00:00:00
Speaker 1: Only the best run here of the Indianapolis five hundred liquo do.
00:00:04
Speaker 2: You feel we'll have to beat this year's race?
00:00:06
Speaker 3: People like A. J.
00:00:08
Speaker 2: Foyt and Bobby Ancer.
00:00:10
Speaker 3: Press and far Fla absolutely and incredible.
00:00:13
Speaker 4: Anny Sullivan's fun in front of Mario and Freddie a jun He has five.
00:00:20
Speaker 5: Hundred Beyond the Bricks with Jake Querry and Mike Thompson brought to you by Quality Supply and Tool Think outside the box Store on ninety three five and one o seven five.
00:00:34
Speaker 3: Fans outside the box store and inside the Hinsley Legal Group Command Center. It happens higher Hinsley is where you find Landon Kuns, Mike Thompson and myself Jake Querry on this Finally, at last, even though it is not our first episode of this particular season, it is the first on the first day of May. The greatest month is here in Indianapolis. And that means and this is what is oh so exciting about it. When you think about Beyond the Bricks and you think about the shows that we talk about with the history, the names, the faces, the personalities, the stories that make the Indianapolis five hundred mile Race what it is. We all sit now in anticipation that perhaps this year there will be another story that we will add to the long archive of great events to have taken place at sixteenth and Georgetown. And of course, over the course of the years, those stories that took place, those personalities that were illuminated to all of us, came way more often than not than through the voice of Sid Collins and Mike. Tonight a night when we take a look back at Sid Collins and celebrating him, but also doing so with kind of a different angle and a different lens than we've done in the past.
00:01:46
Speaker 6: Yeah, a lot of times when we honor Sid, we play his great calls and stuff from the radio broadcast directly. But tonight I thought we'd do it a little differently in place of interviews and clips that folks may not have heard of. Now there'll be a couple beyond the Bridge classics here tonight, but for the most part, this is all going to be fresh stuff that people haven't heard of Sid.
00:02:06
Speaker 3: So it's gonna be a lot of fun. Like, for example, our first clip, let's go back to nineteen fifty nine when Sid was with Paul Russo and was doing an interview that turned into subject matters that you wouldn't necessarily think too in racing, would be talking about like, for example, the boxer Jack Dempsey or stomach aches.
00:02:27
Speaker 7: First of all, Paul, congratulations of course to you for making your fourteenth race.
00:02:31
Speaker 2: Thank you, Sid.
00:02:32
Speaker 8: And it was real hard to make a decision to lead the Nova supercharged engines here at this year. I think that's one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. But we were into a trouble problem that I guess we just couldn't conker and I talked to Gene Marsnack.
00:02:51
Speaker 2: And he isself very very bad.
00:02:54
Speaker 7: Well, how fast was a no by going, Paul when you got out of it?
00:02:57
Speaker 2: One thirty one thirty eight nine.
00:03:00
Speaker 7: Well, it being the most powerful engine here at the speedway, how can you figure.
00:03:04
Speaker 9: That it hasn't gotten enough to speed this year?
00:03:07
Speaker 2: A great driver like.
00:03:08
Speaker 8: Yourself, Oh, I guess it would take a fellow. If you took Jack Dempsey and he had a stomach ache. We at one time figured him one of the toughest contenders in a boxing match, and he had a baliach. Would be pretty hard for him to get in there and fight fifteen rounds in the championship fight. That's why we have with the engines, and we have got a lot of power out of them, but it's got a belly ache and we couldn't just get it fixed.
00:03:31
Speaker 2: Well.
00:03:31
Speaker 7: Geene Marsinak is a true veteran too, which made you a great team. He's been here since the nineteen twenties and in racing, hasn't he Yes.
00:03:38
Speaker 2: Yeah, in fact this thirty ninth year here.
00:03:42
Speaker 8: He come over with a French team years ago and went back home and come back again and want to work for the Palmer and stayed in this country ever since. And two years ago when we went to Italy and we stopped in Paris, that was the first time he'd been in Paris.
00:04:00
Speaker 2: In twenty five years.
00:04:01
Speaker 8: And then he visited with his family after the Mansa race and he sure enjoyed himself and he was one happy fellow.
00:04:08
Speaker 2: When he got to Paris. It was nice to get home, I guess.
00:04:11
Speaker 7: But Paul Russell, you gave us great thrills here in the Nova cars over the years.
00:04:15
Speaker 9: As to other great Novae drivers.
00:04:17
Speaker 7: Duke Nalen, Ralph Heppern, Chet Miller and the whole gang. It is definitely the fastest car at the speedway on the straightaway, isn't it.
00:04:23
Speaker 8: I'll guarantee you that's one automobile to give you the biggest thrill of your life, of any race driver's life going down a straightaway's here at the Annapolis Speedway.
00:04:32
Speaker 7: Well, now, Paul, you held an official track record here a couple of years ago, in nineteen fifty six, had one hundred and forty six point six miles.
00:04:38
Speaker 10: Per hour in the Nova, and this year is down to one hundred.
00:04:42
Speaker 9: And thirty bracket and you couldn't even qualify it for the race. What happened over the winner?
00:04:46
Speaker 7: Let's leave the stomach ache out of it now, because it couldn't have been suffered all winter long.
00:04:50
Speaker 8: There hadn't been too much change in the engine. I want to fuel injection, and this engine here, I've checked it out at all speeds for gene. I had all kinds of gauges on and up to four thousand and five thousand engines is good. But our top r FM is seventy five hundred, and it seems that when we get above sixty five hundred that we're starving for fuel and can feed it. And just what the problem is to get it there to get enough of it in there at at that speed.
00:05:24
Speaker 2: We were a little baffled at this.
00:05:26
Speaker 7: A lot of people wondering the Noba, for example, how many miles is the gallon?
00:05:29
Speaker 9: Does that car consume of fuel?
00:05:32
Speaker 8: I have during practice runs and warm ups and those things like that, But during practice runs we generally run about.
00:05:38
Speaker 2: A gallon and lapper gallon every two and a half miles.
00:05:42
Speaker 9: Wow, that's not for the highways.
00:05:44
Speaker 2: I guess it's an alcoholic.
00:05:45
Speaker 9: Yes, that has a summer cage.
00:05:48
Speaker 2: Yeah, maybe you ought to couldn't drink an alcohol? Why, Paul?
00:05:52
Speaker 9: The Novay car has not qualified as yet.
00:05:54
Speaker 7: As we told the fans who are listening to us now, we're talking to you a bit earlier in the afternoon as part of the program one recording, because you'll be out there, I'm sure helping cousin Eddie try to get in the race a bit later on. You think the NOBA will make any attempt today with another driver?
00:06:07
Speaker 8: One thing I can say about it that Jean Marsnack has had very few minutes of sleep since he's been here at the racetrack and we're running and I just come from the garage and he has a car up on Jacks. I took a ride in it, and it feels like something is starting to tighten up in the engine and they are still working on it. They had taken her off the check and to see if they can find any possible little thing that could.
00:06:29
Speaker 9: Cause this, and we hope it will come back today.
00:06:32
Speaker 2: Yes, I do.
00:06:33
Speaker 8: I'd like to see it in the race, even if I can drive it.
00:06:36
Speaker 2: And I'd sure like to see it in the race.
00:06:37
Speaker 9: You're happy to see you and the race. Thank you very much and good luck on Saturday.
00:06:41
Speaker 2: Thank you saying right.
00:06:41
Speaker 9: That was Paul Russo, car.
00:06:43
Speaker 7: Number forty five, forty five year old grandfather.
00:06:45
Speaker 9: From Webster Groves, Missouri. Now I'll stay tuned. The greatest spentacle in racing.
00:06:50
Speaker 3: Paul Russo, by the way, raced in fourteen Indianapolis five hundreds. He had five top ten finishes in his time. He passed away nineteen seventy six and his resting place is at Crownhill Cemetery in Indianapolis. Don't know about stomach aches for Jack Dempsey and how much we can elaborate on that, but Sid Collins in nineteen sixty three was with one of the most interesting driver owner combinations in five hundred history Mickey Thompson and Maston Gregory. This is how it sounded in nineteen sixty three.
00:07:21
Speaker 7: And Mickey Thompson's a man who says he's going to win this race someday, no matter how long it takes.
00:07:25
Speaker 9: Within reason, I trust Mickey.
00:07:28
Speaker 3: Someday.
00:07:28
Speaker 11: We hope to sit it privately two or three years away from now, but we're getting closer all the time.
00:07:32
Speaker 2: Now.
00:07:32
Speaker 7: These cars you have are called the Mickey Thompson Harvey Aluminum Specials and variations of that name. Because there are five cars and their most unusual and radical. I wonder if you described the car as to our audience, wheel size, so on, and the aluminum features thereof, and give us a run on what happened to the five so far this month?
00:07:49
Speaker 11: Well said, I think the most controversial ones are the ones that have the small tires on their twelve inch tire sets. They use the midget race cars at the regular midget races. They are powered by rear engine sugar let's. They weigh a little over one thousand pounds, which you know is about five hundred pounds lighting a conventional Offenhauser. And I think in a year or so, you'll see these cars really going fast around his racetrack.
00:08:13
Speaker 7: You're the man who brought the rear engine car to in Annapolis last year with Dan Journey. Does it make you please that you're being a copy.
00:08:19
Speaker 12: Of this year?
00:08:20
Speaker 9: Yes, it does. Sid Go ahead and run through.
00:08:23
Speaker 7: The rest of the activities of your racers, your drivers, and your five cars for us, if you will.
00:08:27
Speaker 11: Sir, well, we are a very unusual circumstance right now said we have five cars and only two race drivers. Of course, we came here with the idea of getting two. If we had two race cars in the race, we'd be very very happy. And right now, Masson Gregory has done a terrific job for us. He's had three of our cars running over one hundred and forty seven miles an hour, but unfortunately he only can drive one of them come race day. And Dwayne Carter has ran one of the cars over one hundred and forty dollars. So that's the two cars we hope to have him a race right now. As you know, Maston Gregory has ran a little over one hundred and forty seven a half miles now in his qualification runs today and next week. Why we'll have Drayne Carter qualifying the other car.
00:09:06
Speaker 7: Do you mind when people call your car a big go cart, scooter and caddy cart, it's.
00:09:10
Speaker 9: On No, we call it the skate around our own garage.
00:09:12
Speaker 11: I think it's very very I think it's funny. Someday we hope that they are all skates around here because we think we're going in the right direction.
00:09:19
Speaker 7: Thank you, Mickey. I'll be back with you. Before we wind up the interview. I want to talk with Masson. Gregory was born in Kansas City and now lives in Paris, France. I know you've been asked the question before, Maston, but why Paris nearer racing?
00:09:30
Speaker 13: Sud Yes, it is lived in Italy for five years, but I found out that it leads for the time being. It's easier to get to all the courses in Paris. Right now, racing in Europe is transferred the center of it from Midley also to England, and it's quite a bit closer to England for me and just much more convenient.
00:09:51
Speaker 7: You went to grade school and high school in Shawnee Mission, Kansas, didn't you.
00:09:54
Speaker 9: Yes, that's right, Sud.
00:09:56
Speaker 7: Another many friends of yours listening right now to us in Kansas City, around that particular home mi state of yours, where the tall wheat and corn and agriculture grow in our country. You wanted Belgium and Nuremberg a Swedish ground Prix in many places. What is the comparison your mind between the Innanapolis Speedway and some of the other ground Prix tracks.
00:10:15
Speaker 13: I think this course here is quite difficult sid because it's so easy. Now this may sound a little bit strange. All the corners are quite basically similar. They are quite high speed corners, around one hundred and thirty five hundred and forty miles an hour.
00:10:29
Speaker 2: They carry on for long.
00:10:31
Speaker 9: Long ways around each corner.
00:10:32
Speaker 13: I don't know exactly how far around each corner is, but it's quite long ways.
00:10:37
Speaker 2: It's hard to set up.
00:10:38
Speaker 13: Your car to get around this corner properly. It's also hard for the driver to drive around the corner properly. Basically, this course is pretty simple. So actually, when you have seventy five or sixty five people trying to qualify on a fairly easy course driver wise, that makes it more difficult. If you have sixty five people trying to qualify at Nuberg going in Germany. We're it's fourteen miles long in one hundred and seventy eight corners. Is going to be a tremendous difference in.
00:11:08
Speaker 7: Time, Maison. I hope we have more time to talk to you. I'm sure we will before the month is over.
00:11:12
Speaker 9: Thank you very much, thank you. Thanks to you and Mickey Thompson.
00:11:15
Speaker 7: Will look forward to your new book about your life coming out very soon.
00:11:18
Speaker 4: Ah.
00:11:18
Speaker 11: Yes, it'll be complished by Prinis Hall. Here's my life story and we'll be published in about six weeks, said.
00:11:23
Speaker 7: Small addition to match the small wheels.
00:11:26
Speaker 12: No, it's quite large.
00:11:27
Speaker 7: How fans stay too and for the greatest spectac all.
00:11:29
Speaker 9: In racing, Mike.
00:11:31
Speaker 3: Whenever we talk about Sid Collins or any interviews that were done at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, if we're talking about those of the colorful variety, seemingly they always include Andy Granateelly, who was one of the most colorful personalities to ever Grace sixteenth to Georgetown.
00:11:46
Speaker 9: Well, that's right.
00:11:47
Speaker 6: He had a great relationship with Andy and did a lot him and j. C Agajany and I think we're two of Sid's favorites the interview because they had a really good rapport. So yeah, Andy and Sid definitely they did a lot to interviews together.
00:12:01
Speaker 3: This is eighty grand and Telly and Colin Chapman. They were joining Sid Collins talking about of course the lotus Boss Colin Chapman, I should say, and the combination with the two of them together with Sid Collins on the last day of qualifying of nineteen sixty.
00:12:16
Speaker 7: Nine, Hey, you brought eleven cars here this year. At least you entered eleven cars. I don't believe they're all physically on the grounds and you have three in the race.
00:12:24
Speaker 9: Is this about what you expected?
00:12:26
Speaker 14: I expected to get three point three cars in the race. My eleven out of eighty four entered meant that I should get three point three in to be equal to everybody else in the field.
00:12:36
Speaker 9: I got three in. Are very happy, as you know.
00:12:38
Speaker 14: I would have had many Morian, but Colin Chapman decided it would be best if we withdrew the lotuses. Three lotuses today, and of course Mario Andretti reck one, so that's four cars. Are two I didn't bring here at all. And the Plymouth we ran out of time on the Plymouth with a driver we did actually run one hundred and sixty five point two miles an hour of the Plymouth But all in all, I'm happy. I've got Mario, I've got the front row, I've got our Collard in the fourth row, and I've got, of course all Carl Williams.
00:13:04
Speaker 2: In the race.
00:13:05
Speaker 7: We're going to let you listen to this tape on audience join us this time. We made an interview with Colin Chapman after the announcement earlier today about the withdrawal of the cars. Come back for your further comments on it. One of the biggest stories of the month is that of Colin Chapman withdrawing his race cars.
00:13:20
Speaker 9: Earlier this morning.
00:13:22
Speaker 7: Ram Hill was to drive one, yall can rent the other, and when Mario Andretti had an accident last Wednesday, Colin Chapman began to think about things.
00:13:30
Speaker 9: And you resolve your decision this morning, right sir.
00:13:33
Speaker 15: Yes, I'm afraid that this morning we finally had to make up our mind that to withdraw the cars. The problem had been that after the accident with Andretti's car on Wednesday, we'd analyzed the abs in the car and it looked as if it was a heat treatment failure. And I couldn't be certain that the remaining abs in the cars wouldn't suffer from the same problem, so we desperately tried to get new parts made, and it wasn't until five o'clock this morning that we finally had to realize that the new parts couldn't be made in time.
00:14:10
Speaker 7: I assume then that the driver's Hill and Red will not take any other ruck.
00:14:13
Speaker 9: I don't think so.
00:14:14
Speaker 15: I think it'd be very unfair to expect them to jump into a car this late in the day and acclimatize themselves to Indianapolis. Bearing in mind, and I think it takes European drivers a little longer to get used to this style of racing because they only do it once a year, as opposed to American drivers who running ovals every weekend.
00:14:31
Speaker 9: Colin, have you ever withdrawn a race car before? Before race?
00:14:34
Speaker 2: Now?
00:14:34
Speaker 15: I'm afraid this is the very first time in fifteen years of racing all over the world, we've ever actually had to withdraw a car from a race, and I'm tremendously disappointed.
00:14:43
Speaker 7: We have made other history here as well. In nineteen sixty three, year car run second. In sixty four you got in the Pole had the win in sixty five. In sixty six you came in second to Graham Hill and I'd rise with you.
00:14:53
Speaker 9: And after that things the word is right, were they no. Sixty seven?
00:14:57
Speaker 15: I'm afraid we lost both our engines fairly on in the rad But of course last year we had the turbines running quite well and we got poll in next second best place on the start, and in fact Len Joe Leonard was right up there seven laps in the end when he had engine trouble.
00:15:14
Speaker 7: And again many of your cars are still running today under different colors and different names and different engines.
00:15:19
Speaker 15: Yes, three of our last year's turbine cars are in fact running with different engines in now. One has an office, in one has a Forward, one has a Plymouth. And there's also some of our earlier two wheel drive cars running under different names and new paint jobs and so on. But we don't actually have any actual works cars running.
00:15:36
Speaker 9: So at any rate.
00:15:36
Speaker 7: Regardless this withdrawal, Colin Chapman will still be evident on May thirty and one Way or Anovel and I hope so we look forward.
00:15:42
Speaker 9: Very much you return next year.
00:15:43
Speaker 7: Thank you, how much said We've been talking with the champion designer and build an extraordinary Colin Chapman from England and any further comment to Colins, well likely I believe it's.
00:15:54
Speaker 14: All a by product of Colin not being able to start on the cars till late January.
00:15:58
Speaker 9: Had he started on the cars earlier, I think we were have been ready.
00:16:01
Speaker 7: Thank you very much, Andy, Granna Telly as three cars qualified for the nineteen sixty nine five hundred.
00:16:06
Speaker 3: Now you can hear the elegance in the voice of Colin Chapman. Reality is not every interview that Sid Collins did had that same grace and elegance and flow. Really at the fault of no One, Mike, but probably how you feel more often than not when I begin ripping about something, Sid had to jump in and save interviews from time to time.
00:16:24
Speaker 6: Correct, that's right, This interview Sid finally has to put out of its misery a little bit. In nineteen fifty eight, it says an interview Charlie Brockman did, and Sid finally at the end of it. Now, I think this is one of those situations where they were running up against time because this was a live show where he was doing the live qualification show. But Sid definitely comes in and vercifully puts an end of this whole interview.
00:16:46
Speaker 9: Now to the starting line for Charlie Brockman.
00:16:50
Speaker 10: Thank you very much, Sid Collins.
00:16:52
Speaker 4: We're down here at the starting line and we have with us three very rapid pilots, all of whom qualified on the first day of qualification, and we'll be leading the pack down on May thirtieth. We have Dick Ratman, who set the new qualification record for four laps in the McNamara Special and set his car on the poll. We have ed a Lesion of Oakland, California, who qualified the John Zinc Special and set a new one lap record. And we also have Jimmy Reese of Oklahoma City and now Speedway, Indiana, who qualified another John Zinc Special in the outside position in the front row. Well, Dick, there's a lot of excitement down here, but you seem pretty calm.
00:17:24
Speaker 3: You're Satland and Jesus, Charlie, I'm raised here in Hell.
00:17:27
Speaker 4: I'd like and we have also Jimmy Reese over here. Jimmy, we'd like to have you come into the microphone. Jimmy, what are your plans on race day?
00:17:35
Speaker 16: Well, Charlie, I have a couple of pretty fast boys right beside me. I just see what happens, see how they get down in the first corner. And actually I'm interested in the two hundredth lap or five hundreds mile, that's the one that I'm really interested in leading.
00:17:48
Speaker 4: Well, Jimmy, we know that that first lap is always a tough one. But you're in the actually in the best position, aren't you, Jim?
00:17:56
Speaker 16: Well, I don't know, Charlie. I'm just very glad that I'm in the race. And we'll see what happens on race day.
00:18:02
Speaker 10: You've started how many races here, Jim?
00:18:03
Speaker 12: Fine?
00:18:05
Speaker 10: And what was your best bening?
00:18:07
Speaker 16: I finished seventh to nineteen fifty two in a John Zink special.
00:18:10
Speaker 10: So you're kind of partial to john Zinc, aren't you?
00:18:12
Speaker 3: Yes?
00:18:12
Speaker 16: I Johnny do pretty good with their equipment. They have about the best equipment here, and the chief mechanic, AJ Watson, is about the best I've ever run into.
00:18:21
Speaker 4: Well, he certainly did a tremendous job this year with his machines. He got two machines in the front row that under the john Zinc label, and of course the pull position car also was built by AJ.
00:18:30
Speaker 9: Yes.
00:18:31
Speaker 16: Aj is a real mechanical genius. He can do more work than two or three other mechanics at the same time. He's real quick, real clean, and I'm real happy to be we're driving one.
00:18:40
Speaker 9: Of his cars.
00:18:41
Speaker 4: Jimmy, you did real well in the race last year until you had to go out.
00:18:45
Speaker 10: What was your difficulty last year?
00:18:46
Speaker 16: I was running thirty one hundred and eighty two laps are four hundred and fifty miles and.
00:18:51
Speaker 4: The trottle pedal fell off, and that was a very disappointing thing. As you were, you were up there competing. You were you and Jimmy Bryan were having quite a tussle, weren't you.
00:18:59
Speaker 16: Yes, we were racing with each other throughout the afternoon for probably two hundred miles, and finally I had to give up.
00:19:06
Speaker 4: Well, Jimmy, we certainly hope you have good luck on race day and best wishes to you.
00:19:10
Speaker 10: Thank you very much. Charlie, we have with us also at Alesion and ed.
00:19:14
Speaker 4: You're sitting up in a pretty good position normally you you're down here one of the last minute attempts at qualifying, aren't you well?
00:19:21
Speaker 17: In fifty four and fifty five I qualified the last two days, But last year and this year I've had, We've been good. Things have gone smooth enough where I've been able to qualify that first day.
00:19:33
Speaker 10: Well, it certainly a good feeling.
00:19:35
Speaker 4: How does this race car that you're driving this year compare with some of the others you've had in the field.
00:19:38
Speaker 17: Well, it's definitely the finest piece of machinery I've ever came here with. And I ran a car here for a few laps last summer with Watson. We made some trial runs and I knew that the car could definitely sit up in the front.
00:19:50
Speaker 10: We'll add, do you plan to go out and try to lead her all the way? Or what are your plans?
00:19:55
Speaker 2: Or do you haven't have you.
00:19:55
Speaker 10: Made him yet?
00:19:56
Speaker 17: Well, we haven't decided on anything definite. It's hard to say what can happen, but we'd like to try and lead the RASA.
00:20:03
Speaker 9: Just like the rest offls in the part road too.
00:20:07
Speaker 7: As we'll be back in just a moment now, this is the Indian Applis Motor Speedway.
00:20:10
Speaker 3: Network talking to all the john Zinc. Guys back in nineteen fifty eight, getting them set for the race, and then up against it was Sid Collins and as as Mike said, put it out out of its misery, right, Sometimes Sid just had to lay the truth on the line, as he did regarding mac Helling's status for the race on Speedway Gossip in nineteen fifty two. Mike set up for me what we're about to hear here.
00:20:36
Speaker 6: Well, Sid had his own show. There's a number of different shows. Obviously the PM Party was one and all, you know Captain Sid's Treasure Hunt, which we'd like to talk about sometimes. But he had another show during May that was called Speedway Gossip where he would talk about basically, you know, this guy got into this car today and this is the fast car of the day, and you know, things like that, and it was a really interesting show for folks to listen to. But one day he decided to do a little bit of a mail bag segment and answer some questions. And this was the well known answer for the Speedway Gossip mail bag segment.
00:21:12
Speaker 7: First of all, I have answer some of my mail in regard to questions here at the track, and don't forget if you have any questions, just dropping in themas at Collins Carret WIBC, Indianapolis and I'll try my best to answer.
00:21:23
Speaker 9: Them for you.
00:21:24
Speaker 7: Ronald Keaton and Shelbyville. Ass Is mac Kellings racing this year, No, Ronald, I'm very sorry Mike Kellings is not racing this year or any other year because Mike lost his life in an airplane accident in the mountains.
00:21:37
Speaker 9: Of California this last season.
00:21:39
Speaker 7: He was flying to an automobile race from Los Angeles. The race was to be held in northern California, and he along with two others, crashing the mountains. It took several days to find him, and of course he had lost his life and will.
00:21:50
Speaker 9: Not be here in the future.
00:21:51
Speaker 3: You know, it's important to point out to make the disclaimer that once you have determined that unfortunately Max was killed in the plane crash, that that means he won't be here this year or any other year moving.
00:22:03
Speaker 6: Yeah, So it reminds me when he sends delivery on that reminds me of that line and die Hard when you know Alan Rickman's characters like he won't be joining us for the rest of his life.
00:22:14
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean that certainly in that case was very succinct and to the point right sometimes you said absolutely need to be saved just because they're up against it for the break, which is exactly what we are right now. But that's not to say that we will not continue to hear some classic audio and new unearthed audio. Here. I'm beyond the.
00:22:33
Speaker 5: Break beyond the bricks with Jack Query and Mike Thompson, brought to you by Quality, supply and tool Think outside the Box store on ninety three five and one of seven five fan.
00:22:50
Speaker 7: Yes, stuck and we tel accept no substitute. When you want golden flavor rich bacon, deserve with your breakfast eggs, the sandwiches, or main dishes. It's the bright, fresh, government inspected bacon, strictly controlled for highest quality. According to the Indianapolis Star and the Indianapolis News consumer survey, more folks preferred than any other brand, And once you taste it, you'll know why. Every slice is nut sweet, hickorymello, lean as good flavor, allows and so rich.
00:23:25
Speaker 9: In important proteum remembered.
00:23:28
Speaker 7: Stark and Websail is d bacon that has earned the Good Housekeeping seal and it's guaranteed in writing to completely satisfy or your money back. So this week, why not get the best of bacon, flavor, bacon nourishment yet.
00:23:44
Speaker 9: Stark and wet Sail bacon.
00:23:49
Speaker 3: I got a look about you. But anytime that I'm going for my bacon for my breakfast sandwiches, I always make sure it's government inspected.
00:23:57
Speaker 6: Well, it needs to be government inspected and needs to be great. That's what I definitely worry about, whether or not my bacon is bright.
00:24:03
Speaker 3: That's right. Well, that's important to see. As a matter of fact, the starking wettl so bright. We can see it from the other side of the Hinsley Legal Group Command Center. It happens higher Hinsley, which is where we are putting together this episode of Beyond the Bricks. His name Sydney Kahn Junior, but you know him as Sid Collins. As a matter of fact, the long standing voice of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway radio network was lost forty nine years ago tomorrow on May tewod of nineteen seventy seven. But we take a look back at Sid tonight, not just doing the commercials, not just interviewing the drivers or calling the action at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but also Mike. The reality is that he was doing a variety show, so to speak, a radio show that was a holiday picnic, bringing in the celebrities from around the country that were coming to the Indianapolis five hundred and if you did so, that meant that you had the opportunity to join the broadcast booth and win fabulous prizes so to speak.
00:25:01
Speaker 6: Correct, Mike, Oh, Yes, one of the greatest gifts ever given on the radio will be in this segment. It's one of my favorite favorite clips of Sid of all time, for sure.
00:25:10
Speaker 3: Lauren Green was a star on the television show Bonanza. He visited with Sid during the race in nineteen sixty seven.
00:25:16
Speaker 7: Back in the Master control tower once again, and the man who certainly is used to riding on the range regardless of weather is Lauren Green from the television show Bonanza.
00:25:25
Speaker 2: They have their.
00:25:25
Speaker 7: Sponsor's pace car, the Chevrolet Camaro, out here today, and Lauren, we apologize to you for our Indiana weather.
00:25:30
Speaker 9: It normally isn't like this.
00:25:33
Speaker 1: Well, I'll tell you things like this happened with a Ponderosa too, and it's just too bad that it happened with all these wonderful people out of here. Am I What a tremendous crowd of people around here today. What do you do on the Ponderosa when it happens. Well, we the holman wants to row right now, Well, we can get the cattle in and we milk them two three times, you know, just keep him busy and a full time job with this crowd, and then we then we feed him, and then we go out and try to clean out the range, get all that wet off so the cows and go out again and not slip around so much. Now this is, of course we were kidding here, but it is too bad that on a great wonderful day like this that the rain should have to come. But it does happen, you know, and it hasn't happened too often over the years.
00:26:22
Speaker 7: Very very celid. Nineteen fifty is the last time we've had this ray stop for rain.
00:26:25
Speaker 1: I understand they have big engines here which come out and dry up the track.
00:26:31
Speaker 9: That is that correct, that's right.
00:26:32
Speaker 7: There are some blowers that will go around, but we'll have to have some help from the course. The water is stopping its down fall first and some wind to come across. The wind really drives the track as well as anything over this acreage of round.
00:26:43
Speaker 1: I'm a little disappointed. It's you know, developing into quite a race. Roger McCluskey came up awfully good, and Dan Gurney and A. J. Boyd and a lot of the cars are running real good. And of course that that stp that.
00:27:01
Speaker 7: Fanella Jones car was really humming along with and off to a fantastic start. And this is the test for it today and I'm sorry they couldn't have proved it in a continuous fashion and we might get back on the track again.
00:27:11
Speaker 1: Yeah, I was sorry to see what happened to Mario Andretti. But maybe with this wign and he'll have a chance to come back into the race.
00:27:17
Speaker 9: That's right. It could be a very great blessing in disguise for him.
00:27:19
Speaker 7: Neil well, Lauren, and enjoy yourself somewhere around here and out to the lay nicey game.
00:27:23
Speaker 9: Bye to say thank you so much. Thank you so Lauren Green.
00:27:26
Speaker 3: Lauren Green at the time of that interview, by the way, and kudos to him because clearly he followed racing and understood and knew all of those that he was talking about. Lauren Green would have been fifty two years old at the time of the airing of that particular interview. Now, as for those that weren't on Bonanza, but were in plantations or new frontiers elsewhere. How about Gus Grissom, who, by the way, we just would have a month ago celebrated Gus Grissom the Hoosiers one hundredth birthday, and he did fly around the moon. He also talked with Sid Collins Control.
00:28:00
Speaker 7: Already innapp Us once again, the very special guests dropped by to saal.
00:28:02
Speaker 12: Those of us were a few seconds.
00:28:04
Speaker 7: Major and Gus Chrissly, our astronaughter of whom we're very proud from Mitchell, Indiana. Here with the boys Scott and Mark today and I hope you're all having a good time.
00:28:12
Speaker 2: Major.
00:28:13
Speaker 12: Oh, yes, we're enjoying it. We've been looking forward to this race for a long time.
00:28:16
Speaker 7: Well, how does this lead out here on the racetrack compare with that in a capsule?
00:28:19
Speaker 9: They tell me you can't even feel speed in one of those.
00:28:21
Speaker 12: Wow, that isn't quite true. We can tell it. We're moving very rapidly across the earth. Good job, and it's a different element, so it's a different type speed. This is something really something here, your friend and ours.
00:28:31
Speaker 7: Jim Ratlin said he'd like to have been an Astroall would you'd like.
00:28:34
Speaker 9: To have been a race driver.
00:28:36
Speaker 12: Oh yes, I still like the race boys are enjoying it too. Yes, indeed, thank you so much for job. Thank you, sir Gus Grissom.
00:28:43
Speaker 2: We're very proud of him.
00:28:44
Speaker 7: From Mitchell, Indiana. We thank our friends General Hotdie Wilcoffs and Jorge part National Guard here and now living in Phoenix, Arizona.
00:28:50
Speaker 12: Thank you Brett ray by bringing goodbye too.
00:28:52
Speaker 7: Gus Risslm from Mitchell, Indiana was in the play this morning before the track started to bus.
00:28:59
Speaker 9: The action of the race guys out here.
00:29:00
Speaker 12: We he's it's tremendous coup.
00:29:03
Speaker 3: Now, Mike, that's what I call one in depth interview.
00:29:06
Speaker 2: That's uh.
00:29:08
Speaker 6: Gus was a man a few words though, so you know, but he also was People may not remember he was briefly a car owner at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. So uh, you know, it's it's cool to have Gus on the air, no doubt about it. Gus is probably my all time favorite astronaut, so I'm glad to hear from Gus.
00:29:24
Speaker 3: Sid Collins definitely did enjoy interviewing the celebrities, no doubt, including our next which might have been one of his favorites.
00:29:31
Speaker 6: Oh, I think so. I think this is probably Sid's all time favorite celebrity interview.
00:29:36
Speaker 9: He conducted this.
00:29:37
Speaker 6: You could just tell in his voice he's having a good time and this This is definitely an interview I think Sid would have ranked this is probably his favorite.
00:29:45
Speaker 3: Understandable. It's Jane Mansfield, another guest who stopped by a young lady.
00:29:49
Speaker 7: I don't know if it's there first to five min a mile race or not, but I know that she's been very much enjoy being seen here at the Trothy because she's a very amendous star, just back from Europe where she made a movie with Jane Mansfield.
00:29:59
Speaker 12: I look, yeah, said, how are you doing?
00:30:01
Speaker 9: You having fun?
00:30:02
Speaker 7: Yes, I'm having a wonderful time. This is my first five hundred mile, right. I've been raced and stopped in another place in California, but nothing was devil like this, you know.
00:30:11
Speaker 9: Freddie aggravation, my curly friend here.
00:30:13
Speaker 7: How are you nice?
00:30:14
Speaker 6: Seeing you?
00:30:14
Speaker 9: Tollie Bachman is the end.
00:30:16
Speaker 7: Of the where'd you get this beautiful bout in there that is five.
00:30:19
Speaker 9: Hundred on it?
00:30:20
Speaker 7: Well, it was given to me at the hotel this morning where we're staying in the Marit Hotel here in Indianapolis.
00:30:25
Speaker 3: So I'm all decked out for the race.
00:30:28
Speaker 9: We certainly hope that you enjoy yourself, and thanks so much for stopping by.
00:30:31
Speaker 10: Sure are we did?
00:30:32
Speaker 7: We got in wednesday, you know where we did The Loves of Hercules, NICKI and I co start in Europe.
00:30:37
Speaker 9: We came in especially from Rome to.
00:30:38
Speaker 2: See the ray.
00:30:39
Speaker 7: Well you should have a favorite they've nicknamed Jim Hurd of these Hercules in this event.
00:30:42
Speaker 2: Oh have they really you watched it?
00:30:44
Speaker 6: Will?
00:30:45
Speaker 3: I think Roger Ward is going to come off with that.
00:30:48
Speaker 9: We'll see what a good.
00:30:49
Speaker 14: Place for it.
00:30:49
Speaker 9: So you are thank you to Jane Man. Okay, right bye bye.
00:30:54
Speaker 7: I turned back around here again towards the race track.
00:30:56
Speaker 9: That's the aggravation we.
00:30:58
Speaker 7: Have on the track of the present high with Jim rathmans still Holy non E Lee and j Mansfield choice, Roger Ward and second spot on Johnny Thompson and third Buttonhausen's car evidently is not causing too much trouble even with the smoke.
00:31:10
Speaker 10: Oh you're right, dad man, here I'm drawing rightman.
00:31:12
Speaker 16: Emily just made a quick pit stop too while you were looking at what just left Mike.
00:31:19
Speaker 3: Walton now in the South fit little bit, Okay, while you were looking at what just left, Mike, while you were looking at what just left right, Sid, Sid was clearly a fan of Jane Mansfield.
00:31:32
Speaker 9: I don't think there's any doubt about that.
00:31:34
Speaker 6: And I have to give a quick shout out if you haven't seen the documentary that Murska Hargeta did on her mom, Jane Mansfield was called My Mom Jane, really really well done.
00:31:43
Speaker 9: Outstanding documentary she did.
00:31:45
Speaker 6: But you could tell Sid was absolutely a je Mansfield fan.
00:31:50
Speaker 3: As soon as the documentary ended, Mike said, I'm still looking at what just left right? As soon as the documentary was ending. Of course, Sid's greatest celebrity interview came in nineteen sixty six when he interviewed the joker Seizo Romero and gave him one of the greatest gifts. Mike, this is your favorite gift you would if this was at the memorabilia show. I would like to know what Mike Thompson would pay for it. I could jokingly you say that jokingly.
00:32:15
Speaker 6: I've been a couple times, like three hundred dollars for one of these and not won it, and they've gone for like five or six hundred dollars, So I really am looking for one of these, and I have never been able to buy one, So I truthfully do want to buy one of these, There's no question about.
00:32:31
Speaker 3: So let's unveil and hear what the fabulous prize was.
00:32:35
Speaker 7: We have a guest coming by. But you saw last evening, Caesar, how are you nice to see you?
00:32:41
Speaker 9: Are you?
00:32:41
Speaker 7: Let me again get up here if I can under these wires and say hello to you. Caesar Romero, a guest who told his last night at the President's reception for the five hundred Festival. It was his first five hundred mile race, and I'm sorry I had to start off this way for you.
00:32:54
Speaker 18: Well, I am too, said, it is my first race, and everything has been so great so far, tremendously exciting time the three days that I've been here up until this present moment. Coming here this morning and going around the track, everybody is screaming and yelling and cheering. It was really tremendously exciting. But I Heaven's when I saw what happened there, of course, I thought probably somebody must have been very badly heard. All I could see with tires flying in the air, and it looks as if cars were turning over and it was an awful mess. But I think we can all be tremendously grateful that no one was badly heard.
00:33:32
Speaker 9: At all or thrilled over that feeling right now.
00:33:34
Speaker 18: Yeah, yes, but it's such a shame because these men work so hard all year a long for this one chance, and it's terrible to see anything like this happened to help them get out of the race, even before the thing actually hardly got started.
00:33:48
Speaker 9: Well, that's the way they feel about it.
00:33:49
Speaker 7: This is their life they worked for and this is the big one you know today and not even have a chance to compete is very frustrating.
00:33:55
Speaker 18: Indeed, well I can understand that. Well, it's a shame and it's a kind of put for me. It's put sort of a damper on it.
00:34:02
Speaker 2: I don't know.
00:34:02
Speaker 9: Well, I will do that, I think once last start again.
00:34:04
Speaker 7: Of course you won't sit the thirty three car field, but you'll see an abbreviated field and I hope a good race.
00:34:09
Speaker 18: Caesar, Well I hope so too. But it's been a wonderful experience. I'm the lighter to land here.
00:34:13
Speaker 9: Thank you for cud.
00:34:14
Speaker 7: I I'd like to give you a gold filled zip O lighter as a guest of the network here for being on the product. Very welcome, Thank you should have a nice time, Sez Romero. Very first of all, gentlemen, that.
00:34:22
Speaker 3: Gold filled Zippo lighter. If you see one at a memorabilia show, immediately contact Mike Thompson. He's got his three. Ben Franklin's ready for his starting bid and we will go from there to see whether or not he can land that coveted prize. Again, what's that you joke around?
00:34:38
Speaker 6: You joke around about that, but the last one that's sold on eBay so for seven hundred and seven dollars.
00:34:43
Speaker 3: So I said, you're starting bid right now, you're finishing one. But when it comes to not landing the big prize, sometimes that's exactly what happened for the Indianapolis five hundred and sid had to break the news to everybody, which we will let you here next.
00:35:01
Speaker 5: Beyond the bricks with your query and Mike Thompson brought to you by Quality Supply and Tool Think outside the box store on ninety three five and one of seven fives a sand fans.
00:35:11
Speaker 7: As you know, when you put the old family of bonds in on the regular service days. The good old Joe comes out and that's about five gallons of gas, leaning of the gas tank and leans the windshield. You talk things over, well, that boy would never make a race mechanic, not a vat pace. He goes on a speeding race car and he's a coming the fits as you've heard today. The driver signals the crew that he'll be in on the next lap, a ready point. There's no friendly idle discussion about the turn of events. Every man has a place and he better be there. Six mechanics and out on the track. And that puts one on each wheel. Amanda with the field of the tank and a man deserving the driver and bought to him and give him instruction and how he goes.
00:35:44
Speaker 2: Again and let's come out of the most cases.
00:35:46
Speaker 9: And that's what Loc and Greg are chucking on for us all day today. And a hot spot and the bending place in the pit area.
00:35:53
Speaker 3: Out the driver goes again and inside the Hensley Legal Group Race command Center and have to hire Hinsley is where you will find Land includes Mike Thompson, myself, Jake Querry here talking about that man's voice that you just heard. Sid Collins, the legendary host anchor of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network, a man whose voice probably as synonymous with the evolution and the upward trajectory of this great event as anybody and its apex years that you can find. And not just broadcasting the race itself, not just giving updates on what was going on at sixteenth to Georgetown, not just interviewing dignitaries and celebrities that were gracing the speedway with their presence, but also sometimes breaking news of those that would not be an attendance.
00:36:41
Speaker 7: We have four Indiana drivers in the lineup, Bobby Grim, Jeene Hartley, Dwane Carter, and Jimmy day Wald and Freeland is still on it is set to take the white flag for the finish of his qualification run.
00:36:53
Speaker 9: This includes another day of time.
00:36:54
Speaker 7: Trials from Indianapolis join us again tomorrow at the same time for the fourth day of qualifications. The bumping process begins, assuming the field of thirty three is filled prior to six pm, so that by the end of the day the thirty three fastest cars out of the sixty one edit here for the five hundred will be ready to go.
00:37:11
Speaker 9: May thirtieth.
00:37:12
Speaker 7: It's just been announced that twentieth Century Fox Studios have informed the borg Warner Corporation that Joan Collins, who have been assigned to greet the winner of this year's race in Victory Lane and present the borg Warner Trophy, will not be on hand due to last minute complications.
00:37:24
Speaker 9: A new star will be chosen in the next few days.
00:37:27
Speaker 7: Fearless heating and air conditioning has kept our booth cool today Watches by Bolivar. Our producer has been building. Plan to join us again next Saturday, May thirtieth, ten thirty am Eastern Standard Time for four and one half hours on the same station, and tomorrow at five point thirty for the wrap up of the preparatory activity for the forty third five hundred mile race. Freeland is coming in, not going to complete his qualification run. This is Sidcollins saying good night across the nation. This is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Network.
00:37:54
Speaker 3: Stay tuned now for the news Mike. It's a good thing that the booth was cool and they were able to look at their watch routinely sweating the fact that Joan Collins they hadn't gotten word yet. Then they got it and you said no, sweat right because they had Erin O'Brien show up.
00:38:09
Speaker 6: Right. Eron O'Brien came and I think that actually, believe it or not, I think that was trading up in nineteen fifty nine. So that was a pretty good deal for the Speedway to get Erin O'Brien.
00:38:18
Speaker 3: So disappointment once again is often the case of the Speedway turns into elation. In nineteen sixty two, Sid Collins expressed some sadness over some technical difficulties, showing the professional nature that of course made him the broadcaster he was.
00:38:33
Speaker 7: Incidentally, we regret the WVCG Carl Gables, Florida and wvmcmount CARMELOLLINOI failed to receive our initial time trial program yesterday at this time due to technical difficulties. We understand the problems have been corrected and we're happy to welcome our good friends George Thorpe, manager of w VCG Carl Gables, and John hurle But manager of w Vmcmount Carmel, Illinois, to our network of time trial stations. Incidentally, tickets are still available for this year's five hundred mile race.
00:39:02
Speaker 3: Sid made sure to give credit to all members of the radio network, like in nineteen fifty eight when he interviewed producer Bill Dean back.
00:39:09
Speaker 7: In the control tower once again standing alongside me as our veteran network producer building, who's at my side for the seventh year directing the multitude of activity is to take place over these four hundred and fourteen acres half the Speedway build. First of all, how many stations will we have on the Speedway network this season?
00:39:25
Speaker 19: About three hundred stations? Said Incidentally, the fans may be interested to know that these three hundred stations represent forty six states, and they tie into eighty five hundred miles of major radio trunk line twenty thousand miles of secondary line to carry the greatest of all automobile races.
00:39:41
Speaker 2: The broadcast will be sent to every English speaking country in the world, Latin America.
00:39:46
Speaker 19: It'll be translated into Spanish through the Voice of America and also to the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces Radio Service.
00:39:52
Speaker 7: Well, is there's still time to join this network if a station desires to carry the great five hundred mile race.
00:39:57
Speaker 19: Yes, any radio broadcaster outside the imediate area is served by the station at which he is now listening is invited to join the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Network or a complete and uninterrupted report of the world's greatest sports spectacle Friday, May thirtieth. For full details, contact Gildberry, Director.
00:40:13
Speaker 7: Now, let's tell the fans something about our grand staff, a broadcasters for the race and the extent of your facilities well.
00:40:19
Speaker 19: A crew of approximately thirty announcers, technicians, runners, lapman and various assistants comprise the staff in the pit area, covering approximately a quarter of a mile of space along the main straightaway. Here in front of the tower, there are three announcers, Luke Walton, Jack Shapiro, and Greg Smith. These boys will handle hectic activities in the pits. On the northwest tern, It'll be Bill Prosch, Bob Roads on the southeast turn, with Bernie Herman on the back stretch that long straight away from the southeast turn to the northeast tern. Lou Palmer, new to the race fan audience, will be stationed at this all important northeast tern. Jim Shalton, veteran speedway announcer, will be at his usual place at the northwest turn. Bob Hoover, another newcomer to the Speedway Classic, will be in the garage area. Charlie Brockman, of course, will again be assisting you Sid in the terrace tower.
00:41:05
Speaker 7: Now, what are your duties to the producer of the Greatest Spectacle and Raising.
00:41:08
Speaker 2: Bill on May thirty eight? Well?
00:41:09
Speaker 19: I have many of them, as you know, Sid, But the most important job I have to do on race day is switching from one pickup point to another as rapidly as possible, allowing the announcer to give a clear concise description of what is happening.
00:41:21
Speaker 9: I wear a split headset.
00:41:23
Speaker 19: It's called a set of earphones, with one phone connected at the program line, whereby I can hear what's on the airs the listener here is it. The other phone is connected to all pickup points. I hear calls coming in from all nine announcers around the track and their conversations with the technicians in the control booth located here in the tower. It can be very confusing, to say the least, listening to two things at one time. It does take concentration. Announcers call me reporting something of interest, and immediately I notify the chief announcer with a flash card showing the announcer's name in his position it's my responsibility to to determine which pickup point is the most vital to the broadcast at that particular moment. Calls come in simultaneously from the announcers around the track. I must choose the most important story signal other announcers to stand by under their called upon to report. I work very closely with a switcher, a technician located in the control booth who is in constant contact with all announcers around the track. Before the transfer is made, the switcher receives direction from me by means a hand signal or a flash card. We strive at all times to make the transfer from one announcer to another quick clear, in a smooth operation. We do everything we can to provide a clear picture through sound for four and a half hours.
00:42:32
Speaker 9: Thank you very much.
00:42:33
Speaker 7: Building Our producer here on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network.
00:42:38
Speaker 3: Mike Donald Davidson, does it at the sign off of every broadcast, so I'll let you do it first. That is a thank you to Sid Collins, right yep, Thank you Sid, thanks for all you did. Thank you Sid, indeed, and thank all of you for listening to Beyond the Bricks
Speaker 1: Only the best run here of the Indianapolis five hundred liquo do.
00:00:04
Speaker 2: You feel we'll have to beat this year's race?
00:00:06
Speaker 3: People like A. J.
00:00:08
Speaker 2: Foyt and Bobby Ancer.
00:00:10
Speaker 3: Press and far Fla absolutely and incredible.
00:00:13
Speaker 4: Anny Sullivan's fun in front of Mario and Freddie a jun He has five.
00:00:20
Speaker 5: Hundred Beyond the Bricks with Jake Querry and Mike Thompson brought to you by Quality Supply and Tool Think outside the box Store on ninety three five and one o seven five.
00:00:34
Speaker 3: Fans outside the box store and inside the Hinsley Legal Group Command Center. It happens higher Hinsley is where you find Landon Kuns, Mike Thompson and myself Jake Querry on this Finally, at last, even though it is not our first episode of this particular season, it is the first on the first day of May. The greatest month is here in Indianapolis. And that means and this is what is oh so exciting about it. When you think about Beyond the Bricks and you think about the shows that we talk about with the history, the names, the faces, the personalities, the stories that make the Indianapolis five hundred mile Race what it is. We all sit now in anticipation that perhaps this year there will be another story that we will add to the long archive of great events to have taken place at sixteenth and Georgetown. And of course, over the course of the years, those stories that took place, those personalities that were illuminated to all of us, came way more often than not than through the voice of Sid Collins and Mike. Tonight a night when we take a look back at Sid Collins and celebrating him, but also doing so with kind of a different angle and a different lens than we've done in the past.
00:01:46
Speaker 6: Yeah, a lot of times when we honor Sid, we play his great calls and stuff from the radio broadcast directly. But tonight I thought we'd do it a little differently in place of interviews and clips that folks may not have heard of. Now there'll be a couple beyond the Bridge classics here tonight, but for the most part, this is all going to be fresh stuff that people haven't heard of Sid.
00:02:06
Speaker 3: So it's gonna be a lot of fun. Like, for example, our first clip, let's go back to nineteen fifty nine when Sid was with Paul Russo and was doing an interview that turned into subject matters that you wouldn't necessarily think too in racing, would be talking about like, for example, the boxer Jack Dempsey or stomach aches.
00:02:27
Speaker 7: First of all, Paul, congratulations of course to you for making your fourteenth race.
00:02:31
Speaker 2: Thank you, Sid.
00:02:32
Speaker 8: And it was real hard to make a decision to lead the Nova supercharged engines here at this year. I think that's one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. But we were into a trouble problem that I guess we just couldn't conker and I talked to Gene Marsnack.
00:02:51
Speaker 2: And he isself very very bad.
00:02:54
Speaker 7: Well, how fast was a no by going, Paul when you got out of it?
00:02:57
Speaker 2: One thirty one thirty eight nine.
00:03:00
Speaker 7: Well, it being the most powerful engine here at the speedway, how can you figure.
00:03:04
Speaker 9: That it hasn't gotten enough to speed this year?
00:03:07
Speaker 2: A great driver like.
00:03:08
Speaker 8: Yourself, Oh, I guess it would take a fellow. If you took Jack Dempsey and he had a stomach ache. We at one time figured him one of the toughest contenders in a boxing match, and he had a baliach. Would be pretty hard for him to get in there and fight fifteen rounds in the championship fight. That's why we have with the engines, and we have got a lot of power out of them, but it's got a belly ache and we couldn't just get it fixed.
00:03:31
Speaker 2: Well.
00:03:31
Speaker 7: Geene Marsinak is a true veteran too, which made you a great team. He's been here since the nineteen twenties and in racing, hasn't he Yes.
00:03:38
Speaker 2: Yeah, in fact this thirty ninth year here.
00:03:42
Speaker 8: He come over with a French team years ago and went back home and come back again and want to work for the Palmer and stayed in this country ever since. And two years ago when we went to Italy and we stopped in Paris, that was the first time he'd been in Paris.
00:04:00
Speaker 2: In twenty five years.
00:04:01
Speaker 8: And then he visited with his family after the Mansa race and he sure enjoyed himself and he was one happy fellow.
00:04:08
Speaker 2: When he got to Paris. It was nice to get home, I guess.
00:04:11
Speaker 7: But Paul Russell, you gave us great thrills here in the Nova cars over the years.
00:04:15
Speaker 9: As to other great Novae drivers.
00:04:17
Speaker 7: Duke Nalen, Ralph Heppern, Chet Miller and the whole gang. It is definitely the fastest car at the speedway on the straightaway, isn't it.
00:04:23
Speaker 8: I'll guarantee you that's one automobile to give you the biggest thrill of your life, of any race driver's life going down a straightaway's here at the Annapolis Speedway.
00:04:32
Speaker 7: Well, now, Paul, you held an official track record here a couple of years ago, in nineteen fifty six, had one hundred and forty six point six miles.
00:04:38
Speaker 10: Per hour in the Nova, and this year is down to one hundred.
00:04:42
Speaker 9: And thirty bracket and you couldn't even qualify it for the race. What happened over the winner?
00:04:46
Speaker 7: Let's leave the stomach ache out of it now, because it couldn't have been suffered all winter long.
00:04:50
Speaker 8: There hadn't been too much change in the engine. I want to fuel injection, and this engine here, I've checked it out at all speeds for gene. I had all kinds of gauges on and up to four thousand and five thousand engines is good. But our top r FM is seventy five hundred, and it seems that when we get above sixty five hundred that we're starving for fuel and can feed it. And just what the problem is to get it there to get enough of it in there at at that speed.
00:05:24
Speaker 2: We were a little baffled at this.
00:05:26
Speaker 7: A lot of people wondering the Noba, for example, how many miles is the gallon?
00:05:29
Speaker 9: Does that car consume of fuel?
00:05:32
Speaker 8: I have during practice runs and warm ups and those things like that, But during practice runs we generally run about.
00:05:38
Speaker 2: A gallon and lapper gallon every two and a half miles.
00:05:42
Speaker 9: Wow, that's not for the highways.
00:05:44
Speaker 2: I guess it's an alcoholic.
00:05:45
Speaker 9: Yes, that has a summer cage.
00:05:48
Speaker 2: Yeah, maybe you ought to couldn't drink an alcohol? Why, Paul?
00:05:52
Speaker 9: The Novay car has not qualified as yet.
00:05:54
Speaker 7: As we told the fans who are listening to us now, we're talking to you a bit earlier in the afternoon as part of the program one recording, because you'll be out there, I'm sure helping cousin Eddie try to get in the race a bit later on. You think the NOBA will make any attempt today with another driver?
00:06:07
Speaker 8: One thing I can say about it that Jean Marsnack has had very few minutes of sleep since he's been here at the racetrack and we're running and I just come from the garage and he has a car up on Jacks. I took a ride in it, and it feels like something is starting to tighten up in the engine and they are still working on it. They had taken her off the check and to see if they can find any possible little thing that could.
00:06:29
Speaker 9: Cause this, and we hope it will come back today.
00:06:32
Speaker 2: Yes, I do.
00:06:33
Speaker 8: I'd like to see it in the race, even if I can drive it.
00:06:36
Speaker 2: And I'd sure like to see it in the race.
00:06:37
Speaker 9: You're happy to see you and the race. Thank you very much and good luck on Saturday.
00:06:41
Speaker 2: Thank you saying right.
00:06:41
Speaker 9: That was Paul Russo, car.
00:06:43
Speaker 7: Number forty five, forty five year old grandfather.
00:06:45
Speaker 9: From Webster Groves, Missouri. Now I'll stay tuned. The greatest spentacle in racing.
00:06:50
Speaker 3: Paul Russo, by the way, raced in fourteen Indianapolis five hundreds. He had five top ten finishes in his time. He passed away nineteen seventy six and his resting place is at Crownhill Cemetery in Indianapolis. Don't know about stomach aches for Jack Dempsey and how much we can elaborate on that, but Sid Collins in nineteen sixty three was with one of the most interesting driver owner combinations in five hundred history Mickey Thompson and Maston Gregory. This is how it sounded in nineteen sixty three.
00:07:21
Speaker 7: And Mickey Thompson's a man who says he's going to win this race someday, no matter how long it takes.
00:07:25
Speaker 9: Within reason, I trust Mickey.
00:07:28
Speaker 3: Someday.
00:07:28
Speaker 11: We hope to sit it privately two or three years away from now, but we're getting closer all the time.
00:07:32
Speaker 2: Now.
00:07:32
Speaker 7: These cars you have are called the Mickey Thompson Harvey Aluminum Specials and variations of that name. Because there are five cars and their most unusual and radical. I wonder if you described the car as to our audience, wheel size, so on, and the aluminum features thereof, and give us a run on what happened to the five so far this month?
00:07:49
Speaker 11: Well said, I think the most controversial ones are the ones that have the small tires on their twelve inch tire sets. They use the midget race cars at the regular midget races. They are powered by rear engine sugar let's. They weigh a little over one thousand pounds, which you know is about five hundred pounds lighting a conventional Offenhauser. And I think in a year or so, you'll see these cars really going fast around his racetrack.
00:08:13
Speaker 7: You're the man who brought the rear engine car to in Annapolis last year with Dan Journey. Does it make you please that you're being a copy.
00:08:19
Speaker 12: Of this year?
00:08:20
Speaker 9: Yes, it does. Sid Go ahead and run through.
00:08:23
Speaker 7: The rest of the activities of your racers, your drivers, and your five cars for us, if you will.
00:08:27
Speaker 11: Sir, well, we are a very unusual circumstance right now said we have five cars and only two race drivers. Of course, we came here with the idea of getting two. If we had two race cars in the race, we'd be very very happy. And right now, Masson Gregory has done a terrific job for us. He's had three of our cars running over one hundred and forty seven miles an hour, but unfortunately he only can drive one of them come race day. And Dwayne Carter has ran one of the cars over one hundred and forty dollars. So that's the two cars we hope to have him a race right now. As you know, Maston Gregory has ran a little over one hundred and forty seven a half miles now in his qualification runs today and next week. Why we'll have Drayne Carter qualifying the other car.
00:09:06
Speaker 7: Do you mind when people call your car a big go cart, scooter and caddy cart, it's.
00:09:10
Speaker 9: On No, we call it the skate around our own garage.
00:09:12
Speaker 11: I think it's very very I think it's funny. Someday we hope that they are all skates around here because we think we're going in the right direction.
00:09:19
Speaker 7: Thank you, Mickey. I'll be back with you. Before we wind up the interview. I want to talk with Masson. Gregory was born in Kansas City and now lives in Paris, France. I know you've been asked the question before, Maston, but why Paris nearer racing?
00:09:30
Speaker 13: Sud Yes, it is lived in Italy for five years, but I found out that it leads for the time being. It's easier to get to all the courses in Paris. Right now, racing in Europe is transferred the center of it from Midley also to England, and it's quite a bit closer to England for me and just much more convenient.
00:09:51
Speaker 7: You went to grade school and high school in Shawnee Mission, Kansas, didn't you.
00:09:54
Speaker 9: Yes, that's right, Sud.
00:09:56
Speaker 7: Another many friends of yours listening right now to us in Kansas City, around that particular home mi state of yours, where the tall wheat and corn and agriculture grow in our country. You wanted Belgium and Nuremberg a Swedish ground Prix in many places. What is the comparison your mind between the Innanapolis Speedway and some of the other ground Prix tracks.
00:10:15
Speaker 13: I think this course here is quite difficult sid because it's so easy. Now this may sound a little bit strange. All the corners are quite basically similar. They are quite high speed corners, around one hundred and thirty five hundred and forty miles an hour.
00:10:29
Speaker 2: They carry on for long.
00:10:31
Speaker 9: Long ways around each corner.
00:10:32
Speaker 13: I don't know exactly how far around each corner is, but it's quite long ways.
00:10:37
Speaker 2: It's hard to set up.
00:10:38
Speaker 13: Your car to get around this corner properly. It's also hard for the driver to drive around the corner properly. Basically, this course is pretty simple. So actually, when you have seventy five or sixty five people trying to qualify on a fairly easy course driver wise, that makes it more difficult. If you have sixty five people trying to qualify at Nuberg going in Germany. We're it's fourteen miles long in one hundred and seventy eight corners. Is going to be a tremendous difference in.
00:11:08
Speaker 7: Time, Maison. I hope we have more time to talk to you. I'm sure we will before the month is over.
00:11:12
Speaker 9: Thank you very much, thank you. Thanks to you and Mickey Thompson.
00:11:15
Speaker 7: Will look forward to your new book about your life coming out very soon.
00:11:18
Speaker 4: Ah.
00:11:18
Speaker 11: Yes, it'll be complished by Prinis Hall. Here's my life story and we'll be published in about six weeks, said.
00:11:23
Speaker 7: Small addition to match the small wheels.
00:11:26
Speaker 12: No, it's quite large.
00:11:27
Speaker 7: How fans stay too and for the greatest spectac all.
00:11:29
Speaker 9: In racing, Mike.
00:11:31
Speaker 3: Whenever we talk about Sid Collins or any interviews that were done at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, if we're talking about those of the colorful variety, seemingly they always include Andy Granateelly, who was one of the most colorful personalities to ever Grace sixteenth to Georgetown.
00:11:46
Speaker 9: Well, that's right.
00:11:47
Speaker 6: He had a great relationship with Andy and did a lot him and j. C Agajany and I think we're two of Sid's favorites the interview because they had a really good rapport. So yeah, Andy and Sid definitely they did a lot to interviews together.
00:12:01
Speaker 3: This is eighty grand and Telly and Colin Chapman. They were joining Sid Collins talking about of course the lotus Boss Colin Chapman, I should say, and the combination with the two of them together with Sid Collins on the last day of qualifying of nineteen sixty.
00:12:16
Speaker 7: Nine, Hey, you brought eleven cars here this year. At least you entered eleven cars. I don't believe they're all physically on the grounds and you have three in the race.
00:12:24
Speaker 9: Is this about what you expected?
00:12:26
Speaker 14: I expected to get three point three cars in the race. My eleven out of eighty four entered meant that I should get three point three in to be equal to everybody else in the field.
00:12:36
Speaker 9: I got three in. Are very happy, as you know.
00:12:38
Speaker 14: I would have had many Morian, but Colin Chapman decided it would be best if we withdrew the lotuses. Three lotuses today, and of course Mario Andretti reck one, so that's four cars. Are two I didn't bring here at all. And the Plymouth we ran out of time on the Plymouth with a driver we did actually run one hundred and sixty five point two miles an hour of the Plymouth But all in all, I'm happy. I've got Mario, I've got the front row, I've got our Collard in the fourth row, and I've got, of course all Carl Williams.
00:13:04
Speaker 2: In the race.
00:13:05
Speaker 7: We're going to let you listen to this tape on audience join us this time. We made an interview with Colin Chapman after the announcement earlier today about the withdrawal of the cars. Come back for your further comments on it. One of the biggest stories of the month is that of Colin Chapman withdrawing his race cars.
00:13:20
Speaker 9: Earlier this morning.
00:13:22
Speaker 7: Ram Hill was to drive one, yall can rent the other, and when Mario Andretti had an accident last Wednesday, Colin Chapman began to think about things.
00:13:30
Speaker 9: And you resolve your decision this morning, right sir.
00:13:33
Speaker 15: Yes, I'm afraid that this morning we finally had to make up our mind that to withdraw the cars. The problem had been that after the accident with Andretti's car on Wednesday, we'd analyzed the abs in the car and it looked as if it was a heat treatment failure. And I couldn't be certain that the remaining abs in the cars wouldn't suffer from the same problem, so we desperately tried to get new parts made, and it wasn't until five o'clock this morning that we finally had to realize that the new parts couldn't be made in time.
00:14:10
Speaker 7: I assume then that the driver's Hill and Red will not take any other ruck.
00:14:13
Speaker 9: I don't think so.
00:14:14
Speaker 15: I think it'd be very unfair to expect them to jump into a car this late in the day and acclimatize themselves to Indianapolis. Bearing in mind, and I think it takes European drivers a little longer to get used to this style of racing because they only do it once a year, as opposed to American drivers who running ovals every weekend.
00:14:31
Speaker 9: Colin, have you ever withdrawn a race car before? Before race?
00:14:34
Speaker 2: Now?
00:14:34
Speaker 15: I'm afraid this is the very first time in fifteen years of racing all over the world, we've ever actually had to withdraw a car from a race, and I'm tremendously disappointed.
00:14:43
Speaker 7: We have made other history here as well. In nineteen sixty three, year car run second. In sixty four you got in the Pole had the win in sixty five. In sixty six you came in second to Graham Hill and I'd rise with you.
00:14:53
Speaker 9: And after that things the word is right, were they no. Sixty seven?
00:14:57
Speaker 15: I'm afraid we lost both our engines fairly on in the rad But of course last year we had the turbines running quite well and we got poll in next second best place on the start, and in fact Len Joe Leonard was right up there seven laps in the end when he had engine trouble.
00:15:14
Speaker 7: And again many of your cars are still running today under different colors and different names and different engines.
00:15:19
Speaker 15: Yes, three of our last year's turbine cars are in fact running with different engines in now. One has an office, in one has a Forward, one has a Plymouth. And there's also some of our earlier two wheel drive cars running under different names and new paint jobs and so on. But we don't actually have any actual works cars running.
00:15:36
Speaker 9: So at any rate.
00:15:36
Speaker 7: Regardless this withdrawal, Colin Chapman will still be evident on May thirty and one Way or Anovel and I hope so we look forward.
00:15:42
Speaker 9: Very much you return next year.
00:15:43
Speaker 7: Thank you, how much said We've been talking with the champion designer and build an extraordinary Colin Chapman from England and any further comment to Colins, well likely I believe it's.
00:15:54
Speaker 14: All a by product of Colin not being able to start on the cars till late January.
00:15:58
Speaker 9: Had he started on the cars earlier, I think we were have been ready.
00:16:01
Speaker 7: Thank you very much, Andy, Granna Telly as three cars qualified for the nineteen sixty nine five hundred.
00:16:06
Speaker 3: Now you can hear the elegance in the voice of Colin Chapman. Reality is not every interview that Sid Collins did had that same grace and elegance and flow. Really at the fault of no One, Mike, but probably how you feel more often than not when I begin ripping about something, Sid had to jump in and save interviews from time to time.
00:16:24
Speaker 6: Correct, that's right, This interview Sid finally has to put out of its misery a little bit. In nineteen fifty eight, it says an interview Charlie Brockman did, and Sid finally at the end of it. Now, I think this is one of those situations where they were running up against time because this was a live show where he was doing the live qualification show. But Sid definitely comes in and vercifully puts an end of this whole interview.
00:16:46
Speaker 9: Now to the starting line for Charlie Brockman.
00:16:50
Speaker 10: Thank you very much, Sid Collins.
00:16:52
Speaker 4: We're down here at the starting line and we have with us three very rapid pilots, all of whom qualified on the first day of qualification, and we'll be leading the pack down on May thirtieth. We have Dick Ratman, who set the new qualification record for four laps in the McNamara Special and set his car on the poll. We have ed a Lesion of Oakland, California, who qualified the John Zinc Special and set a new one lap record. And we also have Jimmy Reese of Oklahoma City and now Speedway, Indiana, who qualified another John Zinc Special in the outside position in the front row. Well, Dick, there's a lot of excitement down here, but you seem pretty calm.
00:17:24
Speaker 3: You're Satland and Jesus, Charlie, I'm raised here in Hell.
00:17:27
Speaker 4: I'd like and we have also Jimmy Reese over here. Jimmy, we'd like to have you come into the microphone. Jimmy, what are your plans on race day?
00:17:35
Speaker 16: Well, Charlie, I have a couple of pretty fast boys right beside me. I just see what happens, see how they get down in the first corner. And actually I'm interested in the two hundredth lap or five hundreds mile, that's the one that I'm really interested in leading.
00:17:48
Speaker 4: Well, Jimmy, we know that that first lap is always a tough one. But you're in the actually in the best position, aren't you, Jim?
00:17:56
Speaker 16: Well, I don't know, Charlie. I'm just very glad that I'm in the race. And we'll see what happens on race day.
00:18:02
Speaker 10: You've started how many races here, Jim?
00:18:03
Speaker 12: Fine?
00:18:05
Speaker 10: And what was your best bening?
00:18:07
Speaker 16: I finished seventh to nineteen fifty two in a John Zink special.
00:18:10
Speaker 10: So you're kind of partial to john Zinc, aren't you?
00:18:12
Speaker 3: Yes?
00:18:12
Speaker 16: I Johnny do pretty good with their equipment. They have about the best equipment here, and the chief mechanic, AJ Watson, is about the best I've ever run into.
00:18:21
Speaker 4: Well, he certainly did a tremendous job this year with his machines. He got two machines in the front row that under the john Zinc label, and of course the pull position car also was built by AJ.
00:18:30
Speaker 9: Yes.
00:18:31
Speaker 16: Aj is a real mechanical genius. He can do more work than two or three other mechanics at the same time. He's real quick, real clean, and I'm real happy to be we're driving one.
00:18:40
Speaker 9: Of his cars.
00:18:41
Speaker 4: Jimmy, you did real well in the race last year until you had to go out.
00:18:45
Speaker 10: What was your difficulty last year?
00:18:46
Speaker 16: I was running thirty one hundred and eighty two laps are four hundred and fifty miles and.
00:18:51
Speaker 4: The trottle pedal fell off, and that was a very disappointing thing. As you were, you were up there competing. You were you and Jimmy Bryan were having quite a tussle, weren't you.
00:18:59
Speaker 16: Yes, we were racing with each other throughout the afternoon for probably two hundred miles, and finally I had to give up.
00:19:06
Speaker 4: Well, Jimmy, we certainly hope you have good luck on race day and best wishes to you.
00:19:10
Speaker 10: Thank you very much. Charlie, we have with us also at Alesion and ed.
00:19:14
Speaker 4: You're sitting up in a pretty good position normally you you're down here one of the last minute attempts at qualifying, aren't you well?
00:19:21
Speaker 17: In fifty four and fifty five I qualified the last two days, But last year and this year I've had, We've been good. Things have gone smooth enough where I've been able to qualify that first day.
00:19:33
Speaker 10: Well, it certainly a good feeling.
00:19:35
Speaker 4: How does this race car that you're driving this year compare with some of the others you've had in the field.
00:19:38
Speaker 17: Well, it's definitely the finest piece of machinery I've ever came here with. And I ran a car here for a few laps last summer with Watson. We made some trial runs and I knew that the car could definitely sit up in the front.
00:19:50
Speaker 10: We'll add, do you plan to go out and try to lead her all the way? Or what are your plans?
00:19:55
Speaker 2: Or do you haven't have you.
00:19:55
Speaker 10: Made him yet?
00:19:56
Speaker 17: Well, we haven't decided on anything definite. It's hard to say what can happen, but we'd like to try and lead the RASA.
00:20:03
Speaker 9: Just like the rest offls in the part road too.
00:20:07
Speaker 7: As we'll be back in just a moment now, this is the Indian Applis Motor Speedway.
00:20:10
Speaker 3: Network talking to all the john Zinc. Guys back in nineteen fifty eight, getting them set for the race, and then up against it was Sid Collins and as as Mike said, put it out out of its misery, right, Sometimes Sid just had to lay the truth on the line, as he did regarding mac Helling's status for the race on Speedway Gossip in nineteen fifty two. Mike set up for me what we're about to hear here.
00:20:36
Speaker 6: Well, Sid had his own show. There's a number of different shows. Obviously the PM Party was one and all, you know Captain Sid's Treasure Hunt, which we'd like to talk about sometimes. But he had another show during May that was called Speedway Gossip where he would talk about basically, you know, this guy got into this car today and this is the fast car of the day, and you know, things like that, and it was a really interesting show for folks to listen to. But one day he decided to do a little bit of a mail bag segment and answer some questions. And this was the well known answer for the Speedway Gossip mail bag segment.
00:21:12
Speaker 7: First of all, I have answer some of my mail in regard to questions here at the track, and don't forget if you have any questions, just dropping in themas at Collins Carret WIBC, Indianapolis and I'll try my best to answer.
00:21:23
Speaker 9: Them for you.
00:21:24
Speaker 7: Ronald Keaton and Shelbyville. Ass Is mac Kellings racing this year, No, Ronald, I'm very sorry Mike Kellings is not racing this year or any other year because Mike lost his life in an airplane accident in the mountains.
00:21:37
Speaker 9: Of California this last season.
00:21:39
Speaker 7: He was flying to an automobile race from Los Angeles. The race was to be held in northern California, and he along with two others, crashing the mountains. It took several days to find him, and of course he had lost his life and will.
00:21:50
Speaker 9: Not be here in the future.
00:21:51
Speaker 3: You know, it's important to point out to make the disclaimer that once you have determined that unfortunately Max was killed in the plane crash, that that means he won't be here this year or any other year moving.
00:22:03
Speaker 6: Yeah, So it reminds me when he sends delivery on that reminds me of that line and die Hard when you know Alan Rickman's characters like he won't be joining us for the rest of his life.
00:22:14
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean that certainly in that case was very succinct and to the point right sometimes you said absolutely need to be saved just because they're up against it for the break, which is exactly what we are right now. But that's not to say that we will not continue to hear some classic audio and new unearthed audio. Here. I'm beyond the.
00:22:33
Speaker 5: Break beyond the bricks with Jack Query and Mike Thompson, brought to you by Quality, supply and tool Think outside the Box store on ninety three five and one of seven five fan.
00:22:50
Speaker 7: Yes, stuck and we tel accept no substitute. When you want golden flavor rich bacon, deserve with your breakfast eggs, the sandwiches, or main dishes. It's the bright, fresh, government inspected bacon, strictly controlled for highest quality. According to the Indianapolis Star and the Indianapolis News consumer survey, more folks preferred than any other brand, And once you taste it, you'll know why. Every slice is nut sweet, hickorymello, lean as good flavor, allows and so rich.
00:23:25
Speaker 9: In important proteum remembered.
00:23:28
Speaker 7: Stark and Websail is d bacon that has earned the Good Housekeeping seal and it's guaranteed in writing to completely satisfy or your money back. So this week, why not get the best of bacon, flavor, bacon nourishment yet.
00:23:44
Speaker 9: Stark and wet Sail bacon.
00:23:49
Speaker 3: I got a look about you. But anytime that I'm going for my bacon for my breakfast sandwiches, I always make sure it's government inspected.
00:23:57
Speaker 6: Well, it needs to be government inspected and needs to be great. That's what I definitely worry about, whether or not my bacon is bright.
00:24:03
Speaker 3: That's right. Well, that's important to see. As a matter of fact, the starking wettl so bright. We can see it from the other side of the Hinsley Legal Group Command Center. It happens higher Hinsley, which is where we are putting together this episode of Beyond the Bricks. His name Sydney Kahn Junior, but you know him as Sid Collins. As a matter of fact, the long standing voice of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway radio network was lost forty nine years ago tomorrow on May tewod of nineteen seventy seven. But we take a look back at Sid tonight, not just doing the commercials, not just interviewing the drivers or calling the action at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but also Mike. The reality is that he was doing a variety show, so to speak, a radio show that was a holiday picnic, bringing in the celebrities from around the country that were coming to the Indianapolis five hundred and if you did so, that meant that you had the opportunity to join the broadcast booth and win fabulous prizes so to speak.
00:25:01
Speaker 6: Correct, Mike, Oh, Yes, one of the greatest gifts ever given on the radio will be in this segment. It's one of my favorite favorite clips of Sid of all time, for sure.
00:25:10
Speaker 3: Lauren Green was a star on the television show Bonanza. He visited with Sid during the race in nineteen sixty seven.
00:25:16
Speaker 7: Back in the Master control tower once again, and the man who certainly is used to riding on the range regardless of weather is Lauren Green from the television show Bonanza.
00:25:25
Speaker 2: They have their.
00:25:25
Speaker 7: Sponsor's pace car, the Chevrolet Camaro, out here today, and Lauren, we apologize to you for our Indiana weather.
00:25:30
Speaker 9: It normally isn't like this.
00:25:33
Speaker 1: Well, I'll tell you things like this happened with a Ponderosa too, and it's just too bad that it happened with all these wonderful people out of here. Am I What a tremendous crowd of people around here today. What do you do on the Ponderosa when it happens. Well, we the holman wants to row right now, Well, we can get the cattle in and we milk them two three times, you know, just keep him busy and a full time job with this crowd, and then we then we feed him, and then we go out and try to clean out the range, get all that wet off so the cows and go out again and not slip around so much. Now this is, of course we were kidding here, but it is too bad that on a great wonderful day like this that the rain should have to come. But it does happen, you know, and it hasn't happened too often over the years.
00:26:22
Speaker 7: Very very celid. Nineteen fifty is the last time we've had this ray stop for rain.
00:26:25
Speaker 1: I understand they have big engines here which come out and dry up the track.
00:26:31
Speaker 9: That is that correct, that's right.
00:26:32
Speaker 7: There are some blowers that will go around, but we'll have to have some help from the course. The water is stopping its down fall first and some wind to come across. The wind really drives the track as well as anything over this acreage of round.
00:26:43
Speaker 1: I'm a little disappointed. It's you know, developing into quite a race. Roger McCluskey came up awfully good, and Dan Gurney and A. J. Boyd and a lot of the cars are running real good. And of course that that stp that.
00:27:01
Speaker 7: Fanella Jones car was really humming along with and off to a fantastic start. And this is the test for it today and I'm sorry they couldn't have proved it in a continuous fashion and we might get back on the track again.
00:27:11
Speaker 1: Yeah, I was sorry to see what happened to Mario Andretti. But maybe with this wign and he'll have a chance to come back into the race.
00:27:17
Speaker 9: That's right. It could be a very great blessing in disguise for him.
00:27:19
Speaker 7: Neil well, Lauren, and enjoy yourself somewhere around here and out to the lay nicey game.
00:27:23
Speaker 9: Bye to say thank you so much. Thank you so Lauren Green.
00:27:26
Speaker 3: Lauren Green at the time of that interview, by the way, and kudos to him because clearly he followed racing and understood and knew all of those that he was talking about. Lauren Green would have been fifty two years old at the time of the airing of that particular interview. Now, as for those that weren't on Bonanza, but were in plantations or new frontiers elsewhere. How about Gus Grissom, who, by the way, we just would have a month ago celebrated Gus Grissom the Hoosiers one hundredth birthday, and he did fly around the moon. He also talked with Sid Collins Control.
00:28:00
Speaker 7: Already innapp Us once again, the very special guests dropped by to saal.
00:28:02
Speaker 12: Those of us were a few seconds.
00:28:04
Speaker 7: Major and Gus Chrissly, our astronaughter of whom we're very proud from Mitchell, Indiana. Here with the boys Scott and Mark today and I hope you're all having a good time.
00:28:12
Speaker 2: Major.
00:28:13
Speaker 12: Oh, yes, we're enjoying it. We've been looking forward to this race for a long time.
00:28:16
Speaker 7: Well, how does this lead out here on the racetrack compare with that in a capsule?
00:28:19
Speaker 9: They tell me you can't even feel speed in one of those.
00:28:21
Speaker 12: Wow, that isn't quite true. We can tell it. We're moving very rapidly across the earth. Good job, and it's a different element, so it's a different type speed. This is something really something here, your friend and ours.
00:28:31
Speaker 7: Jim Ratlin said he'd like to have been an Astroall would you'd like.
00:28:34
Speaker 9: To have been a race driver.
00:28:36
Speaker 12: Oh yes, I still like the race boys are enjoying it too. Yes, indeed, thank you so much for job. Thank you, sir Gus Grissom.
00:28:43
Speaker 2: We're very proud of him.
00:28:44
Speaker 7: From Mitchell, Indiana. We thank our friends General Hotdie Wilcoffs and Jorge part National Guard here and now living in Phoenix, Arizona.
00:28:50
Speaker 12: Thank you Brett ray by bringing goodbye too.
00:28:52
Speaker 7: Gus Risslm from Mitchell, Indiana was in the play this morning before the track started to bus.
00:28:59
Speaker 9: The action of the race guys out here.
00:29:00
Speaker 12: We he's it's tremendous coup.
00:29:03
Speaker 3: Now, Mike, that's what I call one in depth interview.
00:29:06
Speaker 2: That's uh.
00:29:08
Speaker 6: Gus was a man a few words though, so you know, but he also was People may not remember he was briefly a car owner at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. So uh, you know, it's it's cool to have Gus on the air, no doubt about it. Gus is probably my all time favorite astronaut, so I'm glad to hear from Gus.
00:29:24
Speaker 3: Sid Collins definitely did enjoy interviewing the celebrities, no doubt, including our next which might have been one of his favorites.
00:29:31
Speaker 6: Oh, I think so. I think this is probably Sid's all time favorite celebrity interview.
00:29:36
Speaker 9: He conducted this.
00:29:37
Speaker 6: You could just tell in his voice he's having a good time and this This is definitely an interview I think Sid would have ranked this is probably his favorite.
00:29:45
Speaker 3: Understandable. It's Jane Mansfield, another guest who stopped by a young lady.
00:29:49
Speaker 7: I don't know if it's there first to five min a mile race or not, but I know that she's been very much enjoy being seen here at the Trothy because she's a very amendous star, just back from Europe where she made a movie with Jane Mansfield.
00:29:59
Speaker 12: I look, yeah, said, how are you doing?
00:30:01
Speaker 9: You having fun?
00:30:02
Speaker 7: Yes, I'm having a wonderful time. This is my first five hundred mile, right. I've been raced and stopped in another place in California, but nothing was devil like this, you know.
00:30:11
Speaker 9: Freddie aggravation, my curly friend here.
00:30:13
Speaker 7: How are you nice?
00:30:14
Speaker 6: Seeing you?
00:30:14
Speaker 9: Tollie Bachman is the end.
00:30:16
Speaker 7: Of the where'd you get this beautiful bout in there that is five.
00:30:19
Speaker 9: Hundred on it?
00:30:20
Speaker 7: Well, it was given to me at the hotel this morning where we're staying in the Marit Hotel here in Indianapolis.
00:30:25
Speaker 3: So I'm all decked out for the race.
00:30:28
Speaker 9: We certainly hope that you enjoy yourself, and thanks so much for stopping by.
00:30:31
Speaker 10: Sure are we did?
00:30:32
Speaker 7: We got in wednesday, you know where we did The Loves of Hercules, NICKI and I co start in Europe.
00:30:37
Speaker 9: We came in especially from Rome to.
00:30:38
Speaker 2: See the ray.
00:30:39
Speaker 7: Well you should have a favorite they've nicknamed Jim Hurd of these Hercules in this event.
00:30:42
Speaker 2: Oh have they really you watched it?
00:30:44
Speaker 6: Will?
00:30:45
Speaker 3: I think Roger Ward is going to come off with that.
00:30:48
Speaker 9: We'll see what a good.
00:30:49
Speaker 14: Place for it.
00:30:49
Speaker 9: So you are thank you to Jane Man. Okay, right bye bye.
00:30:54
Speaker 7: I turned back around here again towards the race track.
00:30:56
Speaker 9: That's the aggravation we.
00:30:58
Speaker 7: Have on the track of the present high with Jim rathmans still Holy non E Lee and j Mansfield choice, Roger Ward and second spot on Johnny Thompson and third Buttonhausen's car evidently is not causing too much trouble even with the smoke.
00:31:10
Speaker 10: Oh you're right, dad man, here I'm drawing rightman.
00:31:12
Speaker 16: Emily just made a quick pit stop too while you were looking at what just left Mike.
00:31:19
Speaker 3: Walton now in the South fit little bit, Okay, while you were looking at what just left, Mike, while you were looking at what just left right, Sid, Sid was clearly a fan of Jane Mansfield.
00:31:32
Speaker 9: I don't think there's any doubt about that.
00:31:34
Speaker 6: And I have to give a quick shout out if you haven't seen the documentary that Murska Hargeta did on her mom, Jane Mansfield was called My Mom Jane, really really well done.
00:31:43
Speaker 9: Outstanding documentary she did.
00:31:45
Speaker 6: But you could tell Sid was absolutely a je Mansfield fan.
00:31:50
Speaker 3: As soon as the documentary ended, Mike said, I'm still looking at what just left right? As soon as the documentary was ending. Of course, Sid's greatest celebrity interview came in nineteen sixty six when he interviewed the joker Seizo Romero and gave him one of the greatest gifts. Mike, this is your favorite gift you would if this was at the memorabilia show. I would like to know what Mike Thompson would pay for it. I could jokingly you say that jokingly.
00:32:15
Speaker 6: I've been a couple times, like three hundred dollars for one of these and not won it, and they've gone for like five or six hundred dollars, So I really am looking for one of these, and I have never been able to buy one, So I truthfully do want to buy one of these, There's no question about.
00:32:31
Speaker 3: So let's unveil and hear what the fabulous prize was.
00:32:35
Speaker 7: We have a guest coming by. But you saw last evening, Caesar, how are you nice to see you?
00:32:41
Speaker 9: Are you?
00:32:41
Speaker 7: Let me again get up here if I can under these wires and say hello to you. Caesar Romero, a guest who told his last night at the President's reception for the five hundred Festival. It was his first five hundred mile race, and I'm sorry I had to start off this way for you.
00:32:54
Speaker 18: Well, I am too, said, it is my first race, and everything has been so great so far, tremendously exciting time the three days that I've been here up until this present moment. Coming here this morning and going around the track, everybody is screaming and yelling and cheering. It was really tremendously exciting. But I Heaven's when I saw what happened there, of course, I thought probably somebody must have been very badly heard. All I could see with tires flying in the air, and it looks as if cars were turning over and it was an awful mess. But I think we can all be tremendously grateful that no one was badly heard.
00:33:32
Speaker 9: At all or thrilled over that feeling right now.
00:33:34
Speaker 18: Yeah, yes, but it's such a shame because these men work so hard all year a long for this one chance, and it's terrible to see anything like this happened to help them get out of the race, even before the thing actually hardly got started.
00:33:48
Speaker 9: Well, that's the way they feel about it.
00:33:49
Speaker 7: This is their life they worked for and this is the big one you know today and not even have a chance to compete is very frustrating.
00:33:55
Speaker 18: Indeed, well I can understand that. Well, it's a shame and it's a kind of put for me. It's put sort of a damper on it.
00:34:02
Speaker 2: I don't know.
00:34:02
Speaker 9: Well, I will do that, I think once last start again.
00:34:04
Speaker 7: Of course you won't sit the thirty three car field, but you'll see an abbreviated field and I hope a good race.
00:34:09
Speaker 18: Caesar, Well I hope so too. But it's been a wonderful experience. I'm the lighter to land here.
00:34:13
Speaker 9: Thank you for cud.
00:34:14
Speaker 7: I I'd like to give you a gold filled zip O lighter as a guest of the network here for being on the product. Very welcome, Thank you should have a nice time, Sez Romero. Very first of all, gentlemen, that.
00:34:22
Speaker 3: Gold filled Zippo lighter. If you see one at a memorabilia show, immediately contact Mike Thompson. He's got his three. Ben Franklin's ready for his starting bid and we will go from there to see whether or not he can land that coveted prize. Again, what's that you joke around?
00:34:38
Speaker 6: You joke around about that, but the last one that's sold on eBay so for seven hundred and seven dollars.
00:34:43
Speaker 3: So I said, you're starting bid right now, you're finishing one. But when it comes to not landing the big prize, sometimes that's exactly what happened for the Indianapolis five hundred and sid had to break the news to everybody, which we will let you here next.
00:35:01
Speaker 5: Beyond the bricks with your query and Mike Thompson brought to you by Quality Supply and Tool Think outside the box store on ninety three five and one of seven fives a sand fans.
00:35:11
Speaker 7: As you know, when you put the old family of bonds in on the regular service days. The good old Joe comes out and that's about five gallons of gas, leaning of the gas tank and leans the windshield. You talk things over, well, that boy would never make a race mechanic, not a vat pace. He goes on a speeding race car and he's a coming the fits as you've heard today. The driver signals the crew that he'll be in on the next lap, a ready point. There's no friendly idle discussion about the turn of events. Every man has a place and he better be there. Six mechanics and out on the track. And that puts one on each wheel. Amanda with the field of the tank and a man deserving the driver and bought to him and give him instruction and how he goes.
00:35:44
Speaker 2: Again and let's come out of the most cases.
00:35:46
Speaker 9: And that's what Loc and Greg are chucking on for us all day today. And a hot spot and the bending place in the pit area.
00:35:53
Speaker 3: Out the driver goes again and inside the Hensley Legal Group Race command Center and have to hire Hinsley is where you will find Land includes Mike Thompson, myself, Jake Querry here talking about that man's voice that you just heard. Sid Collins, the legendary host anchor of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network, a man whose voice probably as synonymous with the evolution and the upward trajectory of this great event as anybody and its apex years that you can find. And not just broadcasting the race itself, not just giving updates on what was going on at sixteenth to Georgetown, not just interviewing dignitaries and celebrities that were gracing the speedway with their presence, but also sometimes breaking news of those that would not be an attendance.
00:36:41
Speaker 7: We have four Indiana drivers in the lineup, Bobby Grim, Jeene Hartley, Dwane Carter, and Jimmy day Wald and Freeland is still on it is set to take the white flag for the finish of his qualification run.
00:36:53
Speaker 9: This includes another day of time.
00:36:54
Speaker 7: Trials from Indianapolis join us again tomorrow at the same time for the fourth day of qualifications. The bumping process begins, assuming the field of thirty three is filled prior to six pm, so that by the end of the day the thirty three fastest cars out of the sixty one edit here for the five hundred will be ready to go.
00:37:11
Speaker 9: May thirtieth.
00:37:12
Speaker 7: It's just been announced that twentieth Century Fox Studios have informed the borg Warner Corporation that Joan Collins, who have been assigned to greet the winner of this year's race in Victory Lane and present the borg Warner Trophy, will not be on hand due to last minute complications.
00:37:24
Speaker 9: A new star will be chosen in the next few days.
00:37:27
Speaker 7: Fearless heating and air conditioning has kept our booth cool today Watches by Bolivar. Our producer has been building. Plan to join us again next Saturday, May thirtieth, ten thirty am Eastern Standard Time for four and one half hours on the same station, and tomorrow at five point thirty for the wrap up of the preparatory activity for the forty third five hundred mile race. Freeland is coming in, not going to complete his qualification run. This is Sidcollins saying good night across the nation. This is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Network.
00:37:54
Speaker 3: Stay tuned now for the news Mike. It's a good thing that the booth was cool and they were able to look at their watch routinely sweating the fact that Joan Collins they hadn't gotten word yet. Then they got it and you said no, sweat right because they had Erin O'Brien show up.
00:38:09
Speaker 6: Right. Eron O'Brien came and I think that actually, believe it or not, I think that was trading up in nineteen fifty nine. So that was a pretty good deal for the Speedway to get Erin O'Brien.
00:38:18
Speaker 3: So disappointment once again is often the case of the Speedway turns into elation. In nineteen sixty two, Sid Collins expressed some sadness over some technical difficulties, showing the professional nature that of course made him the broadcaster he was.
00:38:33
Speaker 7: Incidentally, we regret the WVCG Carl Gables, Florida and wvmcmount CARMELOLLINOI failed to receive our initial time trial program yesterday at this time due to technical difficulties. We understand the problems have been corrected and we're happy to welcome our good friends George Thorpe, manager of w VCG Carl Gables, and John hurle But manager of w Vmcmount Carmel, Illinois, to our network of time trial stations. Incidentally, tickets are still available for this year's five hundred mile race.
00:39:02
Speaker 3: Sid made sure to give credit to all members of the radio network, like in nineteen fifty eight when he interviewed producer Bill Dean back.
00:39:09
Speaker 7: In the control tower once again standing alongside me as our veteran network producer building, who's at my side for the seventh year directing the multitude of activity is to take place over these four hundred and fourteen acres half the Speedway build. First of all, how many stations will we have on the Speedway network this season?
00:39:25
Speaker 19: About three hundred stations? Said Incidentally, the fans may be interested to know that these three hundred stations represent forty six states, and they tie into eighty five hundred miles of major radio trunk line twenty thousand miles of secondary line to carry the greatest of all automobile races.
00:39:41
Speaker 2: The broadcast will be sent to every English speaking country in the world, Latin America.
00:39:46
Speaker 19: It'll be translated into Spanish through the Voice of America and also to the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces Radio Service.
00:39:52
Speaker 7: Well, is there's still time to join this network if a station desires to carry the great five hundred mile race.
00:39:57
Speaker 19: Yes, any radio broadcaster outside the imediate area is served by the station at which he is now listening is invited to join the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Network or a complete and uninterrupted report of the world's greatest sports spectacle Friday, May thirtieth. For full details, contact Gildberry, Director.
00:40:13
Speaker 7: Now, let's tell the fans something about our grand staff, a broadcasters for the race and the extent of your facilities well.
00:40:19
Speaker 19: A crew of approximately thirty announcers, technicians, runners, lapman and various assistants comprise the staff in the pit area, covering approximately a quarter of a mile of space along the main straightaway. Here in front of the tower, there are three announcers, Luke Walton, Jack Shapiro, and Greg Smith. These boys will handle hectic activities in the pits. On the northwest tern, It'll be Bill Prosch, Bob Roads on the southeast turn, with Bernie Herman on the back stretch that long straight away from the southeast turn to the northeast tern. Lou Palmer, new to the race fan audience, will be stationed at this all important northeast tern. Jim Shalton, veteran speedway announcer, will be at his usual place at the northwest turn. Bob Hoover, another newcomer to the Speedway Classic, will be in the garage area. Charlie Brockman, of course, will again be assisting you Sid in the terrace tower.
00:41:05
Speaker 7: Now, what are your duties to the producer of the Greatest Spectacle and Raising.
00:41:08
Speaker 2: Bill on May thirty eight? Well?
00:41:09
Speaker 19: I have many of them, as you know, Sid, But the most important job I have to do on race day is switching from one pickup point to another as rapidly as possible, allowing the announcer to give a clear concise description of what is happening.
00:41:21
Speaker 9: I wear a split headset.
00:41:23
Speaker 19: It's called a set of earphones, with one phone connected at the program line, whereby I can hear what's on the airs the listener here is it. The other phone is connected to all pickup points. I hear calls coming in from all nine announcers around the track and their conversations with the technicians in the control booth located here in the tower. It can be very confusing, to say the least, listening to two things at one time. It does take concentration. Announcers call me reporting something of interest, and immediately I notify the chief announcer with a flash card showing the announcer's name in his position it's my responsibility to to determine which pickup point is the most vital to the broadcast at that particular moment. Calls come in simultaneously from the announcers around the track. I must choose the most important story signal other announcers to stand by under their called upon to report. I work very closely with a switcher, a technician located in the control booth who is in constant contact with all announcers around the track. Before the transfer is made, the switcher receives direction from me by means a hand signal or a flash card. We strive at all times to make the transfer from one announcer to another quick clear, in a smooth operation. We do everything we can to provide a clear picture through sound for four and a half hours.
00:42:32
Speaker 9: Thank you very much.
00:42:33
Speaker 7: Building Our producer here on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network.
00:42:38
Speaker 3: Mike Donald Davidson, does it at the sign off of every broadcast, so I'll let you do it first. That is a thank you to Sid Collins, right yep, Thank you Sid, thanks for all you did. Thank you Sid, indeed, and thank all of you for listening to Beyond the Bricks
