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.