When Julio Franco, the veteran infielder (and I really do mean veteran, he was 49) retired from Major League Baseball in 2007, the sport lost an extraordinary link to the past.
In his rookie year Franco faced veteran pitcher Jim Katt who had, in turn, pitched against the great Ted Williams on the final day of his own rookie season of 1959.
This got me scratching my head and I decided to see how far we could go back through the history of the Indy 500 in two similar leaps.
It will not come as a shock to anyone that I started my search with Paul Tracy, now in his 41st year, who made his race debut at the Brickyard in 1992. While Al Unser Jr took the spoils that year, a certain AJ Foyt finished in 9th position. The Texan began his storied relationship with 'the 500' by finishing 16th in 1958. Two places further back that day was Wisconsin native, Paul Russo. Russo's first trip to Indy was 1940. Incidentally, Russo started second in the 1946 event which was also notable for a qualification attempt by Rudolf Carraciola.
So there you have it! In two jumps we can get from the Indianapolis 500 of 2009 to the Indianapolis 500 of 1940. Or three jumps from Tracy to Carraciola! I'm still trying to get my head around this as I type!
If anyone wants to attempt to make the fewest jumps back to the first race in 1911, please be my guest.
I like the way your looking at this.
ReplyDeleteRalph De Palma raced in the first 500 in 1911.
ReplyDeleteDe Palma raced against Ralph Hepburn in 1925.
Hepburn raced aginst Paul Russo in 1946.
Russo raced against AJ Foyt in 1958.
Foyt raced aginst Paul Tracy in 1992.
Tracy will start the next 500.
Thank you anonymous. I will post this as a separate post. Any chance of you revealing yourself? :)
ReplyDelete