[DeTomaso] Pantera Indy Official

cengles at cox.net cengles at cox.net
Tue May 29 13:39:22 EDT 2007


Dear Dave,

Thanks for sharing your experience. I had a taste of Indy years ago when a friend, who was an AP Indy photographer invited me to Indy for Qualifying weekend and promised me that he could obtain fake credentials that would permit me to appear to be an AP photographer and *roam* all over the pits to shoot photographs. He did as he promised. He was a prince. I had a wonderful time, but it was only a sample of the special time you've had.

Warmest regards, Chuck Engles


---- Dave McManus <dave at damardirect.com> wrote:
>Thanks Michael, but I have two corrections. I was not a "Yellow Shirt"; they
>are the Speedway guards at intersections within the track, parking, garage
>area, and pit traffic movers. I was an official with USAC at the Speedway
>until 1996 when the Speedway dropped USAC as the governing body and the IRL
>decided to run their races. I was kept by the IRL until 2 yrs ago when the
>"Product Certification" group was pink slipped and our duties were taken
>over by the "Tech Committee". Twenty years ago Certification had 160 guys.
>In 1996 the IRL reduced our group to about 100. Every year after our group
>numbers were reduced. The last two or three years we operated we had 21
>guys. It was a neat gig. We used to inspect the cars in the garage at 5:00am
>on race morning. Each car took about 45 minutes & then you had to find the
>head wrench to sign off. For Foyt, you usually slid it under a door. The
>last couple of years, we completed the inspection of each car in about 5
>minutes. Not as much contingency money. Anyway, we stayed with the car ( as
>assigned) until around 8:00, tugged to the fuel pump, then "Tech
>Inspection", then to the respective pit and handed the car to a member of
>"Tech". This is where the fun started; we were free to mingle in the pits
>and the sea of people that included major sponsors, owners, VIPs, and
>celebrities. After about 1-1/2 hours the next step is "Griding the cars on
>the front stretch, 3 cars x 11 rows. As I remember, 2 crew members per car,
>drivers in the car, three officials per row and a fireman with extinguisher.
>Words can not tell how it feels to be but one of twenty some people on the
>track with about 400M people in attendance. The feeling of standing about a
>foot from the rear tire when the command to start the engines and 33 cars
>come to life is a feeling I will never forget. The rib pounding vibrations,
>the Goosebumps (every year), running off of the track as the cars roll
>forward is exhilarating. It was then to the first turn where our group
>gathered to watch the first ten or so laps was tradition. We would then
>split up & watch the race from various points. Several of us would check
>plugs, oil samples and fuel after the race for the first 12 finishers. All
>things change BUT it was a great ride for 20 years.
>
>Indy
>Dave
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Michael Shortt [mailto:michaelsavga at gmail.com]
>Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 6:14 PM
>To: List DeTomaso
>Subject: [DeTomaso] Pantera Indy Official
>
>Hello all,
>
>Watching the Indy 500 today, wet mess of a race, but wanted dip a hat to
>Pantera Owner and list member
>Dave McManus who is one of those official guys in the yellow shirts.
>Dry off Dan. Another great race!
>--
>Michael L. Shortt
>Savannah, Georgia
>
>
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