The Short Chute

PAGE 2 - Newsletter #89 - Winter 2005

Club Notes

Jon Noggle’s column “From Noggle’s Goggle’s” recently produced some information I thought you might find interesting. Jon reports Alan Brown’s National Speedway Directory number of race tracks found in each state. Here are some of them:
Texas 73, California and Pennsylvania each have 60, Iowa 53, Indiana 52, New York and Ohio each have 50, Michigan 49, Illinois and North Carolina each have 47, Wisconsin 44, Tennessee 43, Alabama 41, Florida and Missouri each have 40, Georgia and Kentucky each have 36, Minnesota 35, Oklahoma 33, Kansas 32, South Carolina 28, Virginia 27 and Nebraska 25.

BOOK REVIEW (by Greg Littleton) – "Vukovich" - by Bob Gates – I received a copy for Christmas – started reading it and couldn’t put it down. Through the years I had always heard the stories about how unfriendly, cold and “dark” Bill was. Part of Vuky’s legend has been that it seems people really didn’t know much about him. Gates did a great job of making you feel like you knew Bill after reading this. A family man with high ideals. Gates’ research is excellent leaving you with a good idea of Vuky’s childhood, his family and his passion for racing. Quotes from Jim Travers fill in the story about “the roadster” and the “Whiz Kids” four-year domination of the Indianapolis 500. Vuky wanted to be the first to win three-in-a-row and had it in sight. Bill, Sr. is such a legend that, of course, he dominates the book. However, the stories of his son and grandson are very well done and good reading. I will read it again. I want to thank Bob Gates for putting this together. Racing history needed it. Available from Witness Publications. The Roadsters of Indianapolis . . . Glory Days 1952-1966” by Greg Littleton and Bill Enoch. Our book has been at the printer for several weeks. It is scheduled to be released February 15-16. The 8 1/2” x 11” “coffee table” style book is so much nicer than Bill and I imagined it could be. Thanks to the direction received from publisher Sue Breeding and her staff at Art in the Heartland in Columbus, Indiana. The book contains 545 pictures on nearly 300 pages. I was inspired by Dick Wallen to produce a real “classy” book and I believe we have accomplished that. I hope to have the book at Eleanor Vogler’s Rich Vogler Scholarship Fund Drive get together in Indianapolis on February 20. More information, pictures and order blanks are available at:
www.roadstersofindianapolis.com
Each book will be numbered, taking orders now.

Charlie Brockman Dies At 77

Charles T. “Charlie” Brockman, former president of USAC and longtime Indianapolis radio and television broadcaster, died January 18 at the age of 77.
A graduate of Speedway High School and later of Purdue’s engineering school, Brockman held a variety of posts with USAC almost from its inception until the current time. After serving, straight out of college, as a sportscaster at Indianapolis radio station WXLW and later at radio station WIRE, he became sports director at WLWI-TV (now WTHR) in Indianapolis, holding that position throughout the mid-1960s. He also was the anchor for the entire run of the MCA closed-circuit telecasts of the Indianapolis 500 from 1964-70 and was one of the original announcers on ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” program, covering such events as the 24-Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix and numerous other sporting events.
During his radio days Brockman was a member of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network team. He worked in the booth with Sid Collins. Brockman also conducted the winner’s interview from 1954-59.
It was Brockman who was placed in the unenviable position of fielding Bob Sweikert’s “Who got hurt, who got hurt?” questions in 1955. He diplomatically avoided the fact that Sweikert’s friend Bill Vukovich had died in a multi-car accident. Brockman shed tears along with Sam Hanks when Hanks announced his retirement in Victory Lane in 1957.
After serving as USAC president from 1969-72, Brockman continued to be involved with a variety of committees
Brockman was one of a half-dozen or so founding members of the American Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association in 1955. He was one of the original partners in the building of Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1960-61.