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Early Memories...Others More Recent
My earliest memories of Indy were from the late 50s early 60s when my Dad would load us up in the family sedan and we would make the trek from the big booming city of Lapel, Indiana to Indianapolis on Bump Day. Mom would fry up chicken the night before with all the trimmings and put it into green Tupperware bowel and the whole mess would then be placed into the red Coleman cooler and early in the morning we would start the sojourn that seemed to take forever in those days. Indy always seemed so far away and it was always a treat to be able to go there. I remember the front straight still in bricks and the cars would just come thundering by. The smile on Dad’s face was ear to ear as the events of the day unfolded. He would explain to me the process that he knew by heart associated with qualification at Indy and specifically Bump Day.
In those days coming from a family of limited means, race day was a cookout at the house with the entire family and listening to the race on WIBC radio. My Uncle always sat right next to the radio keeping all abreast of the positions of the drivers. My pride in joy those days was a checkered flag that my Dad bought for me at the speedway. I attached that flag to my bicycle and by that act instantly transformed my J.C. Higgins bicycle into a Watson roadster and I was A.J. Foyt!
Then came the rear engine invasion. You would have thought the world had come to an end. I remember how upset my Dad was in that these weren’t real racecars. And to actually paint one GREEN! They were some kind of abomination. They should be banned. Yeah Dad was a die-hard roadster fan. But after awhile he learned to accept the Lotus, Lola and Eagle just as he had Watson, Curtis, and Dunn. I also remember the sadness that I felt in 1964 when my racing hero Eddie Sachs perished along with Dave McDonald in that years event.
Zoom ahead to 1967 and the talk of the event was the STP Turbine car. The controversy involved. Again we were there for qualifications. We specifically made the trip to witness this car run and we weren’t disappointed. Standing next to the fence in front of the Tower Terrace we were suddenly aware of an orange flash of light and a WHOOSH as if a ghost had passed. This thing was absolutely the most awesome car that I’d ever laid eyes on. I cheered for it’s success and was equally disappointed when it coasted to a stop just short of victory.
After that race I sort of lost touch with my mistress known as Indy. Sure I’d listen to it at the annual cookout but being in high school at the time my passion those days was more the allure of the fairer sex. I do remember in 1972 listening to the race on the American Forces Radio Network in South East Asia. Indy in those days was a small bit of home. Something that you could depend on, something that could take you back even if only for a few hours.
In the late 80s I found myself "back home again in Indiana" and was able to once again court my mistress Indy. By that time I had a family of my own and I was able to introduce my Son to the wonders of the Brickyard. The wide-eyed wonder on his face was like looking into a mirror of my earlier days. He now shares my passion for the Speedway. Dad was a bit slower in these days but he would still make the trip and suddenly there we were, three generations of fans sharing a common activity that can only be experienced and not explained. But the ear to ear smile on Dads face was just as it had been some twenty plus years earlier.
It wasn’t until 1992 that I actually attended the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. By this time I had converted my wife to a die-hard Indy fan. Sitting in the turn two we watched Al Unser best the field that day. In 2000 at the age of 48 years old I hit the jackpot. Working for a company that sponsored a car I had the unique opportunity to become part of the Dick Simon crew. I was able to work in the garage. I was accepted as a crewmember and actually worked on the car and in the pit during the race. This was life altering event in my life and an experience I will savor for the rest of my life. This opportunity would have never come about without the graciousness of Dick Simon having confidence in some skills that I possessed and being willing to let me participate. And to him I am forever grateful. Being in this position enabled me to meet many of my racing heroes including A.J., Parnelli, Big Al, Jim Rathman, A.J. Watson, and many others. It also gave me an insight to how hard it is to come to Indy and be competitive. Late hours in the garage, early mornings coming to the track, and hot afternoons gave me a unique appreciation of what goes on outside of the cockpit to get these land rockets to do what they do. Our hard work was rewarded by a top 10 finish in the race.
That same year my Dad’s health failed and was never able to go back to Indy. I miss his ear to ear grin at the sound of an Indy engine coming to life. And I cherish the memory of times he and I spent at the Speedway and hope to keep building these memories with my own Son and Grandson.
I’m going back to Indy this year. And as I enter the gate at 16th and Georgetown, these and many other memories will flood my consciousness once again. And as if yesterday, I will again hear my Dad’s voice explaining the bumping process, taste my Mom’s fried chicken and wonder what ever happened to that bicycle with the checkered flag attached.

Mike Bolton
Fort Wayne, IN
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