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May 12, 1999 -by John Matthews Roots Of Racing This past weekend, I visited my girlfriend in Indianapolis. For a race fan
there, this is an exciting time of the year. The Indy 500 is less than a
month away. Many short tracks are now racing on a weekly basis. The hype is starting to build.
Earlier this month, Indianapolis held their 500 Mini Marathon. My
girlfriend was among the 18,000 plus finishers of the 13.1 mile race that
included a lap around the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Soon, Indy
will begin testing and qualifying for the 500. Both Indianapolis Raceway
Park and Anderson (IN) speedway will also hold pre 500 events. May is an
exciting time in Indianapolis indeed.
On Friday night, I took the opportunity to visit Bloomington Speedway.
Bloomington is a small college city located an hour southwest of the state
capital. It is home to the primary campus of Indiana University with close
to 30,000 students. Basketball and Bobby Knight are a way of life here.
The Purdue University Boilermakers are the Hoosiers arch enemies, much like
Florida and Florida State. In the summertime, most of the college students
head for home, leaving a quiet Indiana town.
Indiana University hosts its own event leading up to the Indy 500. Each
May, teams of bicycle riders race on a tight cinder oval on the IU campus
for 200 laps, switching riders as necessary. Fraternities make up the
balance of the teams. The "Little 500", as it is called, was made famous by
the movie "Breaking Away" in which the poor sons of granite cutters form a
team called the "Cutters" and win the race. Each year, the Little 500 takes
place before a packed, rowdy crowd.
Bloomington Speedway is located a few miles south of the city. On the
surface, there is nothing special about it. There are no VIP booths. The
track is not ringed by seats. There are few walls around the edge of the
track, giving drivers a chance to collect the car during a spin. The track
conveys a down home, old school image. The speedway grandstands are built
into a hillside, like many tracks in Indiana. The track is a mid-banked
quarter mile oval. The clay surface bleeds a Hoosier red, having been
worked to perfection all day.
This year, Bloomington Speedway enters into its 76th year of operation. It
opened in 1923, back in an era when the Model-T was the car. This year
promises to be one of its busiest ever. Bloomington holds the title
"fastest quarter mile dirt track in the United States." Earlier this year,
the World of Outlaws raced at Bloomington. A new track record was set
during time trials. Joey Saldana uncorked an amazing 9.388 second lap at
95.87 mph.
In the southeast, late model stock cars receive top billing. The northeast
is modified country. Throughout the midwest, sprint cars are, without a
doubt, the main attraction. At 1300 pounds, these alcohol burning beasts
are a handful to drive and a blast to watch. At Bloomington, they race on a
weekly basis without wings. Sprints are supported by UMP Modifieds and
Indiana Street Stocks.
The excellent track conditions led to the full spectrum of racing action
this night. The Sprint Car feature was decided by a last lap pass in the
high groove. The Street Stocks had close heat races but total domination by
one man in the feature. The Modifieds had a "crashfest" with several heat
races shortened by time limits and a red flag for the large pileup in their
feature. Three nameless drivers defeated their respective competitors this
night.
But, the names of the winners is not what is important. On this regular
season opening night, rituals were renewed. Pit friendships were awakened.
Families shared a night out together. The roots of racing are alive and
well at Bloomington Speedway.
The roots of racing are everywhere. They are not only at Bloomington, but
at your local track too. The next time you're at the track, open your eyes
and look for them. You'll be surprised at what you see.
John Matthews
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