Hoosier Daddy

HELIO ON WHEELS -- CASTRONEVES TO JOIN 3-TIME WINNER CLUB

Everyone makes sports predictions -- and I think I do better than most when it comes to the Indianapolis 500.  So in this most unpredictable of all sporting events, here are my observations and predictions for the 93rd running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

Race day it will be Helio Castroneves taking the winner's drink of milk in Victory Lane.  He's fast, patient, prepared, and overdue for that third win.  And if it comes down to the last few laps, he is more determined than ever, and no one sets up a car at the end of the race better than Team Penske.

Here are a few more observations about what to look for on Race Day.

Preparation:  Victory is 90% preparation, and when it comes to preparation the top three names are:  Penske, Penske, & Penske

Race Strategy:  Andretti Green has shown a great ability to adapt and change strategy to make the best of situation.   The down side is that AGR seems to be a bit behind Penske and Ganassi, and not even showing much of a speed advantage over Panther, Newman Hass or even the new KV team.

Early speed:   Look for Scott Dixon and Ryan Briscoe to lead much of the first 200 miles.  But the real race won't start until the last 100 miles.

Patience -- Al Unser and Rick Mears were the masters at being patient in the early stages of the race, and getting in position to win during the last 30 laps.  The best current driver at doing this -- Helio Castroneves.  Another driver who has shown surprising patience in allowing the race to come to her is Danica Patrick.  If AGR can give her a good car, she'll be there at the end on Race Day

Bad luck factor:    When the Speedway takes a dislike to you, it doesn't "even up the sccore" -- just ask the Andrettis or the Bettenhausens.  Unfortunately Tony Kanaan is the current "bad luck" driver at the track.  Everyone in racing would be happy to see TK win, and the Speedway owes him one -- but then again the Speedway owes the Andretti family about a dozen. 

Best driver in a 10 lap shoot-out:  If it gets down to the final laps, who's the best driver in a shootout?  With Sam Hornish spinning his wheels in Nascar, it comes down to a very slight edge for Helio Castroneves and Scott Dixon -- but not by much over Tony Kanaan.

Best chance outside Big 3 teams:  Graham Rahal.  Rahal has been steady and quick all month, flying just under the radar of the Big 3 teams.  He may need more experience at the Speedway, and Newman Haas suffers from not having an experienced driver on the team to help give feedback.  But don't be shocked if the winner of the 500 asks for a Big Mac to go with his bottle of milk.

Dark Horse:  Will Power.  It's hard to call someone driving for Penske a dark horse, but Power is not on anyone's list of favorites.  He's a part-time substitute driver who has shown real talent and speed.  If he has the fastest car at the end, Power has the talent to bring it home in first.

Rookie of the Year:  Raphael Matos.  Fast steady rookie all month.  Robert Doorbos is the other likely competitor, but he's been in the wall twice, and I would expect him to be extra cautious in the race.  Alex Tagliani may well out-perform the other rookies, but I don't think the award goes to someone who was not able to qualify his way into the race.

Person I'm most looking forward to having a good race:  Sarah Fisher.  She's proving she belongs at the Speedway -- not only as a driver but as an owner.  Driving her own car, I'm sure she will be on the cautious side.  But she's been competitive all month.  She won't win, or place in the top 5, but last year she had to mortgage her house just to get a race car.  If she can run all day and finish in the top 10, it would be a remarkable accomplishment.

Indy 500 Centennial: The All-Time Best Drivers Starting Lineup

 Race fans often talk about which drivers in the storied history of the Indianapolis 500 were the best.  But how do you compare drivers from such different eras?  Until the 1970s, the incredible danger of auto racing made for short careers.  Few drivers made more than 10 starts.  But starting with the late 1960s, careers expanded to 20 or more races.  How do you compare Bill Vukovich, who won 2 races, and nearly won 4 in just a 5-year career, with A.J. Foyt who won 4 races in an incredible span of 35 races?

The real answer is that there is no way to objectively make the comparison.  But here's my own subjective compilation of the 33 best driver starting lineup.

 

 

Row 1:  Rick Mears   -- In 15 races, Mears won 4 times, took the pole position a record 6 times, and started on the front row 11 times -- all records. Simply the best

            A.J. Foyt  - the legend.  35 races, 4 wins, and more stories than anyone can count. 

            Al Unser, Sr. -- 4 time winner. He simply knew how to win the 500.

Row 2:  Wilbur Shaw -- 3 time winner, & saved the 500 after World War II by convincing Tony Hulman to purchase the track.  Until his death in a 1954 plane crash, it was Shaw who served as President of the Speedway and who each year started the race with command "Gentlemen, Start Your Engines", which was the title of his popular autobiography.

            Bill Vukovich -- nearly won 4 consecutive races. Vukie crashed in 1952 on lap 192 when his steering broke.  In 1953 he won and was only driver to complete the sweltering race without relief.  Vukie dominated won in 1954. In 1955, Vukie was leading on lap 55 when a car spun into his path.  His car catapulted over the wall, flipping end over end, and bursting into flames, fatally injuring Vukie. 

            Bobby Unser -- 3 time winner, and started on front row 9 times

Row 3: Johnny Rutherford -- 3 time winner

            Louis Meyer -- first 3 time winner

            Maurie Rose -- 3 time winner

 

 

Row 4:  Helio Castroneves -- won his first 2 500s, only driver to do so.  Finished second in his third race, coming within one position of winning three consecutive 500s, a feat no one has accomplished

            Mario Andretti -- A victim of so many bad luck days, that the phrase "Mario is slowing down" became part of the Speedway lexicon.  Mario won only 1 500, but finished second to Danny Sullivan's "spin and win", and was 2d, then declared winner, then finally returned to 2d in the controversial 1981 finish with Bobby Unser that took nearly a year of legal wrangling to finally decide.

            Emerson Fittipaldi -- 2 time winner, including wheel to wheel duel with Al Unser Sr.  Would have had 3 wins if not for late race crash while leading by nearly a lap.

Row 5:  Jim Clark -- In his short Indy career, 2-time world champion Jim Clark ignited the rear-engine revolution when he finished 2d his rookie run in 1963.  He followed with a win in 1965 and another 2d place in 1966, although car owner Andy Granitelli maintained there was a scoring error and that Clark won that race, too. 

            Ralph DePalma -- Known most for the race he didn't win, the 1912 race where he led 196 laps, before breaking down on lap 198.  DePalma and his mechanic created an Indy legend when they pushed their disabled car down the main straight.  But DePalma did win in 1915, and nearly a century after he raced, he still appears in the Top 10 list for most laps lead in the 500.

            Al Unser, Jr.-- Two time winner, winning the closest race in Indianapolis 500 history over Scott Goodyear, and losing out in a wheel to wheel duel with Emerson Fittipaldi.

Row 6:  Roger Ward -- 2 time winner and a class act.  Always wore white dinner jacket to Awards Banquet, where in 1966 he announced, "I promised myself that when racing wasn't fun anymore, I'd retire.  Yesterday, it wasn't fun."

             Tommy Milton -- First 2-time Indy winner

            Gordon Johncock -- Winner of the rain-delayed crash-marred1973 race that no one wanted to remember, Johncock got his due in 1982 when he won the race no one could forget, out-dueling Rick Mears in perhaps the most exciting final 20 laps ever at the Speedway.

Row 7:  Tom Sneva -- Winner, 3-time second place finisher, and broke the 200 mph barrier

            Parnelli Jones:  In a short Indy career, Jones won in 1963, and broke the 150 mph barrier in 1962.  But he may be best remembered for the one that got away.  In 1967 he drove the unique STP turbine car and dominated the 500, only to stop just 2 laps short when a small part failed, giving A.J. Foyt his 3d 500 win. 

            Ray Harroun     -- He started it all.  One race, one win -- and the invention of the rear view mirror for good measure.    

Row 8:  Arie Luyendyk -- The Flying Dutchman was popular and a 2-time winner

            Jimmy Murphy -- The 1922 winner was an early race superstar who was successful in both the United States and Europe.

            Jim Rathmann -- Finished 2d three times before winning in 1960 in one of the most exciting 2-car races in Speedway history.  Over the last 80 laps of the race, Rathmann and Roger Ward exchanged the lead 14 times, not counting the times they passed and repassed so that the official leader at the end of the lap remained the same. 

Row 9    Bill Holland --  The 1949 winner also finished 2d in 1948 and 1947.  But he was leading in 1947 when confusion in hand signals caused him to ease up and let teammate Maurie Rose pass him.  Otherwise, Holland would have had 2 wins.  

            Mark Donohue -- The 1972 winner started Roger Penske's success at the Speedway

             Jimmy Bryan  -- Cigar in mouth, the 1958 winner was a larger-than-life legend      

Row 10: Sam Hanks -- 1957 winner (driving the car Bryan would drive in 1958) won then promply retired in Victory Lane, the only driver ever to do so.

             Jules Goux -- Drank 6 pints of wine during the course of the race and won by the widest margin ever, over 13 minutes -- REALLY

            Michael Andretti  -- Inherited family's bad luck.  In Indy's top 10 list for laps competed, laps lead, and prize money -- the only non-winner on any of those lists

Row 11:   Billy Arnold -- Arnold's 1930 win was the most dominent performance in 500 history, leading 198 laps.

            Rex Mays -- Never a win, but 4 poles (a record until Mears), and led 9 races at a time when cars did not bunch up under the yellow.  Deprived of 4 years during the peak of his racing career while the track was closed for WWII, Mays was among the best of his time.

            Ted Horn -- Most consistent driver ever at the Speedway.  After his rookie year, Horn competed in 9 500s, and never finished lower than 4th.  He too was deprived of four prime racing years during WWII.

            

            

Indy 500 Centennial: Most Spectacular Walk-Away Crashes

1.  Tom Sneva 1975:  Always fast. Always spectacular.  Tom Sneva won the 500 in 1983, broke the 200 mph barrier in 1977, and finished 2d three times, but his introduction to many racing fans came when he touched wheels with Eldon Rasmuessen in Turn 2 and went flipping airborne directly at the then-new corporate suites. For the ABC broadcast video, CLICK HERE.

2.  Patrick Bedard -- 1984.  Bedard was a sportswriter who tried racing.  Many thought he should stick to his typewriter, and eventually he concurred.  But not until after one of the most spectacular crashes ever at the Indianapolis 500.  Coming out of turn 3, he spun into the infield, became airborne, and flipped repeatedly with his car dissentigrating around him.  In the end, only the driving compartment and Bedard were left in tact.  He walked away from the wreck and his on-track career.

3.  Mario Andretti in Practice -- 2003:  Thirty-four years later, Andretti came out of retirement, planning to qualify a car for his son, Michael.  But in practice, a car hit the wall in front of Andretti, and he ran over debris.  His car became airborne at 220 mph, doing two complete end-over-end flips before landing on all four wheels.  It was the most spectacular ride of Andretti's long career, and his last in competition.  For the video,CLICK HERE.

4.  Salt Walther - 1973.  As the green fllag flew, mayhem broke out in the front straight.  Salt Walther's car few into the fence, then went upside down, pinwheeling down the main straight with his feet hanging from the front of the car.  Walther sustained burns on his hands, but was otherwise okay, and returned to race as one of the most popular drivers at Indy.  For the ABC broadcast video, CLICK HERE

5.  Wilbur Shaw - 1936  Shaw was an Indy racing star in the 1930s and 40s.  Before he became a 3-time winner, he flipped over the wall while running near the front of the pack.  Unhurt, he got back in his teammates car and got back in the race.  In his memoirs, Shaw wrote that one of his competitors saw his flip, then later in the race thought he was seeing a ghost when Shaw passed him in his teammate's nearly identical car.

 

Indy Centennial: My 5 Best Days at the Track

Everyone has their own stories from the Speedway.  I attended my first race in 1968, and have been at the track in many capacities since then -- reporter, photographer, lawyer, and of course spectator.  Here are my 5 most memorable days in the more than 41 years since I first walked into IMS.

1.  1977 --  Mother, A.J. and Tony.    I was living about 8 blocks from the Speedway, just finishing my first year of law school.  My mother, who was then 70 years old, had never seen the race.   My ex-wife and I invited her for the entire weekend -- the parade, making home-made ice cream with friends, and the race.  A.J. Foyt won his fourth 500, and Tony Hulman took a victory lap with A.J. in the pace car.  Hulman would be dead before the next race, and A.J. would never win again.  Within three years, my mother was suffering the early signs of Alzheimer's and would not attend any more races.  But for that one marvelous Memorial Day weekend, we didn't think about such things yet to come. 

2.  1968 -- the first race.  I had grown up listening to the 500 every Memorial Day.  But actually going to the race seemed something beyond my reach.  But in 1968, my high school band was invited to perform at the 500 Festival Parade, and then march around the track race day morning.  Our reward -- infield tickets!   We left the school at 3 a.m. riding through pouring rain.  But the rain stopped by the time we arrived.  After marching around the 2 1/2 mile track, we changed out of our uniforms.  The infield was packed, but a couple of friends and I snaked our way to a small spot not far from the fence.  It wasn't a great view, but it was all I needed.  The turbines broke down, Bobby Unser won, and I was hooked on attending the Indianapolis 500.

3.  1981 -- On the pit wall.  After graduating law school in 1980, I joined Ice Miller, which represents the Speedway.  Litigation associates worked shifts at the track, and in 1981 I worked the first of 10 straight race days at the Speedway.  A great benefit at that time was that we received pit passes.  I finished my shift just before the race, and watched the start from the pit wall, then watched much of the race from the 1st turn photographers' fence.    Bobby Unser, driving for Penske, dominated the race.  But on a restart, Mario Andretti got the jump and passed Unser, the only time he was passed on the track the entire day.  Standing at the pit wall, I took a photo (see above) which still hangs in my office.  I finished the day standing 10 feet from Bobby Unser as he got ready to take a victory lap in the pace car.

4.  1975 -- Working journalist -- A year out of college, I was working for a small newspaper chain.  On the first weekend of practice in 1975, I went to the Speedway as a working journalist.  I still remember the excitement of the first time walking past the guard and in to the garages at the Speedway.  Spike Gelhausen gave me an interview, but  Johnny Rutherford brushed me off by agreeing to meet, then not showing.  But the head tech guy with Penske graciously spent 15 minutes going over the cockpit of an Indy car.  My article ran in all the chain's newspapers, and I won a sportswriting award for the article.  Race day was equally memorable.  With about 100 miles to go, the sky turned gray, then black, then green, then cut loose with a vengeance.  It rained so hard that the track became an instant lake.  Cars slowed to 10 mph, and still were hydroplaning out of control.  Everyone looked to the sky expecting a tornado, but no twister.  It was one of the wildest, and certainly the wettest finish in Indy 500 history.   

2006  -- Sharing the race.    In 2006 I took my son, oldest daughter and her fiance to the race.  It was a perfect, if hot day.  We went to the track mid-morning (using my secret route, and getting dropped off only two blocks from the gate).  We spent the pre-race time sitting under a tree at the edge of the golf course, talking, listening to the radio, people watching and just relaxing.   We were rewarded with an exciting race, with Sam Hornish passing Marco Andretti at the finish line. All-in-all, it was a near perfect day.

Indy Centennial Era: Great Non-Winning Performances

Some of the most amazing performances in the Indy 500 did not end in Victory Lane.  Here are five of great drives that finished just short of winning.

1.  Last row charge of 1980.  In the office pool, when you draw a last row starter, usually your best hope is that the car will be first out and you'll get your money back.  But not so in 1980.  The last row consisted of veteran journeyman Tom Bigelow, Gary Bettenhausen of the legendary bad luck racing family, and Tom Sneva, the man who broke the 200 mph barrier at the Speedway.  Sneva charged toward the front, leading 16 laps and finishing 2d to Johnny Rutherford in his Chapparal known as the Yellow Submarine.  Bettenhausen, driving an older car on a shoe-string budget for Winchester businessman Sheldon Armstrong, steadily passed cars all day.  On the final straightaway, he held off former winner Gordon Johncock for third place.  Bigelow drove steadily all day, finishing 8th, his second best finish in 9 races.  Final score:  Bigelow - 31st to 8th;  Bettenhausen -- 32nd to 3rd;  Sneva -- 33nd to 2nd.

2.  Marco Andretti's rookie run.  Carrying the burden of his name and it's associated bad luck, 19-year-old Marco Andretti drove with the leaders the entire 2006 race.  When the last green flag came out on lap 194, Marco passed his dad, Michael, for the lead.  Sam Hornish charged, but when he tried a pass in turn 3 on lap 199, Marco cut off Hornish, requiring Hornish to back off and allowing Marco to open what looked like an insurmountable lead.  But coming off turn 4 of the last lap, Hornish made a frantic charge, passing Marco in the last 100 yards.  Still, it was an amazing run for a 19-year-old rookie.

3.  Danica-mania.  Danica Patrick arrived at the track for her rookie season with centerfold good looks, tremendous talent, and hype beyond anything the Speedway had previously seen.  But her race nearly matched the hype.   With some help from owner Bobby Rahal's strategy, Danica found herself in the lead in the late stages of the race, the crowd roaring the loudest anyone at the Speedway had ever heard.   Ultimate race winner Dan Weldon passed her on lap 191 as Danica conserved fuel, eventually finishing 4th.  But perhaps never had a rookie driver faced such publicity and pressure.

4.  Kevin Cogan's redemption.   In 1982, Kevin Cogan was Roger Penske's newest driver, starting the 1982 race from the middle of the front row.  As the field headed for the green flag, Cogan's car suddenly veered right, hitting A.J. Foyt, then bounced back and collided with Mario Andretti, who was starting on the inside of the second row.   While the accident may have been due to a mechanical problem, Cogan was blamed for wrecking before the race even started, and taking out two Indy legends, Foyt and Andretti.  By year's end, he was fired by Penske and relegated to racing infamy.  But in 1986, Cogan was driving for Pat Patrick and started sixth.  Cogan drove a spectacular race, passing cars in places no one else would try.  Victory appeared to be within Cogan's reach when a late-race caution bunched the field.  On the restart, Bobby Rahal got the jump on Cogan and held on to win.  But Cogan's outstanding run reclaimed some of his reputation.

5.  Jim Clark's spin and spin again.  The 1966 race started with a wild multi-car crash on the front stretch, and a series of leading drivers breaking down as the race progressed.  Defending champion Jim Clark had a day that was adventurous as any at the Speedway.  Not once, but twice, Clark did full 360 degree spins, but through a little luck and some remarkable skill, Clark kept the STP Lotus off the wall.  Graham Hill was declared the winner, but Clark's car owner Andy Granitelli always maintained there was a scoring error and that Clark, despite 2 spins, had actually won the race.

100th Anniversary: Who Were the Best Indy Drivers Never to Win

Tony Kanaan recently said that you win the 500 when the track let's you win.  There is more than a little truth to his statement.  If in 1961 Eddie Sachs car could have gotten by for two more laps on his tires, and if Parnelli Jones turbine car had not broken down with a little more than two laps, A.J. Foyt might only have been a two-time winner.  If Danny Sullivan had been a little less lucky and made contact with the wall when he spun in the 1985 race, he would have not been a 500 Winner, and Mairo Andretti would have won twice. 

So who are the best Indy drivers who were deprived of the sip of milk in Victory Lane?  Here's my list:

1.  Michael Andretti:  Michael inherited his father's incredible racing skill, but also his racing luck.  He is on the top 10 list at the 500 for laps lead, miles competed and prize money won -- and he is the sole member on each of those lists who has not won at least one Indianapolis 500.  In 1992, he so dominated the race that he lead 160 of the first 189 laps, and had victory nearly in sight, when his car lost fuel pressure. Even as an owner, his luck isn't much better.  Son Marco led the 2006 race coming out of turn 4, only to be passed by Sam Hornish in the last 100 yards, the latest pass for the lead in the history of the 500.

2.  Rex Mays:   Despite being robbed of four of the prime years of his career when the 500 was suspended during World War II, Mays took the pole position four times in just 12 races.  In an era when cars did not make up distance by bunching up under the yellow flag, he led nine of his 12 starts.  He twice finished second to three-time winner Wilbur Shaw.

3.  Lloyd Ruby.  Never has a man talked soooooo slowwwww, driven so fast.  The plain spoken racer from Witchita Falls, TX was the epitome of bad luck at the 500 during the mid and late 1960s.  In 1966 he held a 50 second lead with only 53 laps to go, when he was black flagged due to an oil leak and forced to give up the lead.  In 1969, near the halfway point, he seemed to have the car to beat.  Eventual race leader Mario Andretti was nursing an overheating car.  But as Ruby tried to leave the pits, the fuel hose was still connected and ripped a hole in the side of his car, ending another chance at Victory Lane.

4.  Ted Horn:  Not remembered as often as he should be, Horn had the most remarkable finishing record ever at the 500.  In 10 races, he only once finished outside the top 4, and that was his rookie year in 1935.  No one has come close to his streak of nine straight top 4 finishes.  He also took the pole position one year.  Like Rex Mays, he was denied four 500s during the peak of his racing career due to World War II.

5.  Tony Kanaan (at least not yet):   In seven races, Kanaan has never started outside the first two rows, and has led every 500 in which he has raced.  His best finish was second in 2004 when Buddy Rice won the rain-shortened race.  Rain may have also cost Kanaan his best chance at winning in 2007, as rain caught him behind several drivers who had not yet pitted, including winner and teammate Dario Franchiti.  But nearly every racing expert expects Kanaan to eventually claim one -- or more -- wins at the Brickyard -- just like they expected it of Michael Andretti, for whom Kanaan drives

Indy 500 Centennial -- Best finishes EVER

1.  1982:  Gordon Johncock and Rick Mears - This was the finish that made the modern era at Indianapolis, a wheel-to-wheel duel played out before a live television audience.  As the race neared it conclusion, lap after lap Mears gained on Johncock's leading STP car.  As they came down the main straight for the white flag, Mears closed right behind Johncock, then made his move to the inside.  With all his experience and nerve, Johncock went low to cut off Mears, then hung on to win the the most exciting finish ever.
2.  1912:  Ralph DePalma pushes his car across the finish line -- This was the first of the great legends at Indy.  The popular DePalma dominated the second 500, leading 196 laps.  As the race neared it's conclusion, he led by several laps. But exiting turn 4 on lap 198, with the white flag in sight, DePalma's car quit.  But not DePalma.  He got out an pushed his car the length of the front straight to the finish line -- but he was only finishing lap 199.  Indianapolis' own Joe Dawson went on to win the second 500.  Still, the determination and showmanship of DePalma pushing his car set the stage for every 500 to come.
3.  2006:   Hornish and Marco.  Could a true rookie, 19-year-old Marco Andretti, sweep away all of the bad luck that had plagued his father and grandfather, and bring home an Indy win in his first race?  Until the last straight, that's what seemed was destined at the 2006 Indianapois 500.  Andretti was leading the last few laps, but Sam Hornish, driving for Penske, was charging.  Then on turn 3 of lap 199, Hornish tried to make a pass, but Marco slammed the door and Hornish had to back off.  Marco opened a substantial lead, and appeared to have the race won.   Even going into the last turn, Marco seemed to have an insurmountable lead.  But apparently Marco had to ease off to keep his car off the wall, while Hornish kept coming.  With incredible momentum coming out of turn 4, Hornish made a daring pass just before the finish line to win.
4.  1989:  Fittipaldi and Al Unser Jr,. Much of the 1989 race was not memorable.  Fittipaldi and Unser were dominant, and as the race entered its final stages, no one else was within 5 laps.  But two of the most talented and big-named drivers in racing went wheel to wheel, neither giving an inch.   Unser had taken the lead, but on lap 198, the two were side by side.   Just as they exited turn three, their wheels touched.  Unser went careening into the wall while Fittipaldi's car went sideways.  Emmo was able to hold on.  The next time by, Unser stepped on to the track to give Fittipaldi a salute.  Even though the race ended under the yellow, this battle of drivers at the top of their game remains one of Indy's best finishes.
5.  1992   Al Unser Jr and Scott Goodyear.   One of the coldest 500s in history was marred by a series of serious crashes due to cold tires. The race was dominated by Michael Andretti, who lead 160 of the first 189 laps, until a fuel pump failed.  When the final green flag came out, Unser, Jr. and Scott Goodyear battled, with Unser holding the lead but unable to shake Goodyear.  Coming out of the final turn, Goodyear drafted close behind Unser, then nearing the finish line, swung to the inside for a pass. He pulled his nose along side Unser's car, but Unser held on to win by about 1/2 car length, or .043 seconds, the closest finish in Indianapolis 500 history.

The 500 Century -- The 2-year celebration begins

This weekend the Indianapolis Motor Speedway kicks off it's 2-year celebration of the Speedway's Centennial.  The celebration starts with a hot air balloon race this Sunday -- a commemoration of the first event ever held at the track.

Let's hope it goes better than the 50th Anniversary balloon race, held in 1961.  That year in high winds a balloon got away from one the balloonists and began dragging across the fourth turn infield.  It smashed into and over the women's restroom, which at that time was simply a privy.  The outhouse turned over -- with an occupant inside.

To this day, if you look at the women's restroom in the fourth turn (no long a privy), you will see a hot air balloon painted on the side.