INDIANAPOLIS — I was dreading the struggle to claw through the Indianapolis beltway to reach the exit for Interstate 74 on the southeastern edge of the city.
Once that threshold was crossed and there was a little time to loosen the grip on the wheel, I was still anxiously waiting for a chance to slip off the highway and head to the country. A trip through the town square of Greensburg allowed for a quick glance at the famous courthouse and soon I was on U.S. Route 421, heading south toward Osgood.
For some race fans, Osgood is known as the birthplace of the late Betty Rutherford, the gregarious and poised wife of the three-time Indianapolis 500 winner. It is a quaint place with the humorously named Damm Theater still operating downtown. There was a period when I made this trip often on my way to work at Kentucky Speedway or in my time as an announcer with the UMRA TQ (three-quarter) midget association. I still remembered some of my favorite sites along the way, and quickly recalled just how relaxing a journey it was.
There were few places on the UMRA trail I enjoyed more than Osgood. On my first visit there was a decrepit covered grandstands that was thankfully replaced true to the original. That alone tugs at me, and it is still easy to see the remnants of an old half-mile track that was last used for auto racing in the 1930s. It is a delightful step back in time.
When the TQs are in town, it is county fair time and nothing still gets to me more than any race during a fair. This wasn’t the Indianapolis Motor Speedway or even a stop on the USAC trail. This is not to suggest that participants in the All Star TQ series aren’t serious — they are.
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