When Larry Mullins first attended the Indianapolis 500 in 1963, the cost of a gallon of a gas was about 30 cents.
While the cost of gas has increased nearly tenfold, the thrill of the Memorial Day weekend classic still remains for Mullins.
With the exception of 1996, when the CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) and IRL (Indy Racing League) split, Mullins has made the trek to Indy for 42 years.
Mullins, owner of Brandon Tire, 595 Ortonville Road, Ortonville, along with sons Brent and Scott and a group of about 29 people will be attending the May 28 race, and will sit in their familiar spot on Turn 4. Mullins said they must reserve their tickets a year in advance in order to stay in the same location.
Larry is not the only member of the family that has become a diehard Indianapolis 500 fan. Brent has been going almost as long as his dad, attending his first race when he was 5 years old.
‘It’s a good family event,? Mullins said. ‘We’ve taken our grandkids there. It’s something we look forward to every year. It’s a fun event.?
In addition, racing fans have their favorite drivers and keep up-to-date on all the latest racing news, which makes following the race that much more exciting, Mullins said.
‘People say ‘How can you watch cars go around??, but you pick out the drivers and get to know them,? he said.
He said his favorite racers through the years have been the Andretti family (which includes Mario, son Michael, and grandson Marco), and the Unser family, which includes four-time winner Al Sr., two-time winner Al Jr. and three-time winner Bobby.
The Mullins family has also had the fortune of meeting several Indy-car racers, including Tom Sneva (who finished first in the 1983 race and second in 1977, 1978 and 1980), Kevin Cogan (who finished second in 1986) and Scott Pruett (who won the Indianapolis 500 co-rookie of the year award while finishing 10th in the 1989 race).
In addition to making the yearly trip to the race, Mullins and his family stay in the same spot each year while in Indianapolis, living in a place in Kokomo (north of Indianapolis) for the duration of their stay.
Mullins said he first became interested in racing while working for Firestone. ‘I went to work for them, and they were big into racing,? he said. ‘I went to the races and got hooked.?
The Indianapolis 500 Web site provides a detailed history of each race, and those statistics indicate a sharp change between auto racing then and now. In 1963, when Parnelli Jones won the race, his winner’s share was $148,513, while by comparison, last year’s winner, Dan Wheldon, took home $1,537,805 for his efforts.
In addition, Jones? qualifying time back in 1963 was 151.15 mph, while Wheldon’s qualifying time in 2005 was 224.308 mph.
Another thing that has changed through the years is the cost of attending the race. Peggy Swalls, ticket director at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, said this year, tickets run as high as $150, with the low-end reserved tickets starting at $40. The public can buy general admission tickets for $20 each.
By contrast, Swalls said in 1963, tickets ranged from as high as $30 (in what was known as the ‘penthouse? level) to as low as $2.
She said there is not necessarily a waiting list as far as tickets are concerned, but seniority plays a part when open reserved seats become available.
‘If seats open up, the person that has been going the longest gets the most consideration,? she said.
Swalls also said the race has not been sold out as of press time.
Dating back to Mullins? first race, when spectators could get in the speedway for $2 a ticket, an accident occurred which he said is still the most unfortunate incident he has ever witnessed at the race.
‘Eddie Sachs (one of the racers in that year’s race) bounced off the fourth turn wall and was broadsided by David MacDonald,? Mullins said. ‘There was a fire explosion, and Sachs died in the accident. From that, they developed rubber fuel bladders for safety reasons for the vehicles.?
On a more positive note, Mullins said his favorite race came in 1969, when renowned driver Mario Andretti won his only Indianapolis 500.
As far as this year’s field is concerned, Mullins said Helio Castroneves, a two-time winner of the race, has an excellent shot at winning this year and eventually joining the list of four-time Indianapolis 500 winners (Al Unser Sr., Rick Mears and A.J. Foyt).
The drivers in this year’s race work with multimillion-dollar budgets and the latest technological advances. Mullins said he is impressed by the technology in each car and the precision with which each driver’s crew must work.
‘They’re so sophisticated and well-equipped,? he said of the cars. ‘A driver has control of some of the down force of the car. It’s amazing what they have control over. Fuel is always a consideration ? you take chances as far as when to put it in and when not to put it in. It really calls for a lot of teamwork.?