Walter Zoomie’s World: 2006 Indy 500 Pictorial - May 24

By Walter Zoomie

I went out to the track today. There were multitudes of little kiddies running around. They were having a ball. The IMS never had a family fun day when I was a kid. I guess Tony Hulman hated families or something, maybe.

I didn’t stay long but I managed to get some half way decent pictures, I think.

This is one of the first things I saw. This is an improper race car.

Real racing machines designed to run on dirt tracks do not have license plates, head lights, tail lights, and turn signals. Pancho Carter never signaled to Sheldon Kinser before he gave him a slide job at Terre Haute, I bet.

This is what a proper race car that runs on dirt tracks looks like. Study it and know the difference!

This is an old time Indy racer driven by Jack McGrath. It has an Offenhauser engine.

If you look closely, you can see tennis balls stuck in the air horns. I bet that engine won’t run good with those in there. Mr. McGrath probably didn’t allow tennis balls anywhere near his racer, I think.

I think the car is currently owned by a Russian tennis player, like maybe Anna Pornakova or Maria Sharapova.

Allow me to stop and think about those two for a minute…

OK. I’m all better now.

Here is the car Walt Hansgen drove at Indy in 1964.

Walt had a front row seat for the devastating crash which killed Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald.

Not trying to be morbid, but I’d never seen Hansgen’s car before, and I thought it was interesting.

What do I know? I’m just a dork race fan with a camera and intardnet access.

(Photographer for above B&W picture unknown. Taken from my private collection.)

Next, I walked over to Vigoda Plaza, where many festive activities were taking place.

There was a small oval track set up, and some dudes were racing nitro-powered remote controlled cars there.

I saw some familiar faces there too. A couple of the hot shoes from Vision Racing were there, and I bet Tony George would be mad if he saw these pictures too!

Here we have Ed Carpantier risking life and limb, with Townsend Bell happily looking on in the background. That kinda dangerous horseplay could get an eye poked out or something!

I bet Townie is hoping Ed gets hurt by that high flying RC car so he can get a full-time ride with Vision racing for the rest of the season.

Townsend Bell might not be a good team mate, and he might be evil too, maybe.

Watch your back, Mr. Carpantier!

Here’s Sam Hornish’s crew practicing pit stops in front of an appreciative crowd in the garage area.

I really don’t have anything smart to say about this shot either, because Team Penske is intelligent and tough and professional and darn near perfect.

Roger wouldn’t have it any other way!

He knows what Indy means.

These two shots are for Eagle104. He is an Indy legend and has been working his substantially large butt off in order to preserve and archive our beloved Indy traditions.

Eagle104 knows what Indy means.

He has been feeling a bit under the weather lately, but I bet these two photos will make him feel more better.

This is an Eagle racer, driven by Lone Star JR. The Eagle was designed and built by Dan Gurney, who is just about the coolest guy ever in Indy racing.

This version of the Eagle is the most beautifullest and cool model ever created, and everybody knows that too.

If somebody somewhere disagrees, they’re wrong, probably, I bet.

Get well soon, Eagle104!

I was looking at this car when I saw AJ Watson drive up in a golf cart with some of his buds.

I went to high school with one of AJ’s daughters. She was pretty too. I never dated her, though. I didn’t play varsity football or anything like that.

I was puny back then.

This is the car I was telling you about earlier…

I asked, “Hey AJ! Any idea who built this piece of junk?”

I think I might have made the wrong mistake again, because AJ said that he built it.

It’s a good thing AJ’s really old now, because I think I made him mad and I’m pretty sure he wanted to kick my butt hard.

Sometimes, it would probably be better if I just shut up and didn’t talk. That’s what I think.

About Walter Zoomie's World: Walter Zoomie has kindly allowed a number of his entertaining tales of adventure to be published by IndianaRacing.net. You can read more at his official blog: Walter Zoomie's World. Also, be sure to check out the hundreds of fantastic vintage racing photos taken by his father Rick, a former Indianapolis newspaper reporter and photographer.