Decemystery (2022.3) Bonus Entry: The Ghosts of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Good evening, dear reader! Merry Christmas to you; have a seat near the fireplace. I have a story for you. A few of them, actually. This write-up isn’t focused on any one case or report; it’s more of a collection that I’ve amassed when researching the topic.

When I was putting together this year’s Decemysterys, I wanted to cover some stories related to NASCAR. Unfortunately, I didn’t get around to all of them; the one about the Talladega sabotage ended up being considerably longer than I thought. So, I decided to forego most of the other stories.

There was one, however, that I kept. One that I thought was simply too good not to cover. You see, one of the most iconic tracks in all of motorsports stands in Indiana. It’s known as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, nicknamed “The Brickyard,” and it’s a beast that has a bloody history. So, for our first Decemystery bonus entry, we’ll be talking about The Ghosts of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Come along, dear reader; let’s go ghost hunting!

Decemystery (2022.3) 25: The 1974 Talladega 500 Sabotage

 

This write-up is dedicated to my closest friends, most of whom I know thanks to my love for NASCAR. To each and every one of you, thank you for being among the greatest folks I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing.

I make it no secret that I’m a die-hard NASCAR fan. My late grandfather was a Dale Earnhardt, Sr. fan, and it’s thanks to him that I got into the sport. The very first race I watched—in full—was the 2004 Daytona 500, won by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. I remember being really unhappy because I wanted Tony Stewart to win. My reason was I liked the color orange, and Stewart’s car was orange (he was sponsored by Home Depot). I envy my 8-year-old mind; the littlest things made it happy.

Also, as a random fun fact for those who don’t watch NASCAR: the number in a race’s name refers to the number of miles raced. This fact has no actual bearing on today’s write-up; I just wanted to share it.

Anyway, I eventually stopped watching NASCAR for quite a while; I forget the exact year. However, last year, I spontaneously decided to resume watching it. To my delight, my love never faded as I’ve been following it religiously once more. In fact, I attended my first race this year—the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. It was awesome!

Though, I digress; this isn’t meant to be about the life and times of yours truly. No, we’re here to talk about a mystery—and as you can likely tell, it’s related to NASCAR. It’s one I’ve had my heart set on writing about for the entire year. It’s also one that has an incredibly small amount of documentation; I honestly cannot believe a case like it isn’t talked about much more.

But let’s not delay any further. With the engines roaring with life and the green flag waving in the air, let’s get the show underway. This, dear reader, is the story of The 1974 Talladega 500 Sabotage!