This year, August passed by me like Robert Bell’s sprint car at Oskaloosa, Iowa and it was a month of ups and downs. I started out the month on an incredible high, with the Bob Tattersall memorial sign dedication and unveiling ceremony in Streator, Illinois.
This year, August passed by me like Robert Bell‘s sprint car at Oskaloosa, Iowa and it was a month of ups and downs. I started out the month on an incredible high, with the Bob Tattersall memorial sign dedication and unveiling ceremony in Streator, Illinois. Then I hit one of my all-time lows at the end of the month with the news of one of racing‘s favorite people passing, my old friend Robin Miller.
I had the good fortune to have known Robin for over 45 years. I first got to know him back in the ‘70s when he bought a midget from Gary Bettenhausen and started racing around the Midwest. Robin, Tony Bettenhausen Jr., and Bobby Grim Jr. all started racing midgets in USAC about the same time. With names like Grim and Bettenhausen hanging around, I knew I needed to hear stories about their famous dads, as well as those of Robin, who was working as a race reporter with the Indianapolis Star and as a stooge for Jim Hurtubise.
Robin was also the Bell helmets representative at that time, passing out free helmet accessories like face shields and tear-offs. Back then a lot of companies gave away their products to racers — from helmets to oil, gear lube, spray penetrants, and so many other things we used on the race cars. They were given to us periodically if you were a regular on the USAC circuit, so I frequented Robin‘s pit at most of the races and got to know him quite well.
Robin‘s midget racing career was a fairly short one, due to having a fulltime job and also being the car owner. He enjoyed some success in his brief run, and always beamed with pride when he told the story of the day he raced in the Hut Hundred in Terre Haute. Back then, the Hut Hundred was a tough race to qualify for, as it was in the afternoon and if you went out late to qualify (they always had at least 75 to 100 cars) you had a very good chance of missing the show and heading home, as there was no B-Main.
Robin had just gotten an engine from the Bettenhausens and went out fairly late. Amazingly, he looked like Rich Vogler on his two laps, running high, wide, and handsome, qualifying fifth in a star-studded field. He ran well in the race before dropping out with mechanical problems. When Robin told this story his face always lit up.
One year I was at a USAC event at Santa Fe Speedway. Robin hit the end of the crash wall during the heat and was knocked out. The wreck looked bad when it happened and it bent the roll cage on his Harry Turner tub, which is never a good sign. My old buddy Dr. Tyler immediately ran to the scene and when he came back to my pit he pronounced Robin dead. This was the year that the Doctor pronounced three drivers — Robin Miller, Jan Opperman, and Harvey Konkel — dead. All three survived their wrecks and would race again. Robin always got a kick out of me telling that story.
Robin loved going to the casino and we would occasionally frequent them together when the IRL raced in Kentucky, as the casino was right up the road from the track. I was not much of a gambler, other than playing slots or blackjack, but one night I strolled over to the craps table where Robin was playing and asked him how to play. He took $20 of his own money and played for me, explaining what he was doing, and shortly turned it into $40 which he handed over to me. I still had no idea how he played the game but thanked him and left. He would not take his money back and said it was a gift from a friend.
As the years rolled by, Robin got bigger and bigger in the media world, both in print and on the television broadcasts. I was involved with Robin quite a bit when I worked with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network as a pit reporter. Although Robin was on the TV side of broadcasting, we spent a lot of time together in the Honda and Penske hospitality tents eating our free lunches and talking mostly about the roadster era drivers.
When I first came to the IRL, I sought out Robin for advice, given his success in broadcasting, and he warned me to be careful hanging too closely to him, as he was not accepted by the IRL due to some harsh criticisms he had written. He thought it might impact my job to be associated with him.
As it turned out, all the hard feelings went by the wayside in a short time and over the last years he was sought out for his opinions by all the media outlets and became quite a fan favorite. In my opinion, Robin had become the modern day Chris Economaki as he, like Chris, was so knowledgeable about all facets of racing, from the technical side to the historical. He had access to all the latest rumors, as people would call Robin to report just as they had done with Chris. Like Chris Economaki, Robin will be almost impossible to replace and will be sorely missed by all who knew him. RIP my friend.
Now for the good part of the month. I must say I was really taken aback by the tremendous response we received for the unveiling of the Bob Tattersall memorial plaque in Streator, Illinois in early August. Close to 150 Tattersall friends and fans showed up on a hot, sunny, humid day that, if I may quote the great philosopher and soothsayer Buster Linne, was “hotter than the inside of a sheep.”
The ceremony was held on Main Street of Streator, Bob‘s hometown, in front of a building that displays a huge mural of Bob and some of his race cars. The mayor of Streator was in attendance along with many of the townspeople, who still remember Streator‘s most famous resident even after all these years. The mayor gave a short speech, as did Bob Gates and the fine people from IRMA (the Indiana Racing Memorial Association), the group that created the beautiful Tattersall sign. This was the 50th memorial plaque they had placed, including ones for the Kenyons, Vukovich, the Bettenhausen family, Bryan Clausen, and so many other great racers.
I was asked to say a few words of thanks to all that attended and then got the privilege to introduce the lady of honor, Tat‘s wife Dee Tattersall, who‘s emotional talk left everyone with lumps in their throats and smiles on their faces.
It was such an honor to be involved with this event, which originated at Dee‘s house one day when the honorable Jack Calabrese and I met with her for lunch. I was amazed that, even though it had been 50 years since Bob‘s death, so many people both locally and internationally still remembered this great racer. I told Dee about the IRMA plaques and she agreed it would be great to have one honoring her late husband. Jack immediately offered to be the first donor and Jim Debosik offered to help me out with some details, so it was a go. Although it took over a year to get everything finalized, it was worth every minute.
From the beginning, it was all about honoring Tat and his biggest fan, Dee, who was by his side to the end. Today, at 89 years of age, Dee runs around like a 50-year-old and is as sharp as a new Ascot tire. The day before the event, we all went out to dinner at the local Mexican restaurant and Dee shared that she had spent the entire day crying as she thought about all the old friends and racers that she hadn‘t seen in so long.
During dinner with Jack, Dee, Jim Debose, and Dee‘s brother Mickey, we got a phone call from one of Tat‘s old friends from Sydney, Australia, Phil McGee, and his brother Chris. Ironically, it turned out they were sitting at the table across from us! They had journeyed all the way from California just to attend the ceremony. Phil‘s dad, Headley, had a shop in New South Wales when Tat was racing in Australia and Bob would work out of his shop every year. What great Tat stories he had to tell!
People came from Australia, California, Missouri, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, and a few other states as well. What a tribute to Tat.
For all of us, one of the thrills of the event was the appearance of so many old drivers and owners. It was a great thrill to have Mel, Don, and Lynn Kenyon in attendance. Mel and Don‘s records speak for themselves and Don‘s wonderful wife, Lynn, is my Indiana correspondent and proofreader for all my Sprint Car & Midget columns. It was so nice of Mel to talk at the ceremony and at the luncheon. Also, one of my heroes, Merle Bettenhausen, came from Indy with Bob Gates to honor his old fellow racer and friend. After the ceremony, we all went over to the Eagle‘s club that opened its back room and supplied a PA system for the event. We enjoyed a small lunch and told Tat stories.
I apologize that I can‘t remember the names of all the fans and friends in attendance. All I know is that our storytelling lasted close to two-and-a-half hours and every time I looked over at Dee‘s table she was smiling.
Dee isn‘t much into public speaking, but she did get up and tell us a few of Bob‘s stories and thanked everyone for coming. You could hear a pin drop while she spoke. I think everyone was fantasizing that they were right there back in those great days of racing. Peter Nunn from Australia offered some very amusing thoughts of his time racing with Tat, as did Phil and Chris McGee. Bob Wente was one of Tattersall‘s best friends and raced with him for years. It was good to see his son Bobby, as well as Danny Frye‘s son, Danny, there also. Dee said she practically raised those Wente boys at the race track along with their mother, Pat.
Bobby spoke emotionally about his memories of his family and Tat. So many guys and gals had stories to tell.
When it was finally time to call it a day and everyone was heading back home, it felt like I had gone back in time and didn‘t know if I wanted to return. I never knew Bob, as I was just a kid in his heyday. At the track, I would run down to get his autograph and listen to him talking with fans. I felt like, in a small way, being involved with this event helped me pay back for all the great childhood memories and thrills he gave me. My goal was to help people remember this great racer and, judging by the great turnout and the smile on Dee‘s face, I would say it was accomplished. I send a big thank you out to all that contributed funds for the plaque and attended, making it a huge success.
Looking back at the month of August, I feel like I‘m saying goodbye to one legend and saying hello to another. Racing people never cease to amaze me with their loyalty to their sport, its people, and how they rally for each other in times of need. There is not another sport like it. KO
