Henry Medler worked hard to grow his field drainage business, but there was always the hint of a wild side. It usually came out around Memorial Day.
“I made my first trip to the Indy 500 in 1951,” said Medler. “And then I didn’t miss a race for 55 years.”
The long climb to his preferred seats—high in the fourth turn—finally proved to be too much for Medler’s 83-year-old legs. These days he stays home and watches the race on TV. But that doesn’t mean his wild side has finally been subdued.
Medler, who has undergone open-heart surgery, didn’t hesitate before sliding into the tight cockpit of an Indy race car. He said he was even a little surprised when he felt no rush in his pulse as they tightened the strap on his helmet and closed the visor.
“I was a little disappointed on the first lap when I only went 100,” Medler said. “It went through the corners nice, but if I was going faster it would have been even better.”
He came around turn four and was being directed to the pits. But he couldn’t resist one more taste of the wild side.
The Medler machine rolled back into the pits to the cheers of his family and the workers at the track. His dream realized, Medler honored a long-time Indy tradition and knelt to kiss the bricks.
| 
|