June 3
David Letterman wasn't joking Sunday night. Letterman, a BallState alumnus, stood in the makeshift Victory Lane while the rainpoured from the skies. As Bob Jenkins interviewed him over thetrack public address, Letterman didn't know quite what to say,perhaps for the first time ever.
"What am I doing here, for God's sake?" Letterman told Jenkins,with a huge smile on his face. "I don't belong here. I have nothingto do with this, but I'm happy to be a part of it."
Buddy Rice, who drives for the team Letterman co-owns with 1986Indianapolis 500 champion Bobby Rahal had just won the Indianapolis500.
"When I was a kid there was no Major League Baseball," Lettermansaid. "[There was] in Chicago and Cincinnati, but we didn't haveanything here. So the Speedway became my Major League Baseball.Every year at May, the world would come to you."
After the open-wheel racing series split, Rahal and Lettermanchose CART over the IRL and Indianapolis. In fact, Rahal was aco-founder and interim president of CART.
Since returning to the Speedway in 2002, Rahal Letterman Racinghas struggled at Indianapolis. In 2002, Jimmy Vasser finished 30thafter gearbox problems. The team's luck did not improve in 2003,with Vasser finishing 26th, again with a gearbox failure, whileKenny Brack finished 16th, five laps down. Now, finally, Lettermanhas achieved success at the track he loved so dearly.
"I can't describe the magic that there was when you were a kid,and you just tough it out through these long, lousy Indianawinters. I, of course, lived outside," Letterman joked. "And thenyou get to go out to the Speedway, and there's just this excitementand this drama, and the place is sacred. The greats of the sporthave competed here and given their lives here."
Rice, who was better known for wearing his hat backwards andsporting a soul patch than driving skills after two years atCheever racing, scored his first career victory and will appear onMonday's "Late Show," with the victory. Rice lost the soul patchand turned his cap around after joining then-named Team Rahal.
"This is what happens when you wear your hat the right wayaround, Buddy," Rahal joked. "No, that's all right. I might evenlet him wear it backwards one of these days."
"Dave said it's OK," Rice responded.
Letterman has regularly featured IndyCar and CART drivers on hisprogram, including last year's IndyCar champion Scott Dixon andCART Champion Paul Tracy as part of his deep-rooted fanhood of thesport. Letterman said he doesn't believe that today's stars areinstantly comparable to those of his youth.
"I think the first guy I saw drive this track was a fellow namedBud Tingelstad," Letterman said. "Does Buddy remind me of BudTingelstad? I don't know."
"Bud Tingelstad never wore his hat backward," Rice joked.
As the tornado sirens wailed in the distance, Letterman hadfinally realized his dream of an Indy 500 victory.
"I haven't had anything to drink in 30 years, but I feel likeI'm drunk right now, I'm sorry," Letterman said. "Do you dreamabout [winning]? Sure. Do you ever think it was possible? No."
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