photo by Bob Jennings

John Charles Dailey, Born July 28, 1946 in Grand Rapids, MN. Beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and good friend to many passed away suddenly March 13, 2003. He leaves behind his loving
wife Sherri, son Joey, daughter Laura, step-son Bradley and wife Eva, and beautiful granddaughter MaKenzie. In addition he is also survived by his mother Irene, brothers Dennis, Larry, and Tom, sisters Kathleen, and Mary and their families. Viewing and visitation will be on Tuesday, March 18, 2003 at Lundberg's White Rose Chapel, 5310 W. Northern Ave., Glendale, AZ at 10:00 A.M. with services following at 12:00 P.M. John touched so many lives and will be greatly missed by all of them. His love of life, racing, and his wife and family were his greatest joys. He lived each day to the fullest and loved every one of them. After graveside services we will be gathering at John's favorite watering hole to celebrate his life at Roman and Grady Comer's home 19212 W. Earl, Litchfield Park, AZ.
Published in the Arizona Republic on 3/16/2003.

In late June 1962, my family returned from a two week vacation trip to my grandmother's winter home on Anna Maria Island, Florida. Upon returning home to Carmel, Indiana, I immediately contacted my boyhood pal Dave Willmuth and we met at Toots Drive-In on Range Line Road, at what was then the south end of town. While catching up with Dave on what had been going on in Carmel while I was in Florida, we consumed Toots Papa Burgers and Dave told me about a new guy who moved to town by the name of John Dailey. I believe John and Dave met while attending a summer course in driver's education at Carmel High School. I met John a few months later, after fall classes began.

I don't remember the exact circumstances regarding my first meeting with John Dailey. I think we were in the same English class. I do recall what prompted our friendship though. Nancy Bayliss, who was then Steve Schern's girl friend (and later became Steve's wife), told me sometime later in the school year that John had mentioned my name and indicated he'd like to become pals with me. How our relationship evolved during the earliest days of our friendship is a bit less clear in my old head. 

However one vivid early memory I have of John Dailey occurred on a summer afternoon in 1963. I was driving south on Keystone Avenue in my first automobile, a two tone sky blue and white 1957 Buick which my parents had purchased for me. As I passed near the Hope Church about 9800 north, I looked to my right to see John Dailey driving a tractor and plowing a field. When John spotted me, he waved and flashed that self assured smile which drew so many people to him over the course of his 56 years. As things developed, it seems like we were good buddies from that moment. 

There are two names which crop up more than any other among the hundreds referred to throughout the many pages of Bob Jennings' World O' Racing. One is Tony Stewart. The other is John Dailey. During the time I began my efforts to create and publish the original version of this website in summer 1996, the primary focus of racing for me was Tony Stewart and his sudden burst upon the scene in the brand new Indy Racing League. 

More than Tony Stewart however, the real inspiration for this Internet effort was John Dailey. I recalled some of the memories and experiences coming from our 41 year association in a previous offering, framing an account of the weekend of the ninth "Brickyard 400" and with it, John's final visit to Indianapolis and Carmel last August. I wrote the piece primarily as a testimony to our friendship but I think it embarrassed John to an extent. 

So, if you read that piece (and some did because I received some favorable reaction to it), you already have an idea about how special John Dailey was to me and how large a component his friendship has been throughout my life. A lot of the glue that held our friendship together was generated from the circumstances of two guys, born the same year with shared experiences. A lot of the adhesive to our association obviously came from our common love of motor sports.  

John and I corresponded while he was in the U.S. Navy, serving in southeast Asia in 1967, during the intense period one year before the Tet Offensive, which in my view is when most of us in this country realized we were losing the Vietnam war. I remember letters to and from John when he was stationed on a ship near the Philippines. 

In those letters that "criss-crossed" the Pacific, John wrote about what was happening on board his ship and his naval experiences, but he always threw a little racing into the mix too. For my part, I didn't have a lot to write about my own daily routine. I was almost twenty-one "out of college - money spent - see no future - pay no rent," a huge disappointment to my parents and most definitely a bigger disappointment to myself. I was basically going around with whomever friend I could "mooch" a ride from (no car, no job), mourning the loss of my beloved Susie (another long lost love), who dumped me in February 1967. 

Unlike John Dailey who lived a life of adventure, my correspondence was mostly racing because my personal life in those days wasn't much to write about. Those were the days of Jim Clark, Lotus - Ford and Colin Chapman for me, be it the "Indianapolis 500" or Formula One. During our meetings many years later, John often recalled my racing correspondence while he was in the navy. Throughout the years, whether I was living in Carmel, Indianapolis, Port Huron,  Battle Creek or Chicago, I continued my hand written journalism to John Dailey (whether he was living in Carmel, Cedar Rapids, Oklahoma City, Albuquerque or Phoenix) with comments on the racing scene. Those "long hand" written accounts were the direct ancestors of Bob Jennings' World O' Racing.

Since the introduction of this website, every comment, opinion, memory, photo and statistic was posted with John Dailey in mind. John never purchased a computer and didn't access the Internet. So whenever I added new content, I faithfully printed each addition and mailed it to John's home. My most recent package was mailed on Wednesday March 12, one day before John died. The package was received by his wife Sherri the day after.   

Each time I wrote new content, the question that arose in my mind was how John Dailey would react when he read it. John understood he was my captive audience and accepted the responsibility out of friendship even though I suspected that responsibility was perhaps a pain in his ass at times.

Sometimes John would chide me and suggest I make my "stories" more concise. I realized John was correct in his assessment but I can't seem to bring myself to brevity as I fashion my ideas into offerings on Bob Jennings' World O' Racing. In the days since John's passing, I have considered retiring this website because I no longer have my muse. That won't happen but since John's loss, the world of racing has been put in a more proper perspective and sitting at this computer trying to express myself has become difficult.

It's strange how our mind plays tricks on us when we suddenly lose someone we depend on, one who plays an important role in the quest to make sense of why we are on this planet in the first place. I remember in the days, weeks and months immediately following my father's death in June 1982, that I looked for him whenever a car, like the one my dad drove, passed by. It didn't matter that I was usually in Chicago when this delusion occurred and my father lived and died in Indianapolis. I still looked closely when a silver and blue 1981 Buick Regal came into view long after my father's death on June 8.

The same thing happened after my close friend Guy Nadeau was killed six days after he came to visit and attend the 2000 "Indianapolis 500." Something would catch my attention that reminded me of Guy and I would think about calling him only to remember he wasn't here anymore.

In the days since John Dailey died, there have been more times than I can count when I came across a racing story on the Internet which I thought might interest or amuse him. I usually packed the Bob Jennings' World O' Racing mailings with a variety of e-mails, racing news and feature items. So out of habit, I have often begun to print an item from the Net only to realize John is gone now.

One month later, my grief has eased a bit but in the first days following John's death, I was in a state of shock and loss as severe as any I have experienced. I talked to John for the final time on Tuesday March 11, two days before he died. Bobby Unser was a scheduled guest on the Fox News channel Hannity and Colmes program to pitch his new book Driven to Win. I called John's home to tell him to watch, since Bobby Unser had been a John Dailey favorite in earlier years. After Bobby's appearance, I called John again to talk about things. 

Sherri Dailey was sick with the flu and John said he didn't feel good and thought he was coming down with something too. I tried to pump him up with some chatter about the old days when we watched Al and Bobby Unser race against each other. However John didn't feel well and wasn't very receptive. At the end of our conversation, John said to me, "you know I appreciate the hell out of you don't you?"  

John's closing statement haunted me like a ghost in those first days after he died. I had been avoiding John a bit since his call to my home on February 12. Early this year John asked me to come to the Indy Racing League race in Phoenix. During that conversation on February 12, John and Sherri invited me again to come to the IRL weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. Money is tight and I couldn't afford the trip but John wanted to pay my air fare. 

John was insistent I come to Phoenix. I keep remembering John's words of caution that our opportunities for creating memories together were becoming fewer as we became older and I needed to come to Phoenix for the race. He almost pleaded and was upset with me for declining his invitation. John called me at work a couple weeks later to see how things were going on a day when I wasn't doing well and didn't have much to say. Now I chill when I recall John's admonition and I wish I had been more enthusiastic when he called me at work. I wish I had accepted his invitation to come to the Phoenix race! 

Late last year, John purchased a year's subscription to Chris Economaki's National Speed Sport News for me. I received issues of "NSSN" since John died and each time, I felt a pain of loss that cut like a knife. Knowing how upset I got when my "Speed Sport News" arrived, my wife threw the racing journal away before I could look at it.

John Dailey was a winner in every sense. He was a good businessman and was able to retire a few years ago after creating and building Trucks Unique after-market stores in Albuquerque, Gallup, New Mexico and Glendale, Arizona. Before that, he rose from repossessing cars for Chrysler Credit Corporation after leaving the navy, to manage credit life marketing functions for a couple insurance companies in the southwest. 

John Dailey was the best salesman I ever met. As I wrote on this website after John's final visit last August, he talked me into doing a bunch of things I didn't want to do but later was glad I did. Now those memories are among my most cherished.  

I posted a letter John Dailey wrote to Tony George, with suggestions for improving the Indy Racing League in late 1998. Apparently John's letter made an impression because Tony took the time to write a personal response. I didn't post George's letter to John before now because my friend didn't want to make it public. However I think it's appropriate to publish the contents of that letter now.

October 9, 1998

Mr. John C. Dailey

Dear John:

Thank you for your recent letter detailing your promotional ideas for the Pep Boy's Indy Racing League. Also, thank you for your personal support and attendance of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and several Indy Racing League events.

Your ideas are all good ones, and several are being pursued. However, we do not have total control over all the factors you mention. For example, race promoters by and large do not favor giving away free tickets because they feel the tickets are devalued. Next year, instead of buying a ticket, fans will assume there will be free ones or heavily discounted ones available. The better solution, which you suggest, is pricing better attuned to the marketplace, combined with an aggressive promotional effort by the track promoter, sponsors and the Indy Racing League. I believe you will see that improve in 1999. Your comments about concession prices are thoughtful, and generally reflect what we have tried to do at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway-higher quality choices while holding the line on prices. Outside of our own property, we do not have control over concessions at other tracks.

Your points about signage on the cars continue to be addressed. This year we instituted the "fan fin" to enlarge the numbers and it has helped some. Increasing the size of signage is difficult given the amount of surface available. We are planning some changes next year that should help cars and drivers be more identifiable. Also, the noise level of the cars is being researched and the possibility of some change there does exist.

We have expanded our sales and marketing, promotions and public relations departments to assist the league, its teams and the promoters, and we believe you will notice some important differences next year, both in pre-race promotions and the entertainment value of the event itself.

Thank you again for your support and for taking your time to send me your letter.

Sincerely,

Anton H. George

I feature a photo of Johnny Rutherford at the top of this web page. "Lone Star JR" was a John Dailey favorite. John first became impressed with Rutherford when Johnny qualified in the middle of the front row for the 1970 "Indianapolis 500." 

Johnny Rutherford came to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May 1963 as a good looking Fort Worth, Texas "hot shot" from the old IMCA sprint car circuit. But after joining the legendary A.J. Watson and Leader Card Racers in mid season and winning his first Indy car race at Atlanta in August 1965 and then taking the USAC Sprint car title the same year, Johnny was injured in an early season sprint car race in 1966 and his career settled into a series of mediocre rides and unimpressive results.

For 1970, Rutherford teamed with mechanic Mike Devin to run a refurbished, four year old Eagle chassis powered by a turbo Offy and funded by Pat Patrick and his Michigan associates. At the same time, Al Unser  was at the start of a spectacular career racing season, driving George Bignotti's Johnny Lightning Colt - Fords for Vel Miletich and Parnelli Jones. After closing out the 1969 season strongly with five Indy car wins, including three in the final five events of the year and then winning the 1970 season opener at Phoenix, Al Unser was the clear favorite in the 1970 "Indianapolis 500." 

Heavy clouds covered central Indiana on "500" Pole day 1970 and the threat of rain was apparent. I was there and it was a big day for me. John Dailey was also at the Speedway although I went with pals Dave Willmuth and Jim Mace and John went with another group. I was well into my Al Unser era and my spirits were high that it was Al Unser's year to win the "Indianapolis 500." Actually, I don't think I have ever been more confident a driver would win the "500" than I was throughout May 1970. I absolutely knew Al Unser was going to win the "500." Perhaps my confidence that Jim Clark would win the 1965 "Indianapolis 500" was higher but basically my anticipation for Al Unser in 1970 was as strong as it had been with Clark five years earlier.

Al topped the speed chase during the two weeks of practice leading up to pole day. If I was concerned about other drivers, they were A.J. Foyt, Mark Donohue, Lloyd Ruby, Dan Gurney and Mario Andretti. I don't think I considered Johnny Rutherford when I thought about potential competition for Al Unser for either pole position or the race victory.  

Al Unser had all the advantages going into the 1970 "Indianapolis 500" for his fifth attempt. He had a well funded team with solid backing from Firestone, Ford Motor Company and Topper Toys, maker of Johnny Lightning model cars. Unser also had the genius George Bignotti to prepare his Johnny Lightning Specials.

In 1970, George Bignotti was "the man" at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, just like Harry Miller, Lou Moore and A.J. Watson before him and Roger Penske in the days since. For 1970, four wheel drive race cars were banned for the "Indianapolis 500." But Bignotti used every allowable advantage from the 1968 four wheel drive Lola which Unser raced in 1969 and built them into the new two wheel drive PJ Colt. The car had a clean wedge shape, dazzling in deep blue colors with the yellow lightning flashes running along each side on top of the car. 

Although Ford Motor Company sold its Indy car inventory to A.J. Foyt after the 1969 season, they were still providing parts to the Vel's Parnelli Jones team. In 1970, the Ford turbo V8 was the power to run and Bignotti's engine man Charlie Tabuchi knew the best way to put the unit together.  

So the car Al Unser stepped into to make his qualifying run for the 1970 "Indianapolis 500" was the best package available at the Speedway. Al was the right guy to drive the best car too. The younger of the two racing Unser brothers made his Indy car debut in 1964 and then drove to ninth place in the 1965 "Indianapolis 500." In 1966, Unser ran strong at Indianapolis as a Lotus - Ford teammate to Jim Clark. Al finished second in the 1967 "Indianapolis 500." He began winning Indy car races in 1968. After missing the 1969 "500" with a broken leg he received while riding a motorcycle with Parnelli Jones in the infield at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on a rained out pole day, Unser came on like a force and replaced Mario Andretti as the man to beat week in and week out. 

I expected a lot when Al Unser went on to the track to make his "Indianapolis 500" qualification run in 1970. Al was an early qualifier and he turned in a four lap average speed of 170.220 mph. Unser's speed was good but later I came out of my seat when Tom Carnegie announced Johnny Rutherford's lap speeds while the Texan was on his run. Painted pale yellow, the number 18 Patrick Petroleum Eagle - Offy resembled a "backyard special" with customized fabrication to the old Eagle tub. The old car was working however and Rutherford turned in an average speed of 170.210 mph. 

It was the closest battle for pole position in "Indianapolis 500" history. 

Later that night, I was in a good mood and drove my blue metallic 1969 Ford Mustang "beauty" (John Dailey loved that car) to older brother Larry Dailey's apartment on Meridian Street, about 3300 north, where John was staying after being released from the navy the previous month. Life was good. Al Unser was on pole for the "500" and I wanted to celebrate. When I got to Larry's place, John was so excited about Johnny Rutherford's run that I hardly got a word about Al Unser into our conversation. That was the beginning of John's association with "Lone Star JR."

Al Unser dominated the 1970 "Indianapolis 500," leading 190 laps on the way to the victory I had been  anticipating since the end of 1969. However when the green flag dropped to start the race, Rutherford beat Unser into the first turn in the old yellow car, which Johnny christened "Geraldine Honey" after comedian Flip Wilson's popular television character. Al caught and passed Rutherford going down the backstretch on the first lap of the 1970 race but the Texan got people's attention, among them John Dailey.  

Let me drop back a bit. I don't know why but one of my very favorite John Dailey memories came the following Friday night on the eve of the second weekend of qualifications for the 1970 "500." I caught up with John after work and took a ride with him, trying to find a guy behind on his car payments. We were riding around in a great looking dark blue Plymouth Fury provided to John by his employer Chrysler Credit. 

There was the excitement of the "500" coming one week later and with it my confidence that Al Unser was going to win from pole position. It was one of those cool, clear May evenings which always makes me feel so alive year after year. I was more at peace with the world than I had been for a long time. That same "beloved Susie" I wrote about earlier was the object of my affection and passion from April 1966 through April 1970 and looking back, I'm not sure the pleasure outweighed the pain I received during our stormy time together. By "500" time in early May 1970 I had finally gotten over Susie. I was in the early stages of a new relationship, less intense than my days with Susie but feeling good nevertheless. I was at the beginning of my career in what is now called "IT" - information technology. So l was floating in a sweet mixture of high anticipation for the upcoming "Indy 500," freedom from a long suffering love affair and in the early movement of creating a profession for myself. 

I was riding high with my buddy John Dailey on a May Friday night. As we drove to the parking lot of the Allison's plant south of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway looking for John's target, "American Woman" and "No Sugar Tonight," by the Canadian rock band Guess Who, played on the radio in John's car. 

We didn't catch the "dead beat" John was chasing that night at the Allison's plant. We might've ended up drinking at some country dive on the west side of Indianapolis, listening to Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, George Jones and Tammy Wynette (and her fabulous twins) on a jukebox, watching a couple local gals wearing jeans too tight and dancing together in an innocent way. 

Navy seaman Dailey picked up on the country western sound while stationed in Long Beach, California the previous year after he returned from southeast Asia. I don't remember exactly what happened. But what I do remember is that it was a great night, not momentous but satisfying in the sense of feeling alive with excitement in the air but also feeling tranquil in my mind and at peace with my world.     

I moved to Port Huron, Michigan in late March 1971, taking a job with Rod Nun, the guy who gave me a shot as a computer operator with my early employer Peoples-Home Life of Indiana (PHL) insurance company, before PHL moved from Indianapolis to Battle Creek, Michigan in August 1970. John Dailey remained in Indianapolis until early 1972, when he moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa for (I believe) Chrysler Credit. During that time, John acted on his impressions from Johnny Rutherford's qualifying run for the 1970 "Indianapolis 500." 

For May 1971, John Dailey arranged a Chrysler courtesy car for Rutherford when Johnny was in Indianapolis for the 1971 "Indianapolis 500." John also provided a Chrysler "loaner" for Mike Devin, who was the crew chief on the number 18 (another "backyard special") Eagle - Offy that Johnny Rutherford qualified for the 1971 "500" in 24th position on the grid and finished the race in eighteenth place. 

One hour after the finish of the 1970 "Indianapolis 500," I decided Al Unser was going to win again in 1971. After taking ten victories in the 18 race Indy car season in the Johnny Lightning cars, Unser and the Vel's Parnelli Jones team were riding high coming into 1971. The new model Parnelli Jones (PJ) Colt - turbo Ford Johnny Lightning Special from George Bignotti was essentially an evolution of the previous year's car. There were some new aerodynamics built into the new Johnny Lightning Colt chassis but the overall appearance was very similar to the winning 1970 chassis.    

On February 28, Al Unser won two races in Argentina to open the 1971 Indy car season, driving the 1970 car. Four weeks later Al won again at Phoenix, after a tough battle with Bobby Unser's Eagle - turbo Offy. In between that time, I went to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on a wintry afternoon in mid March, on the Friday before I was to move to Port Huron for my new job, to watch Unser test the new Johnny Lightning Colt. The 1971 model car looked good and Al turned laps in the 174 mph range that day, which was four miles per hour faster than top speeds from the previous May.

Unlike May 1970 however, Al Unser had to fight hard for his 1971 "Indianapolis 500" victory. The new McLaren - turbo Offy was several miles per hour quicker than the Johnny Lightning Special. Unser qualified fifth for the 1971 "500," at 174.520 mph. Pole winner Peter Revson qualified his McLaren - Offy at 178.690 mph. 

In the race, Mark Donohue dominated the first 66 laps, leading 52 in Roger Penske's Sunoco McLaren before the gearbox failed. Unser moved into second place early in the race and when Donohue's car failed, Al took over the lead. Bobby Unser, Lloyd Ruby and Joe Leonard all made challenges but Al held them off to become the first back to back winner of the "500" since Bill Vukovich in 1953 and 1954, with Revson's McLaren finishing second.

Since I was a new employee at North American Benefit Association (NABA) in Port Huron, Michigan, I didn't have any vacation time. This cut into my time at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May 1971. But I made the approximate 400 mile trip from Port Huron to Indianapolis for the weekend of practice prior to the opening qualifications and again the next weekend for Pole day at the Speedway. On race weekend, I rode to Indianapolis with my boss Rod Nun and his family. Rod was going to the race with me and I saw it as an opportunity to conserve mileage on my 1969 Mustang.

In 1971, the "500" was held on the Saturday before Memorial Day. After the "500" on Saturday, I split up with Rod Nun and was to meet him on Memorial Day Monday in Gas City, Indiana at his in-laws' home for the return to Port Huron. On Monday John Dailey drove me from Indianapolis to my parent's weekend place on Lake Shafer, 100 miles north of Indianapolis. Then John was going to drive me to Gas City to meet Rod Nun. 

I was still feeling the afterglow of Al Unser's second consecutive "Indianapolis 500" victory two days later when John came to my parents' apartment on East 62nd Street in Indianapolis to pick me up. After John and I proceeded north on Indiana highway 421, we stopped at a garage somewhere between Zionsville and Lebanon, Indiana. I don't recall where John met this fellow but when we stopped, an older guy named Sterling Stewart began visiting with John.

I bring this memory up because it's a perfect characterization of who John Dailey was. John Dailey met  more people in one week than I do in a year. He was one of those lucky people who never met a stranger and nearly everyone who made contact with John Dailey became good friends with the guy. John was always full of ideas and energy while at the same time maintaining an easy going manner. He was usually interested in each person he met and it didn't take John long to learn what made his acquaintances tick.

Here was this old time garage mechanic making his modest living on a relatively quiet highway in the middle of nowhere in central Indiana. Yet for whatever reason, John had met the man along the way and greeted him like a long lost friend. In Sterling Stewart's case, John might've met him when he was driving a truck in the period between his graduation from Carmel High School in May 1964 and his joining the navy two years later. Regardless of how and when John Dailey met Sterling Stewart, when they spoke, it was like they had been close associates for years.

John enjoyed the brief time he drove a truck, after his high school graduation. For a time in 1965, John sold Jim Dandy dog food around the Midwest for a local Indianapolis distributor named Ed Thatcher. I remember a particular experience from his Jim Dandy days that John shared with me. John made a trip to Terre Haute, Indiana to the old Hulman & Company offices to see Tony Hulman in early spring 1965. John was trying to persuade Mr. Hulman to carry the Jim Dandy brand in the line of products sold by the Hulman wholesale grocery business. 

John's story was fascinating when he described Tony Hulman's hard edge business approach to John's product and sales pitch. John persuaded Mr. Hulman to sell Jim Dandy at Hulman & Company, which is impressive when you realize John was an 18 year old kid at the time and he managed to make a sale to the most prosperous man in the state of Indiana. Isn't it ironic that John Dailey would make a pitch of a different nature to Tony Hulman's grandson some thirty plus years later?

John Dailey loved to make things happen for people. He was as much a natural promoter as he was a salesman. This past January, when John was at the Chili Bowl race in Tulsa, John worked on USAC racer Tony Elliott, in attempt to persuade the two time USAC sprint car champion to hire me to rebuild his website. Although Elliott and I had a couple e-mail contacts about the potential venture, the Kokomo, Indiana racer ignored my final e-mail and I let it pass. But I loved John Dailey for thinking about me and trying hook me up with Tony Elliott.  

In addition to providing Johnny Rutherford with a courtesy car during May in Indianapolis, my buddy put on his "promoter's cap" to play a part in "Lone Star  JR's" career during summer 1971.

John Dailey loved the "old" USAC stock car series. Up through the late 1970s, the United States Auto Club ran a series of stock car racing events across the U.S. but primarily in the Midwest which were just short of the quality of most of the events promoted by NASCAR during the same period. The auto manufacturers were committed to the USAC series to a lesser extent than they were involved with NASCAR but they were still investing big money for those times.

John also loved the annual "Yankee 300" USAC stock car event held for a few years in the 1960s, in late April and early May on the 2.5 mile 15 turn road course at Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP). For the first couple runnings of the "Yankee 300," the big dollar purse drew some of the leading competitors from NASCAR, including Fireball Roberts, Richard Petty, Fred Lorenzen, David Pearson, Curtis Turner and Paul Goldsmith.                         

I remember sitting on the roof of John Dailey's vehicle at that time, under sunny early May skies, on a Sunday afternoon in 1964. We were parked behind a picket fence outside one of the corners at IRP and watched Parnelli Jones, in a Mercury, battle Fred Lorenzen's Holman Moody Ford Galaxy. Lorenzen beat Parnelli in that race but it was one of those classics where two of the best raced each other for all they were worth.

Two years later, on another early May afternoon, John and I sat together in one of his cars, at Indianapolis Raceway Park, watching the 1966 running of the "Yankee 300." John was going to be inducted into the navy in a few days and this was to be our final time together before he left. I don't recall the 1966 race as clearly as the race in 1964. It was cloudy and cool that day. It seems to me that Ford Motor Company had withdrawn from stock car racing by then and the race was primarily a Chrysler show with Norm Nelson's Plymouth and Don White's Dodge the leading contenders.

John Dailey always loved Chrysler products and was drawn to Norm Nelson. Nelson was a perennial USAC stock car competitor (and many time champion) from Racine, Wisconsin and he was another Dailey racing favorite. I lost interest in the USAC "stockers" several years earlier but John kept up with the series until it ceased competition in the early 1980s.

John decided he wanted to see Johnny Rutherford run a USAC stock car event. One of Rutherford's earliest headline grabbing accomplishments came in 1963 when the Texan set a track record during Daytona Speedweeks, driving a Chevy for the legendary Smokey Yunick. Since that time however, Rutherford made few stock car racing appearances. John Dailey arranged a ride for Rutherford in a USAC stock car event in July 1971 at the half mile dirt Terre Haute Action Track, that was billed as the "A.J. Foyt - Roger McCluskey Classic" after the two racers who were dominating the USAC "stockers" that season.

The car Rutherford raced at Terre Haute was a Chevrolet Chevelle sponsored by the G.W. Pierce auto parts junk yards in the Muncie and Anderson area. John put the deal together and even escorted Rutherford, his wife Betty and their two children to Terre Haute for the race. I recall John telling me that Rutherford only made a couple hundred dollars from the race but my buddy was proud that he had been able to make it happen.

I was living in Battle Creek and staying at my parent's apartment in Indianapolis for the weekend in May 1974, watching the local race wrap up programs on TV. Earlier that day Johnny Rutherford won the first of three "Indianapolis 500" victories. Rutherford turned in a masterful performance in the orange McLaren M16 - turbo Offy, charging from 25th starting position to beat Bobby Unser after outlasting a challenge from A.J. Foyt, who retired after 184 laps.

John Dailey was living in Iowa at the time, although he would return to live in Indianapolis later that summer. I was wondering how John was feeling about Johnny Rutherford's "500" win when I received his phone call. John had spent the day waiting out the rain at a USAC stock car race somewhere near his locale at the time. Maybe the race was at Odessa, Missouri. I'm not sure. Anyway, John listened to Sid Collins' call of the 1974 "500" on a radio in a truck, with Norm Nelson, who was at the USAC stock car race. Although he didn't seem as excited as he had when Rutherford nearly took the pole for the 1970 "500" from Al Unser, I could tell John was pleased.  

On March 23, when I watched the Indy Racing League race at Phoenix International Raceway on TV, I kept thinking about John and how strange it seemed knowing he wasn't at the race. It was only ten days after he died and although I enjoyed the race, I felt a curtain of sadness cover me while I watched.  

I have memories of John Dailey all over this website. I'll continue to write about John Dailey as I continue to write about racing. It's my way of keeping John alive.