The Little 500 Bike Race

[docroc67]

Brothers,

Last Saturday my wife and I had the opportunity to see the Little 500 Bike Race at Indiana University in Bloomington. What a fabulous experience! The race is generally organized along the lines of the Indy 500 Motor Speedway Race. There was a lot of pagentry for this 55th running of the Little 500 Race. Our Lambda Chi Team qualified for the 25th starting position out of 33 qualifying teams. My wife and I managed to make our way to the Lambda Chi "Pit" just before the start of the race! We shook hands, took photographs, and just "pumped" each other up for the race. For some reason our team was wearing "Black and Blue Colors." This choice of colors would prove to be prophetic during the race.

Our team was holding its own until about the 150th lap. One of our riders sustained some minor inguries early in the race that slowed our boys down. However, we were holding steady, at around 20th position, when a spectacular accident took place going into the west curve of the track. A rider went down and caused a chain reaction that took down four or five more riders in an instant. Our rider, trying to miss the pile of bikes and bodies, moved to his right, lost control, plowed into a bale of hay, and was tossed about 5 feet into a plywood retaining wall! He was hurt enough, at least a couple of broken ribs, to be taken to the hospital.

With that accident our Lambda Chi team was reduced to two healthy riders. Our men did not give up and finished the race. I am not sure of their final standing, but I do know it was not last place! What an effort from a group of fine young men who represented us well.

This is a must see event. Fast paced action, drama, danger, and pure athletic ability as 33 men, inches apart, navigated that track at speeds sometimes exceeding 60 miles an hour! What a rush....

Any IU Lambda Chis on board? Maybe someone can give us an update.

As for me, I'll be back at the Little 500 next year!

Yours in ZAX,

Mike, "Where's My Bike," Raymond, Zeta-Upsilon Zeta