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How did you become a fan of open wheel racing?

I am sure we all have some stories about how we came to like and follow open wheel racing. If you have a moment...share it.

My fascination with open wheel racing started when I was about 6. My mom got to know Emerson Fittipaldi and through him we got tickets to attend the PPG IndyCar Series event at Road America. From that weekend on, I was hooked. My parents took me back to Road America every year for the IndyCar / CART / Champ Car race till I was old enough to go on my own. Then I started going to other venues as well and now 24 years later I am an avid fan who try's to take in at least 2 or 3 IRL races each year.

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Permalink Reply by xorpheous on February 24, 2008 at 3:18pm

Born in Indiana and spent summers there with family, so the Indy500 was a big part of my childhood. I was exposed to it from birth, but absolutely hooked when my grandfolks took me to the Speedway in 1977 after AJ won his fourth. We did the museum stuff and took the bus trip around the track. All very cool! It took me a while to make it back to the track, but I got to go to the 1993 time trials with pit and garage passes, and got to see Nigel Mansell, and Mario waved at me. :D It then took me several more years to make it back, but since May of 2000, I've been sitting in Stand J, Section 3, Row S, Seat 14, and I'll be back there again this year. Look for the short fat man holding the Guinness standing next to the tall skinny guy with a beard, also holding a Guinness, and that will be me. :)

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Permalink Reply by Cox0926 on March 16, 2008 at 9:30am

Went to first Indy in 1971, at age 9. Had been begging my dad to let me go for at least a couple years before that. When my dad and grandfather (and others) went to the race, I would listen on the radio with my grandmother. I wish I could remember the first races my dad and grandfather went to. But I believe our family has been going since the 40's.
Anyway, I've been to every Indy 500 since '71 and wouldn't miss it for the world. I now also go to Ky race since it started and have been to the last two Chicago races. I try to watch every race on TV. I enjoy all types of racing, but Indycar is definitely my favorite!

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Permalink Reply by Leise on March 19, 2008 at 6:10pm

Born and raised in Indianapolis, IN and so it goes w/o saying the open wheel rasing is the best!

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Permalink Reply by Gary on March 20, 2008 at 2:22pm

I helped my neighbor with his supemodified in the late 50's. I was a teenager 15years old . A super modified is similar to a sprint car. The car was raced mainly at the Olympic Stadium ( closed in the 70's)in Kansas City.

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Permalink Reply by 1972IndyCar on May 29, 2008 at 9:00pm

In 1967 my Grandparents moved to Indianapolis – my GF was hired as the Head Project Engineer for The New US Post Office Hub/Building located next to the new Stadium. It so happened that one of their neigbor was Bud Kerr - a successful Insurance and Real Estate Broker who also was the head time keeper for USAC at IMS. His daughter Missy Graham was the first women time keeper or race official of any kind at IMS. My GM (Kathryn Cooney) became close friends with Buds wife “Reggie” Kerr and with that the Speedway became a part of my childhood. Every summer when we’d come out on Vacation from Philadelphia we’d always spend a few days at the Speedway – visiting the Museum, watching practice etc. My Grandmother would never turn us down when we’d ask her to take us. She also made sure that each year me and/or one of my three Brothers and Sister had the opportunity to attended the 500. My year was 1972 – I was a Freshmen in High School - Mark Donohue won Penske his first Indy 500. After that race my GP’s took me to Missy Graham's house for a barbecue/party and many of the Drivers with their families came by. It was very cool. We all became big fans. One year my Dad attended a party at the Kerr's and met Dick King and Frankie Delroy (from Philly). For the inagural race at the new Pocono Speedway Dick King got us pit passes for the Schaefer 500 time trials and race. By 1973 my GP's moved back to the Philly area. In the following years Bud Kerr had retired from USAC duties due to failing health and we lost touch of our Indy connections. With HS, College, Career and Family I drifted away from being a week to week fan but I always loved it and usually checked in with the Indy 500 each year. In the 80's I even attended the Long Beach Grand Prix a few times when I lived in the LA area. But with the CART/IRL split I drifted away further and during the years after the split I may have watched the 500 a few times.

Until on a rainy New Jersey Memorial Day weekend in 2005 - I stayed home to watch the "Danica 500" – it brought back a flood of memories. Since then I am once again be a week to week (now day to day) fan.

It was only just after Thanksgiving this year that “Grandmommy” past away. During one of my last conversations with her I mentioned I had purchased tickets to return to Indy with my wife and son. She seemed very pleased, and talked about how much she missed “Reggie” Kerr and enjoyed taking us kids out to the Speedway.

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Permalink Reply by Wayne's IndyPage on May 30, 2008 at 11:06am

I'd have to say mine started around age 5. My parents moved to Speedway and my dad started taking the family to Indy every year. I was just in awe of what I saw and the track and must say, I still am today, more than 30 years later. While I was younger my parents worked on the sponsorship side of the Jerry Sneva, Huggers Special, for those who don't remember, Huggers are what they originally called a "can coolie". I'm sure there are some of you who might remember Jerry Sneva and the Huggers Special. I remember hanging out with the team during those times, it was cool for a young kid. While in my 20's I got work on the Craftsman Pit Crew for a Pit Crew demenstration for fans and I worked at a karting center for a bit and lots of open-wheel drivers came in and out all the time and getting to race with them was cool. In my current job, I'm lucky enough to visit IMS once in awhile for my job and getting to be on the grounds and see things alot of the general public don't get to is cool. Like I said earlier, and every time I go to IMS, I'm in awe of the place and the open-wheelers who have come and gone, and the present crop of drivers.