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The iconic Marmon Wasp, the 1911 Indianapolis 500 winner
being driven around
track by Parnelli Jones during Pre-race festivities. a century later. (The Tomaso
Collection)
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In what's become a yearly tradition for Mwah, my
mostest Host Carpets' once again took me to Thy glorious IMS Hall of Fame
museum on Monday, the day after the B-I-G' race, ergo thou Magnanimous 100th
running; which has become our ritual to wind-down the Indy 500 weekend. Having
chronicled 2015's visit previously.
HOLY OVERFLOW CROWD BATMAN!
Once again, Dave, as Dave was definitely Thar',
in deference to that 'Ol Cheech 'N Chong routine; Hooah! To once again take me
to the Speedway's wondrous 'lil racecar museo', personally escort Mwah and give
a very enjoyable running dialogue of what I was looking at.
VIDEO: Dave's Not Here!
Stepping inside the museum's front doors Dave
noted how both sides of the Gift Shop were crammed Wall-to-Wall with frenzied
shoppers! ARSE-Sumedly busy snatchin' up 100th running commemorative items.
And once again the friendly lady at the desk
cheerfully told me my admission was FREE - due to being blind. But even better
yet, without any prompting and totally by her own volition. She politely
inquired if I'd like to touch & feel some of the museum's racing cars? Uh
Duh Lady!
Thus we casually hung out awaiting a museum
employee's presence, who'd be our personal guide - for which I've always wanted
to do, but has never seemed to quite work out before.
A nice man named Bernie arrived shortly
after, and NO! Even though I mused to Thyself how I could easily remember his
name by just thinking of good 'Ol Smarmy Uncle Bernaughty! Aka Mr. Bernard
Charles Ecclestone, Me Thinks he was busy wining & dining a much more
affluent sector 'O society in Thy Principality instead; but I digress...
Bernie apologetically told us that there
would only be three cars available today, as the fourth, which would have been
ultra Cool! As I still imagine feeling
the Ghosts of Ray Harroun, Parnelli Jones
and B-I-G' AL (Unser_ along with all of the others having the pleasure of
spinning its wheels over the century wasn't available Monday since it was off
to New York along with some 'Ol Mug for the Today Show!
Yep, I'm talking about the inaugural winning
1911 International Sweepstakes racecar, the Marmon Wasp, which usually holds
station upon a pedestal at the entrance of the Hall of Fame museum.
Whilst thee Mug in Questione would naturally
be the Borg Warner trophy! Which funny enough was pushed past us later during
our museo' visit by two men on presumably a custom made dolly, as believe it was
'Ol Curty' Cavin, then still working for the Indianapolis Star... Having previously
noted it now weighs some 150lbs due to all of the additions made over the
years.
As Y'all know,
shockingly, Curt Cavin left the Indianapolis Star to become Indy Cars VP of
Communications last October, and has subsequently been replaced by Jim
Ayello...
Even funnier yet were some other museo
patrons proclaiming to us there's nothing like the Stanley Cup! For which they
seemed genuine 'bout, apparently being Hockey fans, Eh!
Funny how the
Stanley Cup finals seems to clash; Err crash into the Boards whilst Thar'
trying to hold some 'lil 'Ol 500-miler motor race, Eh?
Yet low and behold, I did get to put my
mitts, albeit very lightly please... Upon three racing cars in the Museo's vast
collection.
While I also got to touch a variety of
"Flinstone" rubber, aka Firestone tyres from the different racing
eras - beginning with the skinny rubber used Wayback in the 1910's thru today's
modern compounds.
Having evolved from groove treded hard rubber
complete with wear tab indicators to today's de riggour slicks, which (Ed
Carpenter) FAST EDDIE' & Co. had just put thru their respective paces recently
alongside the museum.
To
continue reading, and find out which three of the Museum's vintage racecars
your Blind Word Butcher got to put his Mitts upon, see; R100: Touching Three Awesome Racecars!