Days I'll Never Forget...

[JoeBob]

The first time my dad took me to the Meadowlands to see Indy Cars up close.
Chasing A.J. Foyt through the parking lot, hoping to get his autograph, and having him tell me, "Walk faster, kid" as he was signing.
Taking a great picture of Jeff Krosnoff in Detroit, and telling him about it on Friday in Toronto. He said, "Find me tomorrow, and I'll sign it." On Saturday, I found him, and he signed it. We all know what happened on Sunday.
On Friday morning at Road America, my (then) wife and I were waiting on the far side of Alex Zanardi's transporter, hoping to catch him for an autograph and a picture, as the crowds were all on the other side. Sure enough, just before practice was to begin, he came walking through, and stopped for us. He sign an autograph, took a picture, and blushed when I told him that he'd just made a dream come true. As we said thank you, and shook his hand, we heard all the engines starting in pit lane. The way he treated us, you never would have known he was going to be late.
Holding my breath when Alex Barron put his car on top of Bryan Herta's right in front of me.
Taking a picture of my dad with the Tecate Girls. And the Hawaiian Tropic Girls. And... well, you get the picture.
Watching Paul Tracy go from worst to first at Road America
Waking up to race cars outside my hotel window in Miami
Driving 2 1/2 hours to Nazarth, to throw snowballs
Standing in the paddock at Belle Isle, watching the race through a gap in the wall, and having a Pac West car coast through that gap and stop right next to me... on the final lap!


There are so many more. But, I thought I'd throw a few out there...

What were your unforgettable moments?

[JLMannin]

Chasing A.J. Foyt through the parking lot, hoping to get his autograph, and having him tell me, "Walk faster, kid" as he was signing.
On Friday morning at Road America, my (then) wife and I were waiting on the far side of Alex Zanardi's transporter, hoping to catch him for an autograph and a picture, as the crowds were all on the other side. Sure enough, just before practice was to begin, he came walking through, and stopped for us. He sign an autograph, took a picture, and blushed when I told him that he'd just made a dream come true. As we said thank you, and shook his hand, we heard all the engines starting in pit lane. The way he treated us, you never would have known he was going to be late.


Wow - those two experiences contrast quite highly. Thanks for sharing the Zanardi story - he is a fantastically talented man, yet humble. To me, that is the defininition of a hero.

One of my favorite stories was the 1994 Michigan 500 - the one where only six or seven cars finished. Leaders kept blowing up in succession. When Raul Boesel's engine finally expired, it took two laps under yellow for Scott Goodyear in the Budweiser car to overtake him. IIRC, Goodyear was first followed by Luyendyk and one of the Pacwest cars (cannot remember who now).

Another favorite memory was the same race in 1993 - Mansell put on an oval driving clinic and did things on a superspeedway I had never seen before. like weaving through traffic like his car was on rails. Mario spun out in pit road that day, went a lap down, then overtook Mansell on track to get his lap back. The crowd was on its feet. After the race, Mansell was severely dehydrated and they pushed IV fluids and took him to the infield care center. I'll always call him the Limey Bastard, but he earned my respect that day.

[TravelGal]

Crazy the stuff that sticks in your head.

Nearly getting run over by DaMatta on his BICYCLE in Long Beach. He was first to use one extensively.

Jimmy handing me the hat off his head when I said how much I liked the red American Spirit ones (rather than the blue one I had).

TravelGuy having a pace car ride at Laguna Seca. The picture they took of him afterward is still my screen saver.

Bruno in a beer can hat in the Hyatt at Long Beach.

The last CCIC dinner last weekend. PT and TK. Jeremy Shaw. Nelson Philippe. :thumbup:

Oh, you mean RACING? In person, definitely watching Jimmy winning Fontana. You could feel the crowd just willing him to win. It was usually a Mikey A crowd but even they cheered when he cr@pped out and it was obvious Jeeeeemy would win it.

Never was a Bourdais fan but, also in person, seeing him take the first turn at his first race (St. Pete) and knowing that he had whatever it takes and he'd be trouble from then on for my favorite drivers.

Lots more; lots more.....

[CART 500]

Crazy the stuff that sticks in your head.

Nearly getting run over by DaMatta on his BICYCLE in Long Beach. He was first to use one extensively.

Jimmy handing me the hat off his head when I said how much I liked the red American Spirit ones (rather than the blue one I had).

TravelGuy having a pace car ride at Laguna Seca. The picture they took of him afterward is still my screen saver.

Bruno in a beer can hat in the Hyatt at Long Beach.
The last CCIC dinner last weekend. PT and TK. Jeremy Shaw. Nelson Philippe. :thumbup:

Oh, you mean RACING? In person, definitely watching Jimmy winning Fontana. You could feel the crowd just willing him to win. It was usually a Mikey A crowd but even they cheered when he cr@pped out and it was obvious Jeeeeemy would win it.

Never was a Bourdais fan but, also in person, seeing him take the first turn at his first race (St. Pete) and knowing that he had whatever it takes and he'd be trouble from then on for my favorite drivers.

Lots more; lots more.....

Lots of drivers and owners wore the monkey hat ;)

[nrc]

Pace car ride at MidOhio.

Almost getting run over in the paddock by Klaus Ludwig the GTX Mustang.

Camping in the infield that the Daytona 24.

Michael Andretti flying by upside down and 15 feet off the ground at Mid Ohio.

The Renault LeCar series.

Scott Pruett crowding Jack Baldwin into the wall on the backstraight at the Columbus 500.

Andretti and Montoya dueling at Michigan.

Brian Herta trying to stay ahead of Zanardi at Mid Ohio and destroying his Goodyears.

Zanardi flying through the field at Cleveland.

The Lumberman's 500 - GT cars vs. second generation Can Am cars.

[pfc_m_drake]

My first race in person - Toronto '96 :(

Being in the stands at Fontana when de Ferran cut a 241.428. Then having to fly back home on Monday without getting to see most of the race (rained out after 20 laps on Sunday).

Also being in Nazareth for the snowfest. Drove back in May for the rescheduled race and saw Penske's 100th.

Pretty much every year I went to Cleveland. Loved the track, loved being there. Always a good time.

Jim Swintal's radio call at Mid-Ohio 2002 - "In the words of my predecessor Nick Fornoro, it *can* be done." This was in reference to a perfectly clean start (at the most unlikely of tracks) after what seemed like a season filled of nothing but botched starts.

Max Papis running out of fuel at Michigan (turn 3, last lap) after leading all day long.

Lots lots more - seems like I could go on forever. Good times, great memories.

[TravelGal]

Lots of drivers and owners wore the monkey hat ;)

I know. But he had such a rep as whiner that it made quite an impression on me to see that he's just a regular guy with a big, goofy smile after all.

[WickerBill]

Gordon Smiley dying right in front of me
Feeling like I was going to melt at Gateway '99 from the heat
Watching Gil run over a Walker crew member exiting the pits (same race, Gateway '99)
The Whittingtons, always the damn Whittingtons, trying to make Indy every year
And most of all, when I was just a boy, Mario signing a collector card I had of him, and smiling when he asked me "You gonna cheer for me to win this year, right?"

[meadors]

1998 October Laguna Seca, one week before Fonatana, spending a half hour or more with Dan and Justin Gurney watching World Sportscar Championship race.
September, 15 2001.

[CART 500]

I know. But he had such a rep as whiner that it made quite an impression on me to see that he's just a regular guy with a big, goofy smile after all.

That was a fun afternoon :thumbup:

[Elmo T]

And most of all, when I was just a boy, Mario signing a collector card I had of him, and smiling when he asked me "You gonna cheer for me to win this year, right?"


I don't recall the year, but I had my oldest at Nazareth and they were handing out some swag in the Newman-Haas area. As I recall, it was some Budweiser race tee shirts and the PR person would not (could not legally?) give my son a shirt. I got the attention of the PR person and indicated my approval. She still wouldn't pass along the shirt. I spoke with her and she refused to give me a shirt because I already indicated it was for my son. (He was about 9 or 10 at the time.) Mario must have been nearby as he approached us and spoke to my son for a few seconds. He signed his program and wished us a good weekend.

[dando]

Scott Pruett crowding Jack Baldwin into the wall on the backstraight at the Columbus 500.

Brian Herta trying to stay ahead of Zanardi at Mid Ohio and destroying his Goodyears.

Zanardi flying through the field at Cleveland.


:thumbup: I caught the final Cbus 500 in the LeVeque parking garage. Prolly the reason my hearing ain't what it quite should be. :)

The Herta/Zanardi was special despite being brief. Are you sure the Zanardi infield wasn't his off road excursion @ MO on the straight heading towards the keyhole? Man those '97 - '99 days were special...until we lost Greg. :cry: :(

-Kevin

[Anteater]

Fontana ’99: my first Champ Car experience, when my husband scored all-access passes from a former co-worker who was an engineer with AAR. I hung out in the pits during qualifying, saw cars going faster than I ever dreamed was possible, met Dan Gurney, had lunch in the hospitality tent, and decided that THIS was the life! The next day was a rather sobering experience… :(

Fontana ’00: da Matta’s mom, who has to be one of the coolest people ever to grace the paddock, promised to arrange a meeting with him, and she did! :) Later that weekend, I had the same experience as pfc_m_drake.

Fontana ’01: screaming myself hoarse as I watched the battle for the lead finally give way to da Matta. I shook his hand afterwards and smelled the champagne that had soaked his driving suit.

Long Beach ’01: meeting Zanardi and realizing that this guy was charisma personified.

Portland ‘05: watching da Matta win again after a long drought, then sharing in the team’s champagne toast.

Portland ’07: seeing Seb clinch the 100th win for Newman Haas.

Long Beach ’08: cheering when Mario came tearing through Turn 9 in 3rd place, then holding my husband and crying as the last DP01 made its way past us.

Pace car rides at Long Beach and RA.

Countless Fan Forums and dinners, with the CCIC Last Hurrah being one for the ages.

[nrc]

The Herta/Zanardi was special despite being brief. Are you sure the Zanardi infield wasn't his off road excursion @ MO on the straight heading towards the keyhole?

I meant "field" as in "the competition" - not his off road weekend at MidOhio, which was also entertaining. He came from last to first in Cleveland and I think passed deFerran for the win on the last lap. I think that was also the birth of the donut celebration.

[extramundane]

My first race in person - Toronto '96 :(

I'd been to Toronto in '94 and '95 and LOVED it there- the city, the track atmosphere, everything. Naz, Cleveland & Mid-O were closer, but I guess the street party scene in TO just called out to me. Some stuff came up and I couldn't make it in '96- I bitched and moaned for weeks about not being able to go. I was in mid-bitch when they cut to the shot of all that bodywork and car parts everywhere and I knew something was horribly wrong. Then they showed the replay. :(

Really glad I didn't go now. That would have been the sh***iest 12 hour drive home ever. I've seen, in person, 3 drivers killed in on-track wrecks; I don't need to add a 4th.

[dando]

I meant "field" as in "the competition" - not his off road weekend at MidOhio, which was also entertaining. He came from last to first in Cleveland and I think passed deFerran for the win on the last lap. I think that was also the birth of the donut celebration.

He also did that @ Vancouver, whish was even more amazing. That was the race where he punted Herta. I despised him to no end @ the time, but that all changed when he returned to C^RT in '01.

-Kevin

[Elmo T]

I'll add last years race in Cleveland. Not for the race specifically, but for Mrs. Elmo's reaction when she realized PT was going to win the race. Let's just say she isn't a PT fan, but she shares his "potty" mouth. :eek: The specific words aren't appropriate here, but she was shocked that he was going to win. :rofl:

[dando]

I'll add last years race in Cleveland. Not for the race specifically, but for Mrs. Elmo's reaction when she realized PT was going to win the race. Let's just say she isn't a PT fan, but she shares his "potty" mouth. :eek: The specific words aren't appropriate here, but she was shocked that he was going to win. :rofl:


Prolly something like AYFKM, which is what I said. :D

-Kevin

[aportinga]

I have plenty of fond memories however the best for me was RA 2006 when my wife and 8 year old attended their first CC race. Both were thrilled and to this day my (now 9 year old) still asks if she can get an autograph from the driver of the orange CC car which made its rounds pre race and throughout that weekend.

Now they are just pissed!

[miatanut]

Portland 1997! Sitting at T1 we didn't know who won. At first the announcers didn't either.

Portland 1993 was good too, even though I was rooting for Mansell over Emmo.

Driving home from Vancouver to Seattle in the middle of the CART convoy to Laguna (after a delicious dinner at a restaurant over by Lion's Gate), several years in a row.

Attending the Portland and Vancouver rounds of the Arrivederci Mario tour.

Enjoying the ever shrinking Chevy A/B/C vs Cosworth XB/XD engine wars. How DID they make those engines so small?

Enjoying the seeing the final Eagles in person.

Having the hair rise on the back of my neck when the cars first took to the track.

Enjoying the din and the big wind storm as 28 cars went blasting into T1. Having it take more than 10 seconds for the whole field to get through T1 on the first two laps. Smelling the intense smell from the brakes after they left.

Watching Zanardi, with his total commitment every lap.

[Don Quixote]

Nice post miatanut. Doubt if we ever get back to anything like it again. :(