WINCHESTER, Ind. — Racing legend Tom Bigelow says it all started with a promise he made as a 12-year-old boy listening to the Indianapolis 500 on the radio.
"I told my mother when I was 12 years old, listening to the Indianapolis 500, someday I'm going to drive there," Bigelow said during an interview on Richmond radio station 101.7 The Point. "It took a long time to get there, but through the midgets and sprints, every time you get successful in one class, you're just one step closer to your dream."
That dream led to nine consecutive starts in the Indianapolis 500, more than 50 USAC sprint car victories, and induction into multiple motorsports halls of fame. This weekend, Bigelow's accomplishments will be celebrated at Winchester Speedway during the annual Tom Bigelow Showdown.
The event, featuring the 500 Sprint Car Tour, returns to the historic half-mile oval with racing on Sunday and a free Community Day and practice sessions on Saturday.
Bigelow, who won his 50th USAC sprint car race at Winchester, said the speedway remains one of the country's premier proving grounds for aspiring drivers.
"If you want to go to Indianapolis or Daytona, this is the place you can come," Bigelow said. "You get used to the banking and used to the speed. It's just one fabulous racetrack."
Bigelow's racing career spanned nearly every major discipline of American motorsports, including midgets, sprint cars, Indy cars, ARCA and NASCAR. He said each type of race car demanded a different driving style.
"In the sprint car you're sitting back over the rear end, and you can control the slide a lot better," he said. "Every car has its own little characteristics."
His Indianapolis career nearly took a different turn during qualifying for the 1976 Indianapolis 500. After spinning on what would have been one of the fastest qualifying runs, mechanical problems forced him to qualify the following weekend. He started 27th and finished sixth.
Looking back, Bigelow said his greatest pride isn't just making the Indianapolis 500 but qualifying for it nine consecutive years during one of the sport's most competitive eras.
"Every year was quite a challenge," he said.
Today, Bigelow's legacy extends beyond his own accomplishments.
Winchester Speedway owner Dan Redmond said naming the annual sprint car event in Bigelow's honor while he is still able to enjoy it was an easy decision.
"When a celebrity dies or a business mogul dies, everybody wants to do something to honor them," Redmond said. "How great would it be to do that while they're still here?"
In addition to the racing program, fans will be able to see several of Bigelow's former race cars, driving suits, trophies and other memorabilia on display. Special event merchandise and collectible pieces of original Winchester Speedway asphalt will also be available.
The event also marks the return of former NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Newman to Winchester competition. Redmond said Newman has frequently cited Bigelow as one of the drivers he admired while growing up.
Bigelow said he hopes young racers competing this weekend remember one lesson above all else.
"Take your time," he said. "Maybe they've never been here before. Run a few laps, come in, talk to your owner and mechanic, think about what you've done, then go back out. Every time you go back out, you go faster."
Practice begins Saturday, June 27, with Community Day activities offering free admission for fans to watch teams prepare while local businesses and organizations participate in the event.
On June 28, Sunday's program includes practice, qualifying, pre-race ceremonies and feature racing for the 500 Sprint Car Tour, CRA Super Late Models and Thunder Roadsters.
Find information here: https://www.winchester-speedway.com/schedules/event/608931.
