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Headline: My First Trip to the Speedway

Message: My first trip to the Speedway was for a practice day in 1964. I was 7 years old and in the 1st grade. My father came home after closing his saloon on Chicago's South Side, woke me up and said "Let's go". Where are we going?, I asked. To Indy, he said. What about school?, I asked. There's no school today, was his reply. So off we went to Indy.
The excitement of finally going to Indy steadily increased all the way there. When I saw the 1st turn grandstands from 16th St., the hair on the back of my neck and on my arms stood up, which is the same reaction I experience today.
First, we went into the old Museum, next to the main gate. There I was, standing right next to real race cars, close enough to touch them!
Then we went inside, into the infield. Imagine a 7 year olds awe at the size of the place. How could any one place be so huge? I couldn't wait to see the cars on the track.
We sat in the Tower Terrace, right in front of the pits. There was A.J.! Parnelli! Ward! Rathmann! Gurney! Ruby! Hurtubise! Clark! Sachs! McDonald! It was better than anything I had ever dreamt about the place.
Of all the hundreds of wonderful memories I have of the Speedway, that day with my father is my first and best.

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