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Indianapolis Star
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
LOST GYMS: Mooresville's Newby Gym stands test of time more than 100 years after it opened
This is the first of a 10-part series featuring some of Indiana high school basketball's "Lost Gyms." MOORESVILLE – Boyd Head's recollection of his first visit inside Newby Gym is as vivid as it was almost 80 years ago. In the late 1940s, Vincent Bisesi, a teammate of John Wooden on the 1927 state champion Martinsville team, was Mooresville basketball coach. He lived in the house just north of the Mooresville gym during his two seasons as coach. His son, Don Bisesi, and Head were the same age. 'One Saturday, Don invited me to come to his house,' Head said. 'Mr. Bisesi opened the gym and Don and I came over here to shoot baskets. At that time, I thought this is Butler — Hinkle Fieldhouse. It was just a really special day.' Head was probably 8 or 9 years old at that the time. But every trip back to Newby Gym is still special — even all these years later. Head, a 1955 Mooresville graduate, is one of the few who can remember playing in the gym as a high school player. 'It seems like it was just yesterday.' Lost Gyms series to explore former high school gyms 'My sophomore year, my cousin was a senior,' Head said. 'He threw me a long pass and I jumped to get the ball, and I ended up in the coat rack.' The gym — named after local businessman and philanthropist Arthur Newby, one of the founding fathers of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway — was the first built in Morgan County specifically for basketball, though it served many purposes for the community over the years after its construction in 1920. And it still does more than 100 years later, hosting junior basketball leagues and alumni events. In 1996, after a 'Save the Newby Gym' committee formed to raise money to repair the gym, a grant from the Lilly Endowment for $77,150 was presented to the committee and, in 1997, the gym was added to the Indiana and National Registers of Historic Places. A historic marker was unveiled in 2020 outside the gym. 'The sad part is — and I guess memories are that way anyhow — but you don't appreciate the present unless you understand the past,' said Charles 'Bud' Swisher, a 1959 Mooresville graduate. 'You really don't. For a lot of kids, it is just a place to play ball. But for us, getting a historic marker our front, it was nice to be able to participate in part of that. But I think it's pretty sad if you don't have anything to look back on with some degree of reverence.' There was plenty of heart in the building from the beginning. In the fall of 1920, a plan was formed for 100 citizens to lend Mooresville $100 each for an unfixed period, 'to be repaid without interest when the high school association had the money,' according to an Indianapolis News story in 1921. Most declined to be repaid. The first $100 came from Virgil Self, an ardent Mooresville basketball fan and conductor of the Martinsville division of the Terre Haute, Indianapolis and Eastern interurban line. The building, though not fully complete, was dedicated in New Year's Eve, 1920. The festivities that night included a concert by the Friends Church orchestra, a tug of war between area youth and four basketball games: the Mooresville boys against Center Grove; the Mooresville girls against Brownsburg; the Monrovia girls against Center Grove; and a Mooresville alumni team against the Mooresville Elks Club. From the Indianapolis News: 'Public spirit has been responsible for all of it. The town points proudly to the fact that the high school boys volunteered their services in hauling the 180 yards of gravel used in making the concrete base for the floor and foundations. They also did the excavating for the basement where the shower baths will be. And it is that spirit that is going to make Mooresville's basketball teams hard to beat.' The basketball court was only 70 feet long, which probably led to Head's collision with the coat rack. It also led to a funny scene for Swisher when Mooresville was playing Mid-State Conference rival Plainfield. 'I remember very distinctly going on the right side for a layup and I got hit,' Swisher said. 'I did a somersault midair and went right through the front door. The door is only 6 to 8 feet from the floor. It was in February and there was a huge snowbank out there and I buried my head in the snowbank. I got a nice applause when I came back in. That was an unusual experience.' The gym hosted the 16-team sectional in 1922 (won by Pittsboro) and '23 (won by Martinsville). But the Mooresville gym came right before the arms race of building bigger and better gyms. Martinsville opened its massive gym in 1924 with a capacity of 5,200. 'The gym is the very peak accomplishment in this great high school basketball state,' the Indianapolis Times wrote of the Martinsville gym. 'It is the last word, with every modern facility for handling the hardwood game. It is a monument to the popularity of the net sport in Hoosierdom.' The Newby Gym never hosted a sectional again. But it continued to be home to the Pioneers for many more years. It was where the first sectional champions were celebrated in 1944 after winning the school's first sectional title in Bloomington, led by the sharp shooting Dick Kellum. It was where Bill Altman set the school record with 54 points in a season-ending win over Danville in 1958. And it was where Swisher was the final graduate to cross the stage in the gym in 1959. 'I was president of my class,' Swisher said. 'Everybody got a diploma alphabetically except me.' That was the last year the high school used the gym, though the junior high used it until 1965 and the elementary had physical education classes there until 1993. The Mooresville Junior Basketball League signed a lease that year with the school corporation to host its league. As Swisher sits in the gym, he can still envision playing against the Tom and Dick Van Arsdale of Manual in junior high. They were two years younger but already stars. 'Their mother sat right over there,' he said. 'Yelling all the time.' He remembers filling the Coke machine with Altman, timing it just right so they could watch girls basketball practice (there was not IHSAA girls basketball but Girls Athletic Association) for the entire class period. And he can certainly remember making sure the west window was unlocked on Friday afternoons. 'We would shimmy up the downspout over there to get into the gym and play ball on the weekends,' Swisher said. 'I think they knew what we were doing but we got away with it.' It has been 80 years since Head first walked into the Newby Gym. But it looks better to him now than it ever did. 'I think this gym says a lot about our community,' Head said. 'A lot of things have happened; a lot of things have changed. But I'm glad to see this has remained. A lot of young kids are enjoying their opportunity to participate in sports here.'
The Advertiser
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
Porsche 963 RSP: Le Mans race car turned into road-going hypercar
Porsche has a new hypercar based on its Le Mans Daytona hybrid (LMDh) class race car, but it's just a one-off. Unveiled ahead of this week's 24 Hours of Le Mans, the new 963 RSP is based on the 963 race car that competes in the FIA's World Endurance Championship – of which Le Mans is one of eight races – and the IMSA SportsCar Championship, which includes the 24 Hours of Daytona. The new 963 RSP is so named because it was built, nominally, for Roger Searle Penske, owner of many racing teams, the IndyCar racing series, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Porsche Penske Motorsports runs the factory team racing the 963. Through his eponymous corporation he also has his hands in car dealerships, automotive engineering, trucking, and logistics. According to Porsche, the RSP is inspired by the Count Rossi 917 (pictured below), a race car from the 1970s that was turned into a road-going vehicle, and remains on French roads to this day. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. The team working on turning the 963 race car into the RSP decided early on to follow the Count Rossi 917 template, and make as few changes as possible. This, no doubt, reduced development time and cost significantly, but also means the RSP is not homologated, and is therefore limited to road use under "special circumstances". For its debut on the streets near Circuit de la Sarthe, where the Le Mans 24 Hour race is held, it wore manufacturer plates. To that end the headlights and tail-lights have been reprogrammed, while a horn and licence plate brackets have been added to the car. The most significant changes to the 963's exterior are the addition of fully covered wheel-arches, and the removal of the blanking plates for the rear wing. An enamel Porsche badge has been added to the front, while 1970s-era Michelin logos are used for the rain-spec 18-inch race tyres that are wrapped around forged OZ racing wheels. Painting the 963 RSP in Martini Silver was problematic due to the car's Kevlar and carbon-fibre body. Some smaller body parts, such as the hinges and wing connectors, are finished in satin black. For the interior, the single-piece air-conditioned carbon seat is trimmed in leather. It is made more comfortable with a cushion down the middle and a fixed head restraint fitted to the rear bulkhead. Leather is also used for the steering wheel, while faux suede is applied to the headlining, leg cushions and door trim. A 3D-printed cupholder has been added to the middle of the dashboard. As real-world roads aren't racetrack-smooth, the RSP sits on the 963's tallest suspension setting, and the race-going Multimatic DSSV dampers are set to their most absorbent. Powering the RSP is a hybrid system with a 4.6-litre twin-turbo V8 at its core, plus a 1.35kWh battery, 800V electrical system, and an electric motor that can deliver up to 50kW in short bursts. The drivetrain is in race-spec trim, and overall output is limited to the V8's maximum output of around 507kW (680hp). When the electric motor operates in tandem with the petrol engine, the V8's power is clipped so the maximum output of the drivetrain is maintained. Under light loads, the 963 can operate solely on electric power. Given the RSP will live most of its life driving at a moderate pace, the electric motor has been remapped to prioritise smooth power delivery. The V8 has also been retuned to live on lower-octane petrol. After swanning around at Le Mans, the 963 RSP will head off to the Porsche museum in Stuttgart, and then make an appearance at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed. MORE: Everything Porsche Content originally sourced from: Porsche has a new hypercar based on its Le Mans Daytona hybrid (LMDh) class race car, but it's just a one-off. Unveiled ahead of this week's 24 Hours of Le Mans, the new 963 RSP is based on the 963 race car that competes in the FIA's World Endurance Championship – of which Le Mans is one of eight races – and the IMSA SportsCar Championship, which includes the 24 Hours of Daytona. The new 963 RSP is so named because it was built, nominally, for Roger Searle Penske, owner of many racing teams, the IndyCar racing series, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Porsche Penske Motorsports runs the factory team racing the 963. Through his eponymous corporation he also has his hands in car dealerships, automotive engineering, trucking, and logistics. According to Porsche, the RSP is inspired by the Count Rossi 917 (pictured below), a race car from the 1970s that was turned into a road-going vehicle, and remains on French roads to this day. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. The team working on turning the 963 race car into the RSP decided early on to follow the Count Rossi 917 template, and make as few changes as possible. This, no doubt, reduced development time and cost significantly, but also means the RSP is not homologated, and is therefore limited to road use under "special circumstances". For its debut on the streets near Circuit de la Sarthe, where the Le Mans 24 Hour race is held, it wore manufacturer plates. To that end the headlights and tail-lights have been reprogrammed, while a horn and licence plate brackets have been added to the car. The most significant changes to the 963's exterior are the addition of fully covered wheel-arches, and the removal of the blanking plates for the rear wing. An enamel Porsche badge has been added to the front, while 1970s-era Michelin logos are used for the rain-spec 18-inch race tyres that are wrapped around forged OZ racing wheels. Painting the 963 RSP in Martini Silver was problematic due to the car's Kevlar and carbon-fibre body. Some smaller body parts, such as the hinges and wing connectors, are finished in satin black. For the interior, the single-piece air-conditioned carbon seat is trimmed in leather. It is made more comfortable with a cushion down the middle and a fixed head restraint fitted to the rear bulkhead. Leather is also used for the steering wheel, while faux suede is applied to the headlining, leg cushions and door trim. A 3D-printed cupholder has been added to the middle of the dashboard. As real-world roads aren't racetrack-smooth, the RSP sits on the 963's tallest suspension setting, and the race-going Multimatic DSSV dampers are set to their most absorbent. Powering the RSP is a hybrid system with a 4.6-litre twin-turbo V8 at its core, plus a 1.35kWh battery, 800V electrical system, and an electric motor that can deliver up to 50kW in short bursts. The drivetrain is in race-spec trim, and overall output is limited to the V8's maximum output of around 507kW (680hp). When the electric motor operates in tandem with the petrol engine, the V8's power is clipped so the maximum output of the drivetrain is maintained. Under light loads, the 963 can operate solely on electric power. Given the RSP will live most of its life driving at a moderate pace, the electric motor has been remapped to prioritise smooth power delivery. The V8 has also been retuned to live on lower-octane petrol. After swanning around at Le Mans, the 963 RSP will head off to the Porsche museum in Stuttgart, and then make an appearance at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed. MORE: Everything Porsche Content originally sourced from: Porsche has a new hypercar based on its Le Mans Daytona hybrid (LMDh) class race car, but it's just a one-off. Unveiled ahead of this week's 24 Hours of Le Mans, the new 963 RSP is based on the 963 race car that competes in the FIA's World Endurance Championship – of which Le Mans is one of eight races – and the IMSA SportsCar Championship, which includes the 24 Hours of Daytona. The new 963 RSP is so named because it was built, nominally, for Roger Searle Penske, owner of many racing teams, the IndyCar racing series, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Porsche Penske Motorsports runs the factory team racing the 963. Through his eponymous corporation he also has his hands in car dealerships, automotive engineering, trucking, and logistics. According to Porsche, the RSP is inspired by the Count Rossi 917 (pictured below), a race car from the 1970s that was turned into a road-going vehicle, and remains on French roads to this day. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. The team working on turning the 963 race car into the RSP decided early on to follow the Count Rossi 917 template, and make as few changes as possible. This, no doubt, reduced development time and cost significantly, but also means the RSP is not homologated, and is therefore limited to road use under "special circumstances". For its debut on the streets near Circuit de la Sarthe, where the Le Mans 24 Hour race is held, it wore manufacturer plates. To that end the headlights and tail-lights have been reprogrammed, while a horn and licence plate brackets have been added to the car. The most significant changes to the 963's exterior are the addition of fully covered wheel-arches, and the removal of the blanking plates for the rear wing. An enamel Porsche badge has been added to the front, while 1970s-era Michelin logos are used for the rain-spec 18-inch race tyres that are wrapped around forged OZ racing wheels. Painting the 963 RSP in Martini Silver was problematic due to the car's Kevlar and carbon-fibre body. Some smaller body parts, such as the hinges and wing connectors, are finished in satin black. For the interior, the single-piece air-conditioned carbon seat is trimmed in leather. It is made more comfortable with a cushion down the middle and a fixed head restraint fitted to the rear bulkhead. Leather is also used for the steering wheel, while faux suede is applied to the headlining, leg cushions and door trim. A 3D-printed cupholder has been added to the middle of the dashboard. As real-world roads aren't racetrack-smooth, the RSP sits on the 963's tallest suspension setting, and the race-going Multimatic DSSV dampers are set to their most absorbent. Powering the RSP is a hybrid system with a 4.6-litre twin-turbo V8 at its core, plus a 1.35kWh battery, 800V electrical system, and an electric motor that can deliver up to 50kW in short bursts. The drivetrain is in race-spec trim, and overall output is limited to the V8's maximum output of around 507kW (680hp). When the electric motor operates in tandem with the petrol engine, the V8's power is clipped so the maximum output of the drivetrain is maintained. Under light loads, the 963 can operate solely on electric power. Given the RSP will live most of its life driving at a moderate pace, the electric motor has been remapped to prioritise smooth power delivery. The V8 has also been retuned to live on lower-octane petrol. After swanning around at Le Mans, the 963 RSP will head off to the Porsche museum in Stuttgart, and then make an appearance at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed. MORE: Everything Porsche Content originally sourced from: Porsche has a new hypercar based on its Le Mans Daytona hybrid (LMDh) class race car, but it's just a one-off. Unveiled ahead of this week's 24 Hours of Le Mans, the new 963 RSP is based on the 963 race car that competes in the FIA's World Endurance Championship – of which Le Mans is one of eight races – and the IMSA SportsCar Championship, which includes the 24 Hours of Daytona. The new 963 RSP is so named because it was built, nominally, for Roger Searle Penske, owner of many racing teams, the IndyCar racing series, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Porsche Penske Motorsports runs the factory team racing the 963. Through his eponymous corporation he also has his hands in car dealerships, automotive engineering, trucking, and logistics. According to Porsche, the RSP is inspired by the Count Rossi 917 (pictured below), a race car from the 1970s that was turned into a road-going vehicle, and remains on French roads to this day. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. The team working on turning the 963 race car into the RSP decided early on to follow the Count Rossi 917 template, and make as few changes as possible. This, no doubt, reduced development time and cost significantly, but also means the RSP is not homologated, and is therefore limited to road use under "special circumstances". For its debut on the streets near Circuit de la Sarthe, where the Le Mans 24 Hour race is held, it wore manufacturer plates. To that end the headlights and tail-lights have been reprogrammed, while a horn and licence plate brackets have been added to the car. The most significant changes to the 963's exterior are the addition of fully covered wheel-arches, and the removal of the blanking plates for the rear wing. An enamel Porsche badge has been added to the front, while 1970s-era Michelin logos are used for the rain-spec 18-inch race tyres that are wrapped around forged OZ racing wheels. Painting the 963 RSP in Martini Silver was problematic due to the car's Kevlar and carbon-fibre body. Some smaller body parts, such as the hinges and wing connectors, are finished in satin black. For the interior, the single-piece air-conditioned carbon seat is trimmed in leather. It is made more comfortable with a cushion down the middle and a fixed head restraint fitted to the rear bulkhead. Leather is also used for the steering wheel, while faux suede is applied to the headlining, leg cushions and door trim. A 3D-printed cupholder has been added to the middle of the dashboard. As real-world roads aren't racetrack-smooth, the RSP sits on the 963's tallest suspension setting, and the race-going Multimatic DSSV dampers are set to their most absorbent. Powering the RSP is a hybrid system with a 4.6-litre twin-turbo V8 at its core, plus a 1.35kWh battery, 800V electrical system, and an electric motor that can deliver up to 50kW in short bursts. The drivetrain is in race-spec trim, and overall output is limited to the V8's maximum output of around 507kW (680hp). When the electric motor operates in tandem with the petrol engine, the V8's power is clipped so the maximum output of the drivetrain is maintained. Under light loads, the 963 can operate solely on electric power. Given the RSP will live most of its life driving at a moderate pace, the electric motor has been remapped to prioritise smooth power delivery. The V8 has also been retuned to live on lower-octane petrol. After swanning around at Le Mans, the 963 RSP will head off to the Porsche museum in Stuttgart, and then make an appearance at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed. MORE: Everything Porsche Content originally sourced from:
7NEWS
08-06-2025
- Automotive
- 7NEWS
Porsche 963 RSP: Le Mans race car turned into road-going hypercar
Porsche has a new hypercar based on its Le Mans Daytona hybrid (LMDh) class race car, but it's just a one off. Unveiled ahead of this week's 24 Hours of Le Mans, the new 963 RSP is based on the 963 race car that competes in the FIA's World Endurance Championship –of which Le Mans is one of eight races — and the IMSA SportsCar Championship, which includes the 24 Hours of Daytona. The new 963 RSP is so named because it was built, nominally, for Roger Searle Penske, owner of many racing teams, the IndyCar racing series, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Porsche Penske Motorsports runs the factory team racing the 963. Through his eponymous corporation he also his hands in car dealerships, automotive engineering, trucking, and logistics. According to Porsche, the RSP is inspired by the Count Rossi 917 (pictured below), a race car from the 70s that was turned into a road-going vehicle, and remains on French roads to this day. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. The team working on turning the 963 race car into the RSP decided early on to follow the Count Rossi 917 template, and make as few changes as possible. This, no doubt, reduced development time and cost significantly, but also means the RSP is not homologated, and is limited to road use under 'special circumstances'. For its debut on the streets near Circuit de la Sarthe, where the Le Mans 24 Hour race is held, it wore manufacturer plates. To that end the head- and tail-lights have been reprogrammed, while a horn and licence plate brackets have been added to the car. The most significant changes to the 963's exterior are the addition of fully covered wheel arches, and the removal of the blanking plates for the rear wing. An enamel Porsche badge has been added to the front, while 70s-era Michelin logos are used for the rain-spec 18-inch race tyres that are wrapped around forged OZ racing wheels. Painting the 963 RSP in Martini Silver was problematic due to the car's Kevlar and carbon-fibre body. Some smaller body parts, such as the hinges and wing connectors, are finished in satin black. For the interior, the single-piece air-conditioned carbon seat is trimmed in leather. It is made more comfortable with a cushion down the middle and a fixed headrest fitted to the rear bulkhead. Leather is also used for the steering wheel, while faux suede is applied to the headlining, leg cushions and door trim. A 3D-printed cup holder has been added to the middle of the dashboard. As real-world roads aren't race track smooth, the RSP sits on the 963's tallest suspension setting, and the race-going Multimatic DSSV dampers are set to their most absorbent. Powering the RSP is a hybrid system with a 4.6-litre twin-turbo V8 at its core, a 1.35kWh battery, 800V electrical system, and an electric motor that can deliver up to 50kW in short bursts. The drivetrain is in race-spec trim, and overall output is limited to the V8's maximum output of around 507kW (680hp). When the electric motor operates in tandem with the petrol engine, the V8's power is clipped so the maximum output of the drivetrain is maintained. Under light loads, the 963 can operate solely on electric power. Given the RSP will live most of its life driving at a moderate pace, the electric motor has been remapped to prioritise smooth power delivery. The V8 engine has also been retuned to live on lower-octane road-going petrol. After swanning around at Le Mans, the 963 RSP will head off to the Porsche museum in Stuttgart, and then make an appearance at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed.
West Australian
08-06-2025
- Automotive
- West Australian
Porsche 963 RSP: Le Mans race car turned into road-going hypercar
Porsche has a new hypercar based on its Le Mans Daytona hybrid (LMDh) class race car, but it's just a one off. Unveiled ahead of this week's 24 Hours of Le Mans, the new 963 RSP is based on the 963 race car that competes in the FIA's World Endurance Championship –of which Le Mans is one of eight races — and the IMSA SportsCar Championship, which includes the 24 Hours of Daytona. The new 963 RSP is so named because it was built, nominally, for Roger Searle Penske, owner of many racing teams, the IndyCar racing series, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Porsche Penske Motorsports runs the factory team racing the 963. Through his eponymous corporation he also his hands in car dealerships, automotive engineering, trucking, and logistics. According to Porsche, the RSP is inspired by the Count Rossi 917 (pictured below), a race car from the 70s that was turned into a road-going vehicle, and remains on French roads to this day. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now . The team working on turning the 963 race car into the RSP decided early on to follow the Count Rossi 917 template, and make as few changes as possible. This, no doubt, reduced development time and cost significantly, but also means the RSP is not homologated, and is limited to road use under 'special circumstances'. For its debut on the streets near Circuit de la Sarthe, where the Le Mans 24 Hour race is held, it wore manufacturer plates. To that end the head- and tail-lights have been reprogrammed, while a horn and licence plate brackets have been added to the car. The most significant changes to the 963's exterior are the addition of fully covered wheel arches, and the removal of the blanking plates for the rear wing. An enamel Porsche badge has been added to the front, while 70s-era Michelin logos are used for the rain-spec 18-inch race tyres that are wrapped around forged OZ racing wheels. Painting the 963 RSP in Martini Silver was problematic due to the car's Kevlar and carbon-fibre body. Some smaller body parts, such as the hinges and wing connectors, are finished in satin black. For the interior, the single-piece air-conditioned carbon seat is trimmed in leather. It is made more comfortable with a cushion down the middle and a fixed headrest fitted to the rear bulkhead. Leather is also used for the steering wheel, while faux suede is applied to the headlining, leg cushions and door trim. A 3D-printed cup holder has been added to the middle of the dashboard. As real-world roads aren't race track smooth, the RSP sits on the 963's tallest suspension setting, and the race-going Multimatic DSSV dampers are set to their most absorbent. Powering the RSP is a hybrid system with a 4.6-litre twin-turbo V8 at its core, a 1.35kWh battery, 800V electrical system, and an electric motor that can deliver up to 50kW in short bursts. The drivetrain is in race-spec trim, and overall output is limited to the V8's maximum output of around 507kW (680hp). When the electric motor operates in tandem with the petrol engine, the V8's power is clipped so the maximum output of the drivetrain is maintained. Under light loads, the 963 can operate solely on electric power. Given the RSP will live most of its life driving at a moderate pace, the electric motor has been remapped to prioritise smooth power delivery. The V8 engine has also been retuned to live on lower-octane road-going petrol. After swanning around at Le Mans, the 963 RSP will head off to the Porsche museum in Stuttgart, and then make an appearance at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed. MORE: Everything Porsche
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
IndyCar Series on FOX; Donovan Long goes behind the scenes
The Brief The IndyCar Series is now on FOX, and the Sonsio Grand Prix is on Saturday. FOX6's Donovan Long got a behind-the-scenes look at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A former Packers player is now part of the pit crew for one driver. INDIANAPOLIS - The IndyCar Series is now on FOX, and FOX6's Donovan Long was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a behind-the-scenes preview of the races. The Sonsio Grand Prix is at 3:30 p.m. Saturday on FOX6. Wisconsin connection Local perspective A pit crew member for driver Christian Rasmussen is a former Packers offensive lineman. Benjamin Braden played parts of a few seasons for Green Bay. He now wears a different jersey and admits he misses the contact, but now uses his experience to move like lightning to get his driver up to speed. Advertisement RELATED: Check out the new and improved FOX Sports app As for how Braden went from Green Bay to the speedway, he said he has known Ed Carpenter, owner of Ed Carpenter racing, for years. When he pivoted from the NFL, he connected his love of motor sports and sportsmanship. Racing fans What they're saying Driver Scott Dixon has tons of fans, including 10-year-old Hayden Jaskela of Indianapolis. Jaskela waited in line with hundreds of people to meet Dixon, get his autograph and take pictures on Friday. The 10-year-old has been into IndyCar as long as he can remember and loves going to races with a dream of hitting the speedway just like his favorite driver. Advertisement FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android Racing fan Dylan James is from New Zealand, but traveled from London to Indianapolis to see driver Scott Dixon, who is also from New Zealand. He said the trip is meant to honor his dad, who passed away last year and never got to experience the Sonsio Grand Prix. James traveled alone and will return to the speedway for the Indy 500 in two weeks, another race his dad was never able to attend. The Source Information in this report is from FOX6 News interviews.
