1999 - A.J. Retires

Good-Bye A.J. Thanks for the memories.....

"The Gang"...Me, Tom A., John C., Scott, Dennis, Dale P. ( & Rick....yes Rick)
"The Vehicles"...Tom's '99 Chevy Tahoe & my '89 Corvette (yes I said Corvette!)
"Lodging"...3 rooms @ Days Inn on 38th st. & High School Rd. (the Palace?)

Arrived @ hotel Saturday afternoon. Off to Hooters for supper. Karoke at hotel bar, then off to strip joint to celebrate my son Scott's upcoming wedding. (Hey the guy is already corrupt!!)
John & Tom say this WILL be their last year coming, but they came this year to honor and pay tribute to Rick. (I will explain later..)

Sunday...
When the green flag dropped at the start of the race, we DID all raise a toast to our comrade, Rick. Watch an exciting race also. Robby Gordon was leading until lap 198 when his gamble with fuel mileage didn't work out and he had to pit for fuel. Kenny Brack (driving for A.F. Foyt) went on to win and give A.J. his first win as an owner. Gordon finished 4th.
"Ricks Ashes"....When Rick died, he was cremated. Well, we honored one of his wishes, when after the race, Dennis and I spread some of his ashes (I told you he was along with us this year) on his seat! I say SOME cause as we were doing it, some of the people that were left sitting around us, were giving us these strange looks.(?) I told Dennis we better stop. I don't know if we were laughing or crying more. (Never realized when your cremated, there's so many ashes!!) I'm sure even Rick was looking down on us laughing and calling us "a bunch of Roundheads".

God willing>>>>>See ya in 2000>>>>

1999 - R.I.P. My Dear Brother

Feb 7th 1999, God called one of the founding fathers of the Wisconsin Good-Time Gang, my brother Rick home. He had just turned 55 on Feb 5th.

As long as there is the G.T.G. and a race, he will always be with us. At his funeral, his son Dennis & I displayed his G.T.G. jacket, hat, t-shirt, and DRINKING GLOVE! We know he would have liked that. Myself, Rick & Tom Anderson are the 3 fathers that started this racing fraternity. We always looked forward to the day we could take our 3 sons to Indy, and it has become a reality. Rick, Tom, and myself made a pledge that the first member to go the the big "Brickyard" in the sky, the others would raise a toast at the start of that years race. We also agreed NOT to sell that man's ticket, but instead would use that seat for the coolers. At this years race (May 1999), this pledge will be fulfilled.>>>>>>>R.I.P. My Dear Brother

1998-New Traditions Start-Hotel Rooms & Hooters

Yes it's true. In 1998, myself and my friend Dennis Koss (P.O.) went for pole day qualifying. (we also went in 1997). We stayed at the Days Inn on High School Rd and 38th st.. I managed to secure ( I thought) 3 rooms for race weekend for $69.00/room. I will explain about this hotel before we go any further. This hotel serves as a dormatory for a truckers school the rest of the year. So it is (should I say?), not really up to code. There is a dead squarrel in the pool, and we're not sure if the the roof leaks more than the ice cooler or vice versa!? When you walk on the carpet it "squisshes"! We found out why the rooms were so cheap.... "The Gang"...Me, Scott, Brent, Dennis, Watertown's Mike & Tom and Dale. (same crew as last year)

"The Vehicle"... Tom's custom van. (yes it's true, we all piled into one vehicle, but I still got stuck driving!)

Saturday...Get to hotel to find out the hotel has overbooked rooms and has given our rooms away! After some "heated discussion", management located us 2 rooms @ the Marriott on the south end of Indianapolis around 18 miles from the track. But hey, it's great. Shitters, showers, t.v.'s, MAN we're living NOW!!!

For supper on Saturday (remember, we don't have the camper) we started a new tradition that still goes on today....we ate @ Hooters. I think this is the year that my nephew Dennis became our "official photographer". I don't think there was a Hooters girl he DIDN'T take a picture of!
We have always teased him about is Indy picture scrapbook. Tits, ass, tits, ass, and not one picture of a racecar!? Anyway, after Hooters, we wanted to go go-carting but the cops had the place shut down! So it was off to the Miss Nude Indy 500 contest. Dennis fell in love (after he got drunk & punked) and proceeded to give one of the strippers his G.T.G. hat!! It's bad enough he lost his hat, but there was $$$$ of pins on it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......lol He still hasn't lived that one down.

Sunday...



The race was exciting again with Tony Stewart leading the first 22 laps until his engine blew on lap 22. A suprising front runner was John Paul Jr. I had picked a "sleeper" this year in our pool(Greg Ray) that was leading and pulling away till the gearbox failed. My son (Scott) thinks I cheat. Hmmmm?? Our man from Wisconsin (Steve Knapp), ran great finishing 3rd and earning Rookie of the Year honors. Eddie Cheever ran a good consistant race to win it.

GOD WILLING......See ya in 1999................

1997- Rain - Rain - Rain!!!

Finally got new shirts this year. Green & Gold (Packer Colors).

"The Gang"...Me, Scott, Brent, Dennis, Mike Sullivan (Watertown), Tom (Watertown) and Dale Poppenga (P.O.)

"The Vehicles"...My 93 Chevy 4x4 p/u (pulling camper) and Tom's custom van.

Saturday...Have to start this year on a sad note. Bob Schanklin (where we have camped since 1992) died this past year, and his widow is not parking/camping in yard this year. God speed from the Wisconsin Good-Time Gang, Bob.....

So we have moved one block north just off 25th & Georgetown Rd. Don't remember the guys name who's yard we camped in. Typical Saturday tho', set up camper, eat, walk, and Miss Nude Indy 500 contest (haven't done that for a few years).




Sunday... (IRL Update) This was the first year of the naturally asperated (non-turbo) IRL cars. They are using Oldsmobile and Infinity engines. The teams are now using Dallara and G-Force chassis.

"The Race"... RAIN,,,,RAIN,,,RAIN!!! RACE postponed until Monday so we went back to camp and ate, then to a local watering hole to watch the Charlotte 600 on t.v. which was also under a rain delay, but they did get the race in. (Jeff Gordon won it)
Monday....They managed to get 15 laps in before (guess what?)......RAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The track has postponed the race to Tuesday (5/27/97) but sad to say, too many of the Wisconsin Good-Time Gang had to get back to Wisconsin for work, Alot of the fans left also complaining the IRL officials should have re-scheduled the race for the following Saturday. Oh well.....................

Tuesday.........They finally got the race started, and we weren't there to see it!!!

1997 Indy 500 Winner; Arie Luyendyk
See ya in 1998..........................................