-mile race is just too much in the ADD world in which we live, especially when prominent drivers such as Dale Earnhardt Jr. even admit the middle stages of those long races are nothing but parades to cut down laps to get to the final fuel stint. Five-hundred milers should be saved for a few special places and special races.

Dustin Long remains one of the top writers on the NASCAR beat, and he came up with this interpretive gem: It seems more and more Cup teams are hiring younger drivers, but the average age of participants in the Chase for the Sprint Cup continues to rise. Age and experience always can overcome youthful exuberance, I guess.

INDYCAR and NASCAR weren’t the only series with big news this week. MotoGP seismographs jiggled Tuesday when Valentino Rossi made his official debut as a Ducati rider at the annual VROOM winter media gathering in the Italian Alps. Former American MotoGP standout John Hopkins may resurface this season in British Superbikes after an injury-ravaged spell in World Superbikes, and 2007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Raikkonen looks set to stay in the World Rally Championship for another year.

Finally, CNN reported Tuesday that 49 of the 50 U.S. states were under snow. That’s not exactly a race fan’s dream. So unless you’re into ice racing or snowmobile racing, watch this incredible high-def video of Richie Tobias in a big-block modified last October at Syracuse to keep your racing fires stoked until the snow melts.

With all apologies to Led Zeppelin, it’s been a long time since we’ve rocked and rolled at “Splash And Go.” There has been plenty of news since the North American season officially ended with the NASCAR Sprint Cup season finale Nov. 21, so it would be a bit tedious to review all of that.

Let’s just pick up with the last week or so, shall we?

The IZOD IndyCar Series season ended two months ago, but it seems that no series in America has more mojo right now than Randy Bernard and Co. The good news keeps coming and coming, putting more than a decade’s worth of acrimony due to “The Split” deeper and deeper into the rear-view mirror.

Mazda joins the party!

The Road To Indy ladder system for INDYCAR, consisting of Firestone Indy Lights, Star Mazda and USF2000, received a major boost this week when Mazda announced its title sponsorship of the program. The Mazda Road to Indy will provide scholarships to the champion of all three developmental classes to jump to the next level the next season.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. There’s no other way to describe this, on so many levels. The scholarships provide a legitimate carrot for aspiring open-wheel racers at all levels, and the addition of another manufacturer bullish on the future of INDYCAR racing is fantastic.

Combine the Mazda Road to Indy with the recently announced program to grant a Firestone Indy Lights oval program to the USAC National Drivers Championship winner, and few — if any — sanctioning bodies in the world have such a clearly defined road to the pinnacle as INDYCAR.

Team Penske continued to add sponsors to its stable, as series sponsor IZOD came on board this week. IZOD will use Penske driver Ryan Briscoe as its new poster boy, and the best series sponsor in INDYCAR history — by about 1,000 miles — already is activating both its series sponsorship and support of Briscoe through new TV commercials filmed in the desert with a live soundtrack provided by rock band Weezer. No more racing to the party, I guess. I shed no tears.

The addition of IZOD continued a hell of a capitalistic run for Penske, which also snared Shell/Pennzoil as an Indianapolis 500 primary sponsor for three-time Indy winner Helio Castroneves, AAA of Southern California as a primary sponsor for Castroneves at Long Beach and Texas and Midwestern grocery store chain Meijer as an associate sponsor for all three of its cars.

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Indianapolis Motor Speedway played host to two very dedicated globetrotters in the last week. Both are parlaying their love of two-wheeled transportation into the trip of a lifetime.

Paolo kissing the bricks

Last week, Paolo Pirozzi of Italy stopped by to take a lap around the famed IMS oval on his Ducati motorcycle, affectionately named “Lidia.” Paolo is taking a year to ride around the world, making a point to stop by every MotoGP circuit on the globe in the process. So far, Paolo has taken seven months to cover 24 countries, starting in his native Italy and working through northern Europe, Russia into China, then back west across India and Pakistan and to Australia. He flew to Seattle and traveled down the west coast of the United States.

After Indy, Paolo traveled east to New York, and the plan is to hit Florida (who wouldn’t, in November!) and then work west then south through Mexico, Central and South America, and skip across the southern Atlantic from Brazil to Africa, then north toward home. I’m weary just thinking about it.

Follow Paolo at his website:  http://www.paolopirozzi.com/it/.

Az on the run at IMS

On Nov. 23, Az Heydari, one of the world’s newest yet most passionate MotoGP World Championship fans, ran the 2.621-mile road at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, site of the Red Bull Indianapolis GP.

Heydari, who attended her first MotoGP race at Estoril, Portugal in 2010 and immediately became a self-proclaimed MotoGP fanatic, is raising money for Riders for Health by running 16 of the 18 circuits upon which MotoGP runs around the world. Her goal is to raise 15,000 pounds; so far her running shoes and MotoGP fandom have raised more than 9,500 pounds.

The resident of Kent, England, left London on Nov. 6 and first ran the track at Qatar; she has ran most of the European circuits since and, after her run at IMS on a sunny-but-chilly day, she next heads west for Laguna Seca.

To track Az’s adventure, go here: http://www.justgiving.com/pablo46.

For more information on Riders for Health – a charity dedicated to humanitarian aid and relief in Africa – visit their website: http://www.riders.org/.