Tag: Indianapolis 500

Suicide at IMS? Book Review-The Last Lap

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What caused Pete Kreis’s fatal crash at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1934? William Walker, a cousin of the driver, seeks the answer in this biography of Kreis. The accident is called the “strangest death in auto racing history.”

Walker builds the story through research and talks with Pete’s sister Hazel, the last of the Kreis line.

Albert Jacob “Pete” Kreis is the youngest son of John Kreis, who owns a railroad construction business and a dairy farm. The elder Kreis is a local legend who as a boy swam through a strong current in a river near Knoxville, Tennessee. His father is the sheriff of the community who brings law and order to the town in the late 1800s. John’s sons, Harman, John, and Pete, all strive for that one heroic act to emulate their father. Pete’s racing career comes the closest to achieving the hero status they all seek.

Pete Kreis

The Kreis sons convince John to purchase a Marmon. The boys commandeer the auto, and soon Harmon begins racing on a short dirt track. Pete soon begins his racing career at the age of fourteen. Pete’s racing skills continue to improve, and his father begins to explore how to advance his racing career.

In 1924, Pete drives a neighbor to town on an icy road. In his quest to get his friend to his appointment on time, the car slides on the ce, the car rolls over, and the neighbor dies.

Later that year, Pete gets a test to race for the Duesenberg brothers, who have the best race cars at the time. He joins the team and meets Peter de Paolo, who becomes his teammate and mentor.

The 1925 Indianapolis 500 established Pete as an up-and-coming talent. He qualifies ninth and finishes eighth. De Paolo wins the race at a record speed of 101.127 mph. His record stands for seven years.

Pete learns board track racing that summer. He gets off to an auspicious with a fifth place finish in his first start. Board track racing is dangerous, and a fatality is virtually expected at each event. Pete’s reputation is assured, and he heads into 1926 with a lot of confidence.

Kreis seems to have the car to beat as practice begins for the 500. Just before qualifying begins Pete contracts influenza and while in the hospital realizes he will be unable to compete. He allows rookie Frank Lockhart to drive the car.

Lockhart needs all three qualifying attempts to get in the field. He wins the race after starting 20th.

Pete has another decent year, although he has the reputation as a driver who is fast but hard on equipment. Several mechanical failures and crashes thwart good finishes.

Kreis also manages the family business which is beginning to take more and more of his time.

In 1934 Kreis comes to Indianapolis on the first of the month looking for a ride. It is not until May 24 that Harry Hartz offers him a ride in one of his Miller powered roadsters. The next day Pete takes the car out for practice. After several warmup laps, the car hits the turn 1 wall, rides along the top of it for 200 feet, then plunges over the barrier hitting a tree. Kries dies instantly, and his riding mechanic succumbs minutes later.

The cause of the accident is puzzling. There were no mechanical issues with the car, no tire marks indicating the driver lost control, no abnormalities on the track surface. What happened?

Walker begins to explore psychological reasons. Was Pete depressed? Did he lose focus? Could it have been suicide? Except for one missing element, suicide appears to be the cause.

Walker finds the missing piece of the puzzle in his final talk with Hazel before her death. Walker believes the case is now closed/

The biography takes a few chapters to really grab my interest, but I found it a fascinating look into the racing world of the 1920s and 30s. Besides De Paolo, Harry Hartz and Tommy Milton are featured, as well as the Duesenberg brothers and Harry Miiller.

I learned about a driver that I had not heard of before.

If you’re looking for an off season racing read, this is a good choice. The book is available at Octane Press.

500 Veteran Mickey Rupp, 87

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INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023) – Mickey Rupp, who started the 1965 Indianapolis 500 but gained even more acclaim as a recreational vehicle and sport fishing equipment entrepreneur, died Aug. 20. He was 87.
Rupp, a native of Mansfield, Ohio, qualified 15th and finished sixth in the No. 81 G.C. Murphy Gerhardt/Offy rear-engine car in 1965. He passed his rookie test in a front-engine Chapman Special Offy roadster that year before moving to the rear-engine car for practice, qualifying and the race.
That sixth-place performance would have earned Rookie of the Year honors in many editions of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” but the 1965 rookie class was arguably the strongest in “500” history. Mario Andretti finished third and Gordon Johncock fifth ahead of Rupp. Future “500” legend Al Unser and future Indy pole winner and USAC national champion Joe Leonard were among the eight other rookies in the field that year who finished behind Rupp.
Rupp’s INDYCAR SERIES driving career was quite short, with just five starts overall in 1964 and 1965. But he finished in the top 10 in three of those five races, with a best result of fifth at Milwaukee a week after he finished sixth at Indianapolis.His commitment and responsibilities to his growing recreational vehicle empire pulled Rupp from the driver’s seat.
Rupp started building kart kits in his basement in the late 1950s and then began manufacturing his designs that included such innovations as step frames, improved braking systems and eventually four-wheel independent suspension. His Dart Karts immediately became very popular and were produced through the late 1960s, and his brother-in-law – legendary Indianapolis 500 chassis designer A.J. Watson – appeared in a magazine ad for the 1959 Dart Kart.His company, Rupp Manufacturing (which was renamed Rupp Industries), also produced popular mini-bikes, snowmobiles and off-road vehicles distinguishable by their performance and bright red color schemes.Dart Kart also gained marketplace recognition due to racing sponsorships in the early 1960s, including a USAC sprint car owned by Watson and driven by A.J. Foyt in 1960 and the car that Don Davis drove in the 1961 Indianapolis 500.Rupp Manufacturing reached new heights in 1963 and 1964 when its karts and minibikes were supplied to Sears, which successfully sold them through the company’s widely circulated Sears Catalog.Rupp sold Rupp Industries in the late 1970s and turned his design and entrepreneurial skills to the water. An avid sport fisherman, Rupp designed and manufactured an outrigger system that also gained rapid popularity.Rupp Marine Inc. was formed in 1980 as demand grew for Rupp’s outrigger designs, and the company still produces sport fishing hardware sold globally from its base in Stuart, Florida. 
 

Bill Vukovich II- End of the Line for a Legendary Name

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We have lost another legendary family. Bill Vukovich II, son of the 1953 and 1954 Indianapolis 500 winner, died last night at the age of 79. He was the last of the Vukovich family.

His father, Bill Vukovich, was my first racing hero, and I was excited when Bill Junior came to the Speedway in 1968. He had big shoes to fill, and he did well.

Bill, Junior was only 10 years old when his father died. I wonder how much better a driver he might have been if he could have learned from Bill, Senior.

Vukovich won Rookie of the Year honors in 1968 with a seventh-place finish. In 1973 and 1974 he finished second and third in the 500, and earned three top 5s and six top 10s in his Indianapolis career.

Vukovich finished second in points in the 1972 USAC season. He split his time between USAC and THE ppg series later in his career.

Vukovich endured the worst of racing. His father, Bill, died in an accident while leading the 1955 Indianapolis 500, and his son, Billy III, died in a practice accident in a midget in Bakersfield, California.

With the help of IMS next May, we can say a proper farewell to the Vukovich family. The 108th running of the 500 will be the 70th anniversary of the senior Vukovich’s second straight victory. I hope management can fit in a tribute to one of the Speedway’s legendary names.

57 Winners

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Last weekend at Road America, a friend posted that he was attending his 100th Indycar race. I congratulate him on reaching an amazing milestone. I have never kept track of how many races i have attended. i am sure it is more than 100. Guessing on the conservative side, I have probably attended around 120 races, 56 of which are Indianapolis 500s. Note- total does NOT include Ray Harroun’s win.

I began to wonder how many different drivers have I seen win races. After some research to jog my fading memory, I came up with a total of 57 different drivers. The number seems low, but I have seen multiple Indyc 500 wins by nine different drivers, which lowers the number of winners I’ have seen at IMS to 47.

As I looked up other races I have attended, I found that most were won by Indianapolis 500 winners. That makes sense. If a driver has won the 500, it is usually one of many victories in his career. I did find drivers who never won the 500 that got to the checkered flag first in races I witnessed first hand.

I do know that my first Indycar race was the 1959 Hoosier Hundred, won by Rodger Ward. I went to six or seven Hoosier Hundreds. A. J. Foyt won most of them. Mario Andretti and parnelli jones each won one. The low number of individual winners makes more sense with the results of these races. The Hoosier Hundred is the race no longer on the schedul;e that I miss the most.

The Ten

Drivers who never won the 500 that I saw win races, some of them more than once, are:

Ryan Briscoe

Carlos Munoz

Sebastien Bourdais

James Hinchcliffe

Alex Palou

Pato O’Ward

Felix Rosenqvist

Rinus VeeKay

Charlie Kimball

Graham Rahal

Who have I seen win the most? That is a diffidcult thing to remember, but I would say it is between Scott Dixon and Will Power. I didn’t start attending races outside the 500 until 2008.

What I learned by checking out the winners I’ve seen is that drivers who get a 500 win are the best at their craft, regardless of the era. My statistics confirm that winning an Indycar race is hard.

If you’ve been to at least 25 races, look back on how many different drivers have won those events. Like me, I think you’ll find that number surprisingly small.

Joyous Victory Celebration Caps Outstanding May

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The 500 Victory Celebration can at times be a bit of a stuffy low key affair, but last night’s banquet was ajoyous, lfun filled program. The mood was ectremely light hearted as anorther May in indianapolis came to close.

I don’t know if the 1,000 plus fans in attendance was a record for this event, but it was definitely a larger crowd than the previous two banquets.

As usual, Conor Daly was the star of the show. he always livens up the program when it’s his turn to come to the podium. Last night’s gem- Newgarden will not only have his face on the Borg Warner trophy but also his abs.

Pato offered fashion advice

Pato O’Ward and Lindsey Czarniak had a humorous discussion about Pato’s clothing choices. Lindsay dismissed him when he asked if she liked his shoes.

The emotional tribute to Tony Kanaan was a fitting send off toone of the most popular drivers IMS has seen. After his lettr to fans clip which was shown on the video boards Sundy played, Kanaan received a standing ovation usually reserved for the race winner. Helio Castroneves, Kanaan’s lifelong friend, joined the dais and the two reminisced for a bit.

Kanaan tried to get Helio to promise to stop dying his hair since Tony is done racing. The secret is out.

Josef Newgarden’s speech as full of humility and gratitude for the sacrifices his parents made to launch his racing career. Winning has opened a new side of Newgarden i hadn’t seen before. Like Will Power after his 2018 win, he seems less wound tight, and more at ease.

In May, 2021, I wrote a post wondering ahere the buzz around the 500 had gone. It was the first year after the pandemic, but the whole seemed to run in a rather perfunctory manner. This May, i felt that buzz and excitement from the start of practice for the GMR Grand Prix all the way through last evening. I athink track attendance was a reflection of that. This year felt a lot like the 70s and 80s.

The payout of the record $17 million purse:

Indianapolis 500 Wrap Up

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Indycar photo by James Black

I stated my thoughts yesterday on the finish, and I will just say the series is walking a very fine line between racing and entertainment. I hope in the future they decide to lean more toward the racing. It is entertaining enough. Let’s wrap up what has been one of the best overall Mays in a long time.

The Last Brazilian

Tony Kanaan’s final race did not have the outcomehe or his many fans hoped for. iy was evident eartly that he would struggle for a good result. Kanaan provided a highlight when he went into the grass to make a pass late in the race.

Kanaan summed up his day.

“I think I would do a disgrace to almost 400,000 people that
were there that made me feel the way they did to say I’m
sad. I had a laugh. Helio and I battling for 15th and 16th
on the last lap like we’re going for the lead. It was like,
who’s playing pranks with us.
We both went side by side on the backstretch after the
checker and we saluted with each other, and I just told him
actually I dropped a tear because of that, and he said, I
did, too.
It was a good day for me, man. What can I say? We cried
on the grid.
Yeah, not the result that we wanted. I went really
aggressive on the downforce to start the race. It was
wrong. Then I added downforce towards the end of the
race and it was wrong. So it was just one of those days.”

With Kanaan gone, Helio Castroneves is the last Brazilain driver in the series, which at one had almost a third of the grid representing the Sout American nation. Castroneves is 48 years old. he may e a 500 only driver next year, but fior how many years will he be here?

Rough Day for Rookies

Benjamin pederesen wasthe highest finishing rookie in 21st, taken out in a front stretch crashon the lap 196 restart. None of the rookies were running ay yjr finish. Pedersen will likely win Rookie of the Year tonigh.

R C Enerson finsihed 32nd with mechanical problems. Abel Motorsports can’t be too disappointed. It was a hug accomplishment to qualify as solidly as they did. The race was abonus for this very young program. I hope they come back nexrt year.

Agustin Canapinio ran a good race which unfortuntely ended in a collision with Pato O’Ward. he was headed for a very good result. I am impressed by how quickly Canapinoi has adapted to Indycar.

Sring Ray Robb got caught up in the marbles on lap 90, ausig the first yellow.Robb is still learning Indycar, and I hope he can turn things around in the second half of the season.

Rahal’s Forgettable May

Graham Rahal failed to qualify for the race. he got a reprieve when Dreyer &Reinbold and Cusick Motorsports asked him to sub for the injured Stefan Wilson. Rhahl’s miserable month got een worse when his car wouldn’t and had to be wheeled to his pit to change the battery. Rahal started the race two laps down and never caught up.

The entire rahal team didn’t fare much better. jack Harvey in 18th was their best result.

The Race

The ending aside, I thought this was one of the best 500s I’ve seen. I have been to a few of them. Once again, I did not see the 1911 race,-thanks for asking. Yesterday was fascinating for the great racing early and the strategy discussion I had with my friends in the stands. I loved how the first two yellows changed the pit strategy for some teams.

I agree with what winner Josef Newgarden said in his press confer3nce last night that the cars should be mnore difficult to drive, and then leader should nor be a sitting duck on restarts..

How to Celebrate a 500 Victory

Newgarden did it right. His post race celebration of unbridled joy was how winning the 500 should be handled. Yes the there are traditions, but they can wait. Indycar needs to allow the drivers to have a few moments of spontaneous exuberance after a win. We need more of this at every race rather thanhaving the driver sit inhis car until a television producer gives the okay to get out.

Pato

What does Pato O’Ward have to do to win an oval rtace? Stymied by a yellow flag in texas, only to be foiled by red flags ijn the 500. O’Ward had the strategy figured out, and if the race had not been halted, he would be the winner.

I hope he sweeps Iowa and wins Gateway. It has to be frustrating for him. O’Ward could potentially have had his third win of the season Sunday.

I have yet to watch the replay and I ight have some comments on that later this week. I’m off to the Victory Celebration in a bit, then we look to Detroit.

hank you for followingduring May. It wa sone of the best Mays I remmebr.

Quick Thoughts-107th Indianapolis 500

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I tweeted the following after the final red flag. I still stand by it.

Indycar is trying too hard to finish this race under green under 10 laps to go istoo late just to get a green finish.

If the track were blocked, if the SAFER barrier were damaged, if there is a weather situation, then yes, a red flag is warranted. But to stop the race just to have a green flag finish just isn’t right.

Yellows breed yellows, but wethe series doesn’t need to be at the point where reds breed reds. End of rant

Other than That..

This was a terrific race. The first 90 laps were green with very good racing. Fifty two lead changes is a huge number for the 500. There was passing throughout the field. The second cautionn on lap 150 caused some teams to rethink strategy. Pato o’Ward tried to pit ahead of everyone else. It might have worked had there not been another caution.

O’Ward once again became his own worst enemy with his inside pass attempt, I thought Pato was a bit slow on the restart, thus putting himself in that position.

As is typical in a 500 mile race, early contenders fallmout of contention. Alex Palou and Rinus VeeKay looked like the two strongest cars early. VeeKay made contact with Palou inn the pits, ending both their chances for the win. Palou did come back to finish fourth and retain the championship lead. VeeKay came back from the penalty to finish 10th.

jJosef Newgarden ran a very smart, steady race. He deserved the win, but would he have won with out the two red flags?As drivers often say, it is what it is.

Slaying the Dragon

It’s time for Indycar to ban the dragon move that the leaders late in the race have used the last few years. One day the leader will hit hte pit wall and possiblyn take out some cars behind him.

I would prefer to see a straight fight for the lead. i remember when drivers used to just mnake their cars a bit wider on the track.

Tether Flaw?

The accident involving Felidx Rosenqvist and Kyle Kirkwood may have exposed a flaw in the wheel tether system. I have never seen a tire sail like that since the tehers were intorduced.

Fortunately, the wheel landed in the space between the Riley suites and the grandstand and no one was injured.

I’m sure there will be an investigation and a modicfication of the sysstem.

I will have a complete race wrap up sometime tomorrow. Thanks for following this month.



Race Day! 500 Miles to Go

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Today’s schedule:

 
xSCHEDULE (All times local):
5 a.m.-1 p.m.: Ticket and Credentials Office Open

6 a.m.-4 p.m.: Public Gates Open

7 a.m.: Snake Pit presented by Coors Light Gates Open

8:15 a.m.: Snake Pit – Jauz Begins

8:45 a.m.: Borg-Warner Trophy March to the Bricks Begins from IMS Museum

8:55 a.m.: Borg-Warner Trophy Reaches Checkpoint 1 – South Pit Gate

9 a.m.: DJ Slater Begins on Pagoda 3 Stage

9:05 a.m.: Borg-Warner Trophy Reaches Checkpoint 2 – Pagoda Plaza

9:15 a.m.: Snake Pit – Valentino Khan Begins

10:10 a.m.: Borg-Warner Trophy arrives at Yard of Bricks

10:25 a.m.: “On The Banks Of The Wabash,” Purdue University Band

10:30 a.m.: Cars to Grid

10:30 a.m.: Snake Pit – Subtronics Begins1

0:37 a.m.: Green Flag and Indy 500 Winners Lap

10:44 a.m.: Honorary Starter Receives Green Flag from IU Health Patient – Trackside Stage10:54 a.m.: Historic Cars Lap1

0:55 a.m.: All Cars on the Grid

11:25 a.m.: Military Appreciation Lap

11:47 a.m.: Driver Introductions Begin

12:10 p.m.: U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team Begins Descent12:18 p.m.: Invocation, Archbishop Charles C. Thompson, Archdiocese of Indianapolis

12:19 p.m.: Rifle Volley and “Taps”

12:21 p.m.: “God Bless America,” Angela Brown

12:25 p.m.: National Anthem, Jewel

12:27 p.m.: Flyover – U.S. Air Force F-16 Vipers, 49th Fighter Wing

12:29 p.m.: “Drivers To Your Cars,” Grand Marshal Stephanie Beatriz

12:36 p.m.: “Back Home Again in Indiana,” Jim Cornelison

12:38 p.m.: “Drivers Start Your Engines,” Roger Penske

12:45 p.m.: Green Flag, 107th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge

12:50 p.m.: Snake Pit – Kaskade Begins

2:20 p.m.: Snake Pit – John Summit Begins

HONORARY STARTER: Adam Driver

TICKETS: Reserved seats available at various prices from $69-$144. $50 for General Admission only, no grandstand access and no Snake Pit entry. Kids 15 and under are admitted free when accompanied by a General Admission adult ticketholder. All Snake Pit presented by Coors Light attendees must also hold a valid Indianapolis 500 Race Day ticket. Fans will not be admitted to the track with just the Snake Pit wristband. All Snake Pit attendees must be at least 18 years old.

PUBLIC GATES OPEN (6 a.m.-4 p.m.): Gate 1, Gate 1B.1, Gate 1C, Gate 2, Gate 3, Gate 4, Gate 5N, Gate 5B, Gate 6N, Gate 6S, Gate 6B, Gate 7, Gate 7S, Gate 7N, Gate 9, Gate 10, Gate 10A, Gate 11A, Gate 11B, Gate 11C and Gate

12.PARKING: All Indianapolis 500 Race Day parking is SOLD OUT.

It is race day at last. The gates just opened to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the first of the 325,00 fans expected are entering the gates.

Each race day is more precious to me than the last one. I don’t know how many more I have.

I am still sticking with my pick of Pato o’Ward to win the race today. Next come the drivers who gave been fastb in the two practice sessions since qualifications, Alex Palou, Scott Dixon, Takuma Sato, and Will Power.

The weather forecaast calls for moistly sunny skiwes with a high of 77 degrees. Clouds may roll in from the southeast later today, but no rain will interfere with the race.

From @Indycar_Wxman:

I spent time after I arrived at the track walking through the pits. It is a magical place in the dark on race morning. I cafeel the ghosts of Shaw, Vukovich, Rose, and the counrtless other drivers who endeavored to win the greatest race in the world.

Here are some of the photos from this morning. Enjoy the race. I’ll be back after the checkered flag with some quick thoughts and have a complete wrap up tomorrow.

Legends Day

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Today’s schedule: From IMS

 
INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, May 26, 2023) –
Information about 107th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge Legends Day presented by Firestone on Saturday, May 27:SCHEDULE (All times local):

8 a.m.-3 p.m.: Public Gates Open

9-10 a.m.: Starting Field Autograph Session, Pagoda Plaza

10:30 a.m.: Public Drivers’ Meeting, Pit Road in front of Tower Terrace

Noon-1 p.m.: Veteran Driver Autograph Session A, Pagoda Plaza Chalet

1:30-2:30 p.m.: Veteran Driver Autograph Session B, Pagoda Plaza Chalet

TICKETS: General Admission tickets are $10 with free admission for children 15 and under when accompanied by a paying adult.

PUBLIC GATES OPEN (8 a.m.-3 p.m.): Gate 2, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7, Gate 7S, Gate 10, Gate 10A.

PARKING: Fans can purchase parking in Lot 2 on-site for $10, while supplies last. There is free parking in the 5th and Hulman lot inside the facility. Free ADA parking will be in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway parking lot. Free parking for Legends Day presented by Firestone is located inside at 5th and Hulman, in the South Carousel Lot for motorcycle parking and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum Lot for ADA parking.

Like Carb Day, but to a mych larger extent, Lrgrnds Day is a shadow of its former self.

The only recofnixable elements are the autograph session and the public drivers’ meeting. This year t looks like the track has brought back an autograph session for former drivers.

We don’t see vintaqge cars on track anymore, and I have no idea why. The day used to honor a former winner or great driver, That tradirtion just suddenly stopped.

Fans used to be able to just hang out at the track all day. Now everyone needs to leave by 3 pm.

The Speedway’s reason for the new schedule is to het the track ready for the race tomorrow. It seems as if they did ne under the old schedule. I think it’s more of an economy move.

Still, it is a day at IMS in May. That counts for something. I would prefer the day more lived up to its name.