INDIANAPOLIS — Do you remember your first Indy 500?
Well, Bob Skorjanc can remember the races, winners and even weather of the past more than 70 years of races, down to his first in 1952.
When the month of May comes around, the only thing on Skorjanc’s mind is "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."
“I can remember seeing my first race event at the Speedway right after World War II with my dad," Skorjanc said.
1952 was a significant year for the 500.
Troy Ruttman became the youngest winner at just 22 years and 80 days old — a title he still holds today.
“A dirt car won the race, which was really something because that’s the last time a dirt car won the 500," Skorjanc said.
Since 1952, he has never missed a race.
In 2020, even a global pandemic couldn’t stop him from getting to the Brickyard in person.
“We went down from the main entrance there on 16th Street," Skorjanc said. "Between the two grandstands, you can see inside and there’s a big screen that faces out towards 16th Street. We struck our feet underneath the fence and then held onto the fence so that our feet were inside the track so we could say we were there for that year."
The 81-year-old is a now-retired Registered Nurse.
He spends his free time working on collectors cars.
Skorjanc says there’s plenty to love about race day, but favorite part is seeing familiar faces in the grandstands year after year.
“I’ve seen the parents and their kids and now their kids’ kids all come to the track. And it’s really cool," SKorjanc said.
