Beyond the Bricks Podcast 1075 THE FAN

Tonight on Beyond the Bricks, Jake and Mike are by a special guest, Johnny Rutherford! Rutherford tells his story about how he got into racing, including the first race he ever saw at Tulsa on a quarter-mile dirt track. Rutherford talks about Kurtis-Kraft race cars, and why he enjoyed racing so much. We hear audio of Rutherford’s first qualifying attempt, in which he bumped Pedro Rodriguez. 

In the second half of the show, Jake and Mike talk to Johnny Rutherford about how he got to work with McLaren and become their driver. He talks about how challenging his early years of racing were, and when he knew he had found the right car and team in 1974. We hear audio from Rutherford’s first win, and how traveling around a lot as a kid allowed him to be a better race car driver. Johnny talks about his favorite ice cream flavors, and how the myth about his liking of strawberry ice cream came to be. Rutherford talks about how he met his wife Betty when she was a nurse at the track.  

In the final segment of the show, Johnny talks about the Pennzoil Chaparral, and how dominant it was in 1980. He talks about breaking records with it, and how much downforce the car had. We hear audio of Johnny’s win in 1980. He also talks about some of the memorabilia he will have at the memorabilia show in Plainfield. 
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Tonight, on Beyond the Bricks with Jake Query and Mike Thomsen, Jake and Mike wish Helio Castroneves a very happy birthday and look back at his legacy as one of the four four-time winners of the Indianapolis 500, by replaying the finishes of all his wins.  

In the second half of the show, Jake and Mike talk about Sid Collins broadcasting for the Indianapolis 500 and former baseball player, Bob Feller, and his love for the 500. 

In the final segment of the show, Jake and Mike talk about George Harrison and his growing interest in motorsports along the Speedway Motel and learning that The Beatles used to stay there in private during their tour stops in Indy! 
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Tonight on Beyond the Bricks with Jake Query and Mike Thomsen, Jake and Mike look at songs that have become part of the lore of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. They talk about how the 500 Song came to be, and how it became part of the racing tradition. We get to hear Paul Page, Bob Jenkins, and Mike King sing the 500 song. 

In the second half of the show, Jake and Mike talk about the history of Back Home Again in Indiana, and all the singers over the years. They highlight some classic performances of Back Home Again in Indiana, including James Melton and Dinah Shore, and some less than successful attempts, like Peter DePaolo in 1971. 

In the final segment of the show, Jake and Mike talk about the Delta Force Theme, and how the music came to be used in the 500. Paul Page talks about how each year’s Delta Force montage was made, and how he wrote a copy for it.  
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Tonight on Beyond the Bricks with Jake Query and Mike Thomsen, Jake and Mike talk about WIBC and their coverage of the Indy 500. They highlight personalities like Lou Palmer, and tell the story about how his first job being part of the Indy 500 Radio Network in 1958. They talk about Palmer’s impressive call of the opening lap crash, and how it cemented his career. They also discuss how he called the 1966 start crash, and handled victory lane interviews. 

In the second half of the show, Jake and Mike talk more about Lou Palmer at WIBC, and his first time in the control tower in 1973.  

In the final segment of the show, Jake and Mike review some more Lou Palmer audio, and talk about Sid Collins starting the Network. They give the history of Sid Collins’ catchphrase, “Now stay tuned to the greatest spectacle in racing.” Jake and Mike end the show recapping the legacy of WIBC. 
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Tonight on Beyond the Bricks with Jake Query and Mike Thomsen, we continue the series on remembering drivers who have passed since the previous 500. They start the show by talking about Bill Vukovich II, and a wild ride Mike took with Dick Jordan to pick up Vukovich II. Mike and Jake tell the story about how Vukovich II found out about his father’s passing in 1955. We hear from Vukovich II on his relationship with Gary Bettenhausen, and the scoring error that briefly gave him the lead in the 500. We also hear from Vukovich on the toll racing has taken on his family. 

In the second half of the show, Jake and Mike pay homage to Wally Dallenbach. The two talk about Dallenbach’s contribution to racing, and his success in IndyCar, and how close he came to winning the 500 in 1975. They also talk about Dallenbach coming out of retirement to qualify a car for Mario Andretti in 1981, and his time as Chief Steward of the 500. 

In the final segment of the show, Mike and Jake talk about Mickey Rupp, who only started in one 500, but got a 10th place finish, and had a big impact on the world of go-karting, and the fact that he was a sponsor in the 500 before he was a competitor. We hear Donald Davidson talking about Mickey Rupp, and why he was not rookie of the year for his 6th place finish. 
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Tonight on Beyond the Bricks with Jake Query and Mike Thomsen, we pay homage to two drivers who left us during the year. Gil De Ferran and Cale Yarborough. Jake and Mike give a biography on De Ferran’s life, and play audio of some of his first racing moments at IMS. The two talk about De Ferran’s first win with Hall Racing, and how popular of a driver he was at the end of 1996, and his record breaking run at Fontana. 

In the second half of the show, Jake and Mike talk more about Gil De Ferran, and we hear audio of Gil De Ferran’s win at Indy and discuss the team dynamic of De Ferran and Helio Castroneves. We hear from Helio Castroneves about Gil De Ferran’s passing and the memories he has with him. 

In the final segment of the show, Jake and Mike talk about the legacy of Cale Yarborough, his NASCAR career, and his IndyCar career. We hear from Cale Yarborough on his Indy 500 career, and Donald Davidson recapping Yarborough’s career, including his rough beginning in 1966 with the start accident. We also hear Cale Yarborough sing Hey, Good Lookin’. 
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