Watching the Indy 500 and softball, switching back and forth. Indy brings back a lot of memories.
I don't remember the first one I listened to, Howdy Bell and all the announcers, then it was an all day event. One year we were in Indiana, near the track. A vivid memory, a long of line of slow traffic, bumper to bumper, leaving the track in Indianapolis. I assume we were visiting our family in Marion, and on the way back from that.
We were perhaps 50 yards back, in traffic, when we noticed a train coming, the car on the track apparently could not move, I remember when the train hit it, a woman's straw hat came flying our of a window, long white ribbon on the hat. Never learned of injuries, but never forgot that hat.
I was glued, every year, to the radio, had books, a BIG fan of the race.
In 1943 we moved, and a year or so later, we built a picnic house in our back yard, and some of us started a tradition of having a sleep over weekend, and listening to the race, and cooking out. Jack Austin, now I think in Nevada, Taki Anagnostin, a Doctor in California, Dick Whipp, in Montana. He came back with his wife, Peaches, had a nice visit. Lost track of him since. Barrett "Sonny" Kemp, an attorney in Lima, Ohio. I remember Mary Bimm visiting our group for dinner, Dick Bigelow, Bob Morris, and I am sure there were others, those come to mind. Been over sixty years ago.
In those days the race ran all day, so we took the day to party. Good Memories.
I missed the opening today, was helping my wife get set up at Walmart, maybe the first one I have missed. Not sure if Jim Nabors sang or not, missed hearing "Back Home Again in Indiana," and, used to be "Drivers Start Your Engines." Today probably "Drivers."
One Hundred Years Old, nice that some things don't change ..... I love tradition ............
