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Headline: I Got the Fever in 1965

Message: I was "forced" by my parents to go the third day of qualifications in 1965 with the church youth group. On that day I saw the last Novi qualify by Herk at 157+ miles per hour. I did not know then what I was seeing.

I walked around the track trying different seats and settled across from the pit exit. I understood that when a horn sounded, there was an incident on the track. Roger Ward took his Saint Louis Moog Special on the track late in the day for a qualifying run. During a pass through the turn two area, the horn sounded as he had made contact with the wall. I knew he seemed to be having a problem trying to qualify and realized this meant he, a two time winner with a well known name, was probably not going to make the race. It had a hollow feeling in my chest. This place had me hooked as it was more than just speed.

About fourty years later, I had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Ward and explaind how he had helped make me a fan. He grimaced and then explained how they had changed engines throughout the month but never changed some of the accessories bolted to the exterior of the engine. As they were preparing for the Milwaukee race the following week after the 500, it was noticed there was a drip of fuel from the fuel pump. Roger explained his chief mechanic, A. J. Watson attempted to tighten a fitting and the fuel pump housing split open. It was surmized that had been the reason the engines at Indianapolis just did not have the power needed and caused him to miss the 1965 race.

I had learned the rest of the story.

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