Radio Broadcasts

[Eric Paddon]

This is the first year I'll be finally getting a crack at taping the vintage 500 radio broadcasts on WIBC's night before special. If anyone's done this in the past, I'd like to know if they'd be willing to perhaps trade or arrange something else since trying to obtain vintage 500 radiocasts has long been frustrating in many ways.

The ones I have are:
1962
1964 (starts 20 minutes before Lap 3 restart)
1972 (2nd half)
1975
1988-1994 (all races)

It's too bad WIBC or the Speedway doesn't make these available direct for purchase like Major League Baseball does with historic radio broadcasts since I'm sure they'd sell quickly.

[Doctorindy]

Go here, and take a look...

http://www.geocities.com/johnsonindy500/tapes.html

[Eric Paddon]

Thank you! I'll be in touch.

[indyrjc]

Eric, I'd be interested in working out something, too. I believe WIBC will be broadcasting the 1947 race for the first time Saturday night sometime as well. A fan gave them the 1947 copy (and several other years as well) that someone in his family had made since neither they or the Speedway had any recordings prior to the IMS network. 1947 was one of the partial Mutual Radio broadcasts which featured updates rather than continuous coverage. They did cover the start and the finish, however. One thing to watch for on the 1947 broadcast is that there will be no "Gentleman, Start Your Engines" command. Contrary to popular belief that command was not given until 1949 at the earliest (I have heard it in the background on a 1950 recording but haven't been able to confirm the 1949 race) and then not by Wilbur Shaw.

[Eric Paddon]

Just finished a sleepless night taping the replays of the 47 and 86 races, along with the "Fantasy 500" from earlier this year. Since I don't have a direct hookup to tape an internet stream broadcast I literally had to place a tape recorder next to a speaker and turn the volume up and maintain silence in my apartment the whole time the races were on. Not convenient but its worth it to get these rare gems!

My only quibble was how the structure of the evening meant that the 86 replay cut off barely seconds after Rahal crossed the finish line and we didn't even hear the post-race interview.

[Doctorindy]

Originally posted by Eric Paddon
Just finished a sleepless night taping the replays of the 47 and 86 races, along with the "Fantasy 500" from earlier this year. Since I don't have a direct hookup to tape an internet stream broadcast I literally had to place a tape recorder next to a speaker and turn the volume up and maintain silence in my apartment the whole time the races were on. Not convenient but its worth it to get these rare gems!

My only quibble was how the structure of the evening meant that the 86 replay cut off barely seconds after Rahal crossed the finish line and we didn't even hear the post-race interview.

Sounds like my night also. I hooked up the VCR to the computer, that way I popped in an 8-hour tape, and if I fell asleep, I'd know I didn't miss anything. I'd wake up, listen for a few, nod off for about a half hour, then wake up, and over, and over, and over until 6.

I was quite pleased the way it came out. Now if I can only edit it this summer!

I also noticed how they "cut off" the end. But for the WIBC reruns, that's typical. However, that may have been one of the best-ever WIBC reruns. Usually they edit out more than half of the race. Not to mention they usually spend twice as much time talking in between the segments...I think this one was as close to "full" boradcast as they've ever had in the past.

The 1947 race was great too.

[Eric Paddon]

I think the only thing they cut on the 86 race was the red flag time after Sneva's crash on the pace lap. I hadn't realized the usual practice was to edit a fair amount of the race in the past. If so, then this was a nice departure this year!

Being an AJ fan I hope 1967 and 1977 will be on tap within the next few years. Of course maybe what they really should do is have more than one night of repeats each year (or sell the races on tape).