Texas Lawdog;
That must've been one of the last times anyone saw Gus Grissom alive. But - you must have been there in '66, since he died 27 Jan. '67. RIP, Gus - you are missed.
I used to be a carrier at the Postal station that delivered the Track and surrounding area. I've delivered during all the Saturdays of qualifications for the 500, the B-Yard 400 and I delivered the day of the first NASCAR Brickyard 400, won by # 24. Let me tell you; as a person who was in that area working and mixing with all the folks there to watch the goings-on, I HAD A BALL!! I'll say this: the 500 crowd, while friendly and very much the party-types, aren't (weren't) as friendly as the NASCAR crowd that first year. And the NASCAR crowd was a bit more "family-oriented", if ya know whut I mean. Not as many drunk "show-me-your-t..s" types. Oh, they were there - and sometimes kinda fun to watch, but if you're there "on a mission" - ie:
working (and NO - I refused
ALL offers of drinks ... 'tho I
DID eat well
) the drunks are sometimes just pitiful, not funny or fun. (I
must be gettin' old.)