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................