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For all its triumph and tradition, the Indianapolis 500 has provided its share of tragedy by breaking hearts, dreams and even bones.
But in 1996 the Greatest Spectacle in Racing provided some healing.
Just two months after losing his father to leukemia and after his driver “shattered his back like an egg” with 16 fractures, Dayton car owner Ron Hemelgarn won the 80th Indianapolis 500. The victory completed a journey he started in 1964 when as a 17-year-old he hitchhiked his way from Dayton to Indianapolis for his first 500, and stood on a 55-gallon drum to watch in Turn 4.
“In the back of my mind I wanted to be part of that race,” Hemelgarn said. “After being part of it I got the bright idea we’re gonna win the Indy 500. If I knew it was going to take as long as it did maybe I wouldn’t have done it. But I guess being a bull-headed German I didn’t think no I can’t.”
Hemelgarn hasn’t been the only Miami Valley resident alone in that thinking. No less than a dozen car owners with Miami Valley connections have taken a shot at the Indy 500, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year and the 95th race overall (races were canceled in 1917-18 and 1942-45).
Among the others testing their luck were:
• Gary Gregg, a Camden businessman who owned the chassis that Mark Dinsmore put in the 1997 500.
• Dale Pelfrey, who fielded cars from 1998-2000 and logged a pair of top-10 finishes with John Paul Jr. (’98) and Robby Unser (’99).
• Alden Sampson III, who hopped on a train in Massachusetts and hopped off in Tipp City, eventually hooking up with Louie Meyer and owning the car that won the 1928 race.
• George Walther, a car owner at Indy from 1955 to 1980 and whose son, David “Salt” Walther, later raced the 500.
• Pete Wales, owner of Ed Elisian’s ride in 1955. An official’s mistake during qualifying led to Elisian being awarded a post-qualifying attempt during the late evening. Crew members held lanterns as Elisian posed for press photos after the successful run, which was dubbed The Midnight Ride of Ed Elisian.
“It’s a very rewarding place and a very frustrating place,” Hemelgarn said. “I always say if you want to participate there you want to check with your financial adviser to make sure you can. And after you’ve been there awhile you want to check with your psychiatrist to find out why? It’s unbelievable. That place talks to you.”
Got milk?
A year after experiencing one of his worst moments as a car owner — driver Stan Fox was nearly killed in a horrific accident on the first lap of the 1995 Indy 500 — came Hemelgarn’s best. Buddy Lazier sped past Davy Jones on the inside to take the lead with eight laps to go in the 1996 race.
A caution with four to go tightened the field, but Lazier — driving in a seat specially designed to cradle his broken back — never wavered to take the checkered flag.
And likewise, Hemelgarn never wavered in his support of Lazier despite numerous calls from drivers asking about piloting the No. 91.
“We knew we had a car that could win the Indy 500 so I stayed loyal to Buddy,” Hemelgarn said.
“Each lap you’re just holding your breath. We’re running extremely high speeds at 234 mph and you’re just holding your breath hoping nothing happens.”
The celebration in Victory Lane included Fox, and some extra jugs of milk. After 19 years of trying, a sip just wasn’t going to do.
“They had to bring extra jugs. They brought one and we drank that so they brought another one,” Hemelgarn said, laughing. “Probably the best milk I ever tasted.”
Life in the fast lane
Hemelgarn hopes to be back in the Indy 500 for the 100th anniversary working with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and driver Paul Tracy, the driver Hemelgarn gave his first ride in the Indy Lights in 1988.
With rain hampering practice this month and leaving little time to work on setups, Hemelgarn isn’t sure what to expect from today’s Bump Day that finalizes the field of 33.
“A lot of guys are going to go home that didn’t anticipate going home,” Hemelgarn said. “It’s going to be a very, very interesting weekend.”
Hemelgarn is also heavily involved in USAC Silver Crown racing with Dave Steele driving the pavement car and Jeff Swindell piloting on dirt. He’s also working with up-and-coming Ty Dillon — the grandson of NASCAR Sprint Cup team owner Richard Childress — in the ARCA Series.
Indy 500 or bust
No matter what Hemelgarn accomplishes in his other racing endeavours, the Indianapolis 500 will always be the one that gets him revved up — especially after the emotional roller coaster in 1996.
“To go from the lowest lows you could imagine — losing your father and Buddy crashing and breaking his back — to finally win the Indy 500 ... there’s no way to describe it,” Hemelgarn said. “It’s probably one of the most rewarding and exciting things I’ve done in my life to win the biggest sporting event in the world.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2400, ext. 6991, or gbilling@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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