Being a fan of motor sports

It is very hard at time to be a fan of motor sports. This is not as simple as being a fan of football, baseball,tennis, or even golf. The expression of the pain of loosing your favorite driver in an accident on the race track can be a very major experience for anyone to handle at anytime in one's life. Yes you can experience a football, basketball, or baseball player getting injured. Those injuries can be very traumatic for the fan and that player family as well. Racing is another world. Yes the pain that you can have by being a fan in motor sports can be glorious at one race then a driver that can have major implication in the next race. Driver can most certainly loose their life and family members very much so can feel the pain of loss of a family member. Mothers , fathers, wives, and children of these drivers as their love ones get strapped into a race car right before the race. Through the yester years of racing when even safety was no where as if it is today. The crews and team mates of a driver focusing on the safety needs of a driver. Racing leagues setting the safety rules so a driver can be safe in today's racing. Look can you believe in Indianapolis Indiana one mans (Carl Fisher) vision to convince three other business men that building a race track west of downtown Indianapolis so far away from everyone would be a great business venture. The though that Carl Fisher idea would be so powerful today, because of the drive of Tony Hulman at the time of the first Indy 500 Mr. Tony Hulman was ten years old in 1911. When Tony purchased the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1945. Then did get the race track ready for the 1946 race and speared no expenses. The fans compassion of this sport over the years are still very strong. Look no matter how we all look at the 500 mile race this next year and the power of the fact is 1911-2011. Look would anyone pay attention to Indianapolis motor sports power at all if it was not for Carl Fisher or Tony Hulman vision in their own time of destiny for us all to enjoy now. The drive of these men to achieve safety and increase speed in the distance of 500 miles in the month of May every year since 1911. Yes we have missed a few years because of certain wars and respect for our country but look 1911 to 2011 that is my sport and that is racing.
By: Jim Gandolf 2010

"500 Miles The Book" is off to the editors !

This is a wonderful tribute to the heroes of my childhood and adult life to this point, as well as many other men and women in the world. The race car drivers of the Indianapolis 500 to this day, drive my heart and the hearts of many others throughout the world of motor sports. There have been so many race car drivers that have lost their lives at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It is always such a tragedy, but in a way they have helped pave the way for our safety. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is about ten minutes west of downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. So many people have heard about the race activities in the month of May that the press and media from all over the world bombard the city during the races. The entire world wants to see their favorite driver or team hit the track. In May the preparation for the Indy 500 creates the greatest set of events. It starts with practicing to qualify for the race, then the art of practicing for the actual race, then carburetion day where all the teams can get themselves set for pit stops and any minor adjustments before race day. In this process there have been many actual race drivers who have lost their wonderful lives.
This book is a fictional story of some very powerful experiences on the Westside of Indianapolis,Indiana that has a five hundred mile race once a year since 1911. This book was written by Jim Gandolf.

IndyCar from another time.

I often wonder why certain people that have never attended this 500 mile race. This race has grab my attention since a very early age. I was sitting on my Grandfathers lap and how I must of been just around 5 years old or so. Grandfather told me how he and Grandmother went to the 1925;500 mile race. Grandfather was in a suit and Grandmother was in her Sunday best. Then he told me how the stood on top of the car behind the pits to watch the race. Yes standing right on top of the car in the heat in a suit and Grandmother in a dress. I love the romance between to people and knowing my Grandmother very well. She could of only went to that race because of the love she had for Grandfather that day. Epically in a dress standing on top of the family car in some sort of heels that grandfather probable freaking out that her shoes might scratch the car. Now these two only lived on 21st and Sharron by Kessler Blvd. Knowing Grandfather he was real nervous until about ten laps set in the race to get Grandmother off the top of the car. I think Grandfather told me he just bought the dag-gone new car and there was Grandmother standing right on the top of the car for the start of the race.
I know the 500 mile race meant so much to certain people in the 1920's era and to a certain person around 1927. Eddie Rickenbacker the poor kid from Columbus who first raced in the 1912 500 mile race and was a WW1 hero; then founded Eastern Airlines became the second Indy 500 owner. The love that Eddie did have at the time for the race track.

Jim Gandolf