The late Billy Foster of Victoria became the first Canadian to race the Indianapolis 500 in 1965.
Even though fellow-Islander Bill Okell鈥檚 accomplishment in getting to race in Indy this week is not quite so momentous, it鈥檚 a huge thrill just the same. How can it not be? It鈥檚 the Old Brickyard, after all, and any auto racer would be proud to run the famed track.
鈥淚t鈥檚 huge . . . a real big deal,鈥� said Okell, the 62-year-old veteran Victoria racer, who is getting to live out that dream this week in the Sports Car Club of America championship run-offs taking place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
It鈥檚 a first for the Sports Car Club.
鈥淚t will be hard not to look up at the grandstand and be awed, not that it's going to be filled with tens of thousands,鈥� said Okell.
鈥淚 need to get in my groove and not be caught up in the massiveness of the facility and its history.鈥�
Okell was 18th in the GTL class and 32nd in F Production class after the first two days of qualifying Monday and Tuesday. The finals run Friday through Sunday.
The Sports Car Club of America drivers are happy to have this once-in-a-life time chance to race in a facility that is hallowed by car-racing enthusiasts the world over.
鈥淭he Indianapolis Motor Speedway is looking outside the box, and beyond open wheel, and has hosted Formula 1, NASCAR, NASCAR Trucks and motorcycle racing,鈥� added Okell.
And now it is also hosting Okell鈥檚 brand of racing 鈥� which features Austin Healys, MGBs, MGB Midgets, Honda CRXs, Mazda Miatas, Mazda RX7s, Lotus Super Sevens and Datsun 510s, Datsun 240Zs, Porsche 924s and BMW Z3s 鈥� giving these sports-car drivers memories of Indy they will carry with them the rest of their lives.
Okell, racing for San Francisco-based Huffaker Engineering, is in his fourth decade of racing but said the learning never stops.
鈥淚 always seek improvement,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 know I can be a better driver.鈥�
