32 year, 3 months and 11 days at Penske Racing - I'M RETIRED!!!
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12-24-2010, 12:52 PM
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Congratulations, Chuck. That is an amazing life story that you can be very proud of. I sent you a PM on the info you were looking for re: BVI / USVI. All the best and I hope you will share more with us. Very interesting.
Bob
Bob
12-24-2010, 04:41 PM
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That is one heck of a career, something to be proud of, and it sounds like you loved what you did. Congrats, and hope to see ya on the water. Jeff
12-24-2010, 09:25 PM
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Maybe you will find time to give a old friend a call.
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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΈ!
12-25-2010, 03:07 AM
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Thanks for all the kind wishes - they will help ease the transition.
Craig - You're right, there were lots of memorable (good and bad) moments. Picking the top one is like trying to pick your favorite dessert.
Linda Vaughn remembering my name the second time she met me.
Getting to see this amazing country while driving trucks coast-to-coast. (Hint: Watch the animated movie "Cars".)
Surviving my first pit stop, unscathed and with no mistakes.
The first time that the car I was assigned to won a race (Mario Andretti, Michigan 1980).
The fire in Rick Mears' pit in the 1981 Indy 500.
The GIGANTIC fire in the pit right behind us two months later at Michigan. 280 gallons of methanol.
Rick's car locking up solid with a broken gearbox as we pushed it back to the garage from Victory Circle at Watkins Glen in 1981, after winning the race.
Meeting Jackie Stewart, Stirling Moss, and tons of other legends of the sport.
Winning the lots of races and CART Championship with Rick Mears in 1981 and 1982.
Leading every lap of the first two races in 1982.
Breaking the track record by SEVEN miles per hour at Indy in 1982. On the first day of practice.
Winning the Pocono 500 by three laps in 1982.
Getting a stainless Rolex from Rick for the 1982 Championship.
Flying to England for two weeks every fall to help build the first "next year" car. And dreadful British food.
Heather Locklear in the pits at Cleveland in 1983.
Witnessing Rick Mears' crippling crash at Sanair in 1984. The worst feeling ever.
My first Lear Jet ride with RP in 1984.
Starting up the very first Ilmor engine of any type in 1984.
Winning the 1985 Indianapolis 500 in my first year as a Chief Mechanic, in only my third race in that role. (Anyone remember Danny Sullivan's "Spin-and-win"?)
Setting a Pit Stop Competition record that stood for 14 years at the 1985 Indy 500.
The GOLD Rolex that AJ Foyt's family presented me for the 1985 500. Still on my wrist to this day.
Finding out that AJ is actually a really cool and friendly guy as long as you keep the TV cameras away.
Christy Brinkley (then Mrs. Billy Joel) in the pits at the Meadowlands in 1986.
"Big Al" Unser winning the 1987 Indy 500 with a year-old car that we had re-activated from show car duty 12 days earlier.
Winning the 1988 CART Championship going away, with one race still left, after coming into the fourth race of the season with zero points. We won nine poles, five races and set 10 track records in the process.
Roger meeting me late at night at the Reading airport to offer me the Team Managers position in late 1988.
..and this was only the first ten years...
Craig - You're right, there were lots of memorable (good and bad) moments. Picking the top one is like trying to pick your favorite dessert.
Linda Vaughn remembering my name the second time she met me.
Getting to see this amazing country while driving trucks coast-to-coast. (Hint: Watch the animated movie "Cars".)
Surviving my first pit stop, unscathed and with no mistakes.
The first time that the car I was assigned to won a race (Mario Andretti, Michigan 1980).
The fire in Rick Mears' pit in the 1981 Indy 500.
The GIGANTIC fire in the pit right behind us two months later at Michigan. 280 gallons of methanol.
Rick's car locking up solid with a broken gearbox as we pushed it back to the garage from Victory Circle at Watkins Glen in 1981, after winning the race.
Meeting Jackie Stewart, Stirling Moss, and tons of other legends of the sport.
Winning the lots of races and CART Championship with Rick Mears in 1981 and 1982.
Leading every lap of the first two races in 1982.
Breaking the track record by SEVEN miles per hour at Indy in 1982. On the first day of practice.
Winning the Pocono 500 by three laps in 1982.
Getting a stainless Rolex from Rick for the 1982 Championship.
Flying to England for two weeks every fall to help build the first "next year" car. And dreadful British food.
Heather Locklear in the pits at Cleveland in 1983.
Witnessing Rick Mears' crippling crash at Sanair in 1984. The worst feeling ever.
My first Lear Jet ride with RP in 1984.
Starting up the very first Ilmor engine of any type in 1984.
Winning the 1985 Indianapolis 500 in my first year as a Chief Mechanic, in only my third race in that role. (Anyone remember Danny Sullivan's "Spin-and-win"?)
Setting a Pit Stop Competition record that stood for 14 years at the 1985 Indy 500.
The GOLD Rolex that AJ Foyt's family presented me for the 1985 500. Still on my wrist to this day.
Finding out that AJ is actually a really cool and friendly guy as long as you keep the TV cameras away.
Christy Brinkley (then Mrs. Billy Joel) in the pits at the Meadowlands in 1986.
"Big Al" Unser winning the 1987 Indy 500 with a year-old car that we had re-activated from show car duty 12 days earlier.
Winning the 1988 CART Championship going away, with one race still left, after coming into the fourth race of the season with zero points. We won nine poles, five races and set 10 track records in the process.
Roger meeting me late at night at the Reading airport to offer me the Team Managers position in late 1988.
..and this was only the first ten years...
Where is the "meeting the track doc and talking about Formulas and your batboat in the garage at Michigan Speedway" in that list ...?
Hanging out at MIS with the Penske team on test days has always been one of the coolist things in my career. You guys have always been a class act from the top down! I have been a major fan since I was a kid, and still pull for you guys at every race.
Best wishes in your retirement ... and if any of that involves trips to Vegas, please look me up out here!
Chris
Last edited by RedDog382; 12-25-2010 at 03:21 AM.
12-25-2010, 10:03 AM
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Clearly, the state of IndyCar racing nowadays versus where it was in 1995 speaks volumes for Mr. George and the Illustrious Racin' League's efforts....
RedDog382 - I did not realize that we had met. Hope that I wasn't too obnoxious. Sorry that we couldn't hook up when we brought the boat to Put-In Bay in 2007.
Everyone else - I'll be travelling for the next two days, so my online access will be limited, but all your well-wishes and kind thoughts mean a lot. This is a bittersweet moment for me, but I'm looking forward to things more and more every day!
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12-25-2010, 02:33 PM
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Congrat's Chuck, wishing you and Di, nothing but the best,
Life is good when everyday is a Sat . ,, Get back to Lake Erie and we can watch the boats from Kelly's and set on the "Front Rail" for a week or two, again , wishing you the best,
Roger and Stef
Life is good when everyday is a Sat . ,, Get back to Lake Erie and we can watch the boats from Kelly's and set on the "Front Rail" for a week or two, again , wishing you the best,
Roger and Stef
