Unser Jr. returns to Victory Lane at Indy as Brickyard Invitational concludes

Driving a racecar through Gasoline Alley, through the pit lane and onto the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is usually something only the professionals get to do. Sharing a car with one of those professionals during a race at IMS used to be a pipe dream. But the Brickyard Invitational this weekend brought participants to tears and fans to their feet as drivers wheeled their vintage machines through the historic alley.

"Just seeing some of the drivers crying going out of Gasoline Alley because they were emotional at the fact that they were at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, how can it get better than that?" SVRA President Tony Parella said.
Parella, IMS President Doug Boles and several Indy 500 legends all deemed the event a success and something that will be a staple at the speedway for years to come.

"If there is any other racetrack in the world, I don't care where you are, if you could race at one track, it has got to be here," Parella added.

• Day 2: Legends reconnect at the Brickyard

• Day 1 recap

Sunday got off to a shaky start as the weather threatened to KO the Indy Legends Charity Pro/Am race. Luckily, the rain cleared and a condensed schedule still got everyone on the track.

Two-time Indy 500 winner Al Unser Jr. and Peter Klutt won the Pro/Am race driving a red, white and blue 1969 Chevrolet Corvette.

"It feels great," said Unser Jr. (LEFT). "Any time you win at Indy, it is a good day, no matter what."

He had nothing but praise for the event and seemed ecstatic to be driving in the race.

"I just think it's awesome. It's fantastic, all the different cars here," Unser Jr. declared. "You can see on the faces of the drivers of all the cars that have been running here, the gentleman and the ladies that are just coming off beaming and just a chance to run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a dream come true for these participants."

Eliseo Salazar and Gary Moore finished second in a 1965 Ford Mustang GT350 and Willy T. Ribbs and Ed Sevadjian finished third in a 1972 Chevrolet Corvette. Scott Goodyear also was driving in the race in a 1965 blue and white Ford Mustang.

"To see all of these neat cars that have raced in years gone by is really cool for fans to see and, honestly, for us as drivers to come out and do it because it is completely different than what most of us have ever done here," said Goodyear, who finished 14th with co-driver Stephen Seitz.

Enjoy this gallery of images from the third and final day of the Brickyard Invitational. All images by IMS photo:

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Despite all the complicated logistics, the weekend seemed to go off without a hitch. Well, except for one of the IMS Museum cars, a 1957 Chevrolet Corvette SS, last seen trailing a plume of white smoke down the front stretch (ABOVE). But, it's racing; it happens. The official word was that the car experienced a mechanical malfunction.

Boles expects the event to become an integral part of IMS tradition.

"I think this is just a great foundation for an event that, in five years, we are going to look back on and it's just going to be one of those events that everyone needs to attend," he said.

Boles added that he feels the event can become an important tool to grab the attention of young fans.

"It's been pretty neat to see families with kids walking around collecting these trading cards; it seems counter-intuitive that you can take a vintage race and maybe create new racing fans, but because of the access and because the drivers and the cars are so accessible to folks, I think this is a great way to not only grow the event, but to help get people engaged in motorsports in general," he noted.

The success of the event has paved the way for thoughts about the future and hopes for more attention worldwide.
"I hope this is something we can grow and it becomes one of those international stops in the vintage racing annually. Clearly, we have the history and the facility and I think most of the participants are excited with the facility, and it is just set up so easy to make something like this work," Boles said.

Boles and company are already planning for next year's event and are trying to figure out what date would be optimal for fans and drivers. He noted that having it just two weeks after the Indy 500 could put a strain on the fans that have been back and forth to Indy three times in about one month. On the other hand, moving it could conflict with the other vintage races scheduled.

"We will get (scheduling) figured out here in the next couple of weeks and get that announced so people can start planning for next year," he said.

Boles was delighted with the turnout and level of engagement of the fans. He loved that they filled Gasoline Alley and got to interact with the cars and drivers like never before.

"I will bet we will have had 25,000 people through the gate for the weekend, which is a pretty nice start," he said.
Parella, meanwhile, breathed a sigh of relief and was visibly more relaxed as Sunday drew to a close. His event, his brainchild, had come to fruition.

"Honestly, in some respects, it's been emotional, in some respects it's been stressful, more than anything, it's been a dream come true," he said. "The whole (IMS) team has been incredible."

FEATURE RACE WINNERS

Group 1 – Recognized small displacement production sports cars and sedans – Winner: 1967 MG Midget driven by William Carson

Groups 3 & 4 - Recognized series-produced sports cars and sedans in production prior to 1972 & Limited produced sports cars, racing "specials" and GT cars built or in production prior to 1960. This group represents the "Golden Age" of sports car racing in the United States and Europe. Winner: 1965 Volvo P1800S driven by Goran Nyberg

Group 6 – Select big-bore production sports cars and sedans through 1972 – Winner: 1969 Chevrolet Corvette driven by Jody O'Donnell

Group 9 – Wings and slicks formula cars complying with SVRA post-1973 formula car regulations – Winner: 1991 Dallara F1 BMS-191 driven by Michel Gensini

Group 10 - Select GT sports cars and sedans raced between 1973 and 1999. Can-Am and A Sports Racing cars as raced after 1967 on slicks, over 6.0 Liters. Center-seat Can-Am cars on slicks over 5.0 Liters. NASCAR Cup and Busch Series stock cars. Production-based contemporary cars based on performance history as raced from 1999 to 5 years prior to current calendar year. – Winner: 1990 Chevrolet GT1 Corvette

Group 11 - GTP/Group C, ALMS, PSCR, WSC and Grand Am prototype cars as raced from 1981 to specified cut-off date. Tubeframe Trans-Am and IMSA GTS, GTO and FIA-GT cars as raced from 1981 to specified cut-off date. Production-based contemporary cars based on performance history as raced from 1999 to 5 years prior to calendar year. – Winner: 1974 Shadow DN4 driven by Craig Bennett

Other Awards - Another feature of the weekend was the presentation of special trophies for the best examples of specific cars: Indy roadsters, pre-war racers, Brabhams and Best-of-Show. Long-time car roadster collector Bill Aiken won the first "A.J. Watson Tribute Trophy" for his black 1953 Kurtis-Kraft front-engine machine best known for finishing third in the hands of driver Jimmy Davies in 1955. The pre-war category trophy was captured by another car with exceptional history – owner Peter Giddings' 1931 Alfa-Romeo. The best drivers of 1930's Europe drove the car: Tazio Nuvolari, Achille Varzi and Rudolf Caracciola. The Sir Jack Brabham Commemorative Trophy was won by Bob Lima for his 1967 Brabham BT21 while Wil Painter's 1966 Alfa Romeo GTV was named "Best-of-Show."