INDY DIARIES: The Legal Eagle

Over 99 runnings, the Indianapolis 500 has become the most famous event in motorsport. That iconic status is built on a bedrock of hundreds of small stories, and to celebrate the centennial race, RACER.com has asked some of the people who are part of Indy's fabric to share a few of those stories with us. Check back every day between now and race day for a new 'Indy Diary' entry.

Last week, Graham Rahal and Josef Newgarden were severely penalized for their cars being a couple pounds underweight following qualifying for the Angie's List Grand Prix.

But 48 years ago there was another weighty matter that sent one mechanic over the edge, turned Gasoline Alley upside down, changed the completion of the Indianapolis 500 for a couple days and eventually left egg on the face of USAC officials.

It's the story of the Legal Eagle.

Ronnie Bucknum, a talented road racer from southern California, was an Indy rookie in 1968 driving the Weinberger Homes Eagle/Offy that was wrenched by the legendary Wally Meskowski. Bucknum qualified 19th fastest on the third day of time trials, only to learn a couple of hours later he'd been disqualified because his car weighed 1,330 pounds – which was 20 pounds too light by the rules.

Meskowski, a colorful character who never hesitated to speak his mind, went ballistic when chief steward Harlan Fengler gave him the eviction notice. He ranted, raved, cussed and demanded Fengler check the scales, to no avail. Car No. 45 was out, and Bucknum went looking for another ride and found one in Mario Andretti's backup car.

Rain on Sunday only left 90 minutes of daylight so qualifying for the final seven spots had to be pushed back to Monday. That's when 18 cars would each get one shot to earn one of those seven slots – including Bucknum.

But Meskowski wasn't going quietly. He called the Indiana State Bureau of Weights & Measures and asked for help, so they sent out a couple of officials with a set of scales to the Speedway and, lo and behold, their reading was 1,362 pounds – 12 pounds over the minimum allowed.

Wally then tracked down IMS superintendent Clarence Cagle and begged to let the Weights & Measures boys check the Speedway's scales. Cagle agreed and it was found the IMS scales were off by 6, 10, 15 and 192 pounds in the perspective corners.

Cagle told Fengler, who then sheepishly informed Meskowski his car had been reinstated and Bucknum – sitting sixth in the qualifying line that Monday during another rain delay – was officially back in his first Indy 500.

Joe Hamelin, one of the most creative writers ever at The Indianapolis Star, wrote the next day: "The State Bureau of Weights & Measures tore the blindfold off justice and bluntly told the lovely lady her scales were out of whack." Meskowski, fined $100 by Fengler for several incidents of improper conduct, always thanked Cagle for listening and always cussed the chief steward for not testing those scales.

Sitting with Bucknum at the Speedway many Mays later, he smiled when asked about those crazy 72 hours in '68. "If they had waited just a little longer before reinstating us, I would have qualified Mario's backup and then I would have had two cars in the starting lineup at the same time," said Bucknam, who passed away in 1992 and whose son, Jeff, twice drove at Indy in 2005 and 2006.

"But the best thing was walking back to our garage seeing the big sign Wally had made that read: 'The Legal Eagle.'"