Bryan Clauson
Last Saturday night in Belleville Kansas, 27-year-old Noblesville resident Bryan Clauson was involved in a blood chilling crash while leading the Belleville Midget Nationals championship race. He died of the injuries he sustained early Monday morning. Clauson had laid out what he called the 2016 200 races tour. It was his goal to compete in 200 automobile racing events during the course of 2016. He had won the Belleville Midget Nationals race on three previous occasions, so Belleville was sort of his personal track. Clauson was considered by most racing experts to be America’s top dirt track competitor and “King” of the midget racers.
Clauson had competed in the NASCAR Xfinity series in 2008-9, the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and was a three time USAC Driver of the Year and was twice the USAC Sprint Car Champ. He drove in the Indianapolis 500 Mile race on three occasions — 2012, 2015, and 2016 — as a part of the Sarah Fisher Hartman and then the Dale Coyne team. Last May he led three laps before finishing 23rd. Clauson was most at home on the dirt mile and half tracks, however. Bryan Clauson was considered to be one of racing nicest and most approachable drivers — always ready to give an autograph or pose for a picture with a fan, USAC CEO Kevin Miller called his death one of the darkest days in the history of USAC racing. Tony Stewart, who was a close friend and mentor of Clauson. said “we’ll all miss you buddy.” RIP!
The Game That Wasn’t
By now you probably heard that the Hall of Fame Game in Canton Ohio that normally opens the National Football League’s preseason was called out because of “poor field conditions.” Our Colts and the Green Bay Packers where supposed to be the contestants this year. The issue was the logos painted in midfield and in the end zones: They were hard, slick, lumpy, and unsafe. The players usually involved would mostly be second, third and fourth stringers. The Colts planned on playing Luck and the starters for a single series and the Pack wasn’t going to play their starters at all. However, there have been complaints about the field conditions in the past. The Hall of Fame has already planned to replace the turf. Canton is about a half hour away from Cleveland. I have visited the Hall of Fame and every true football fan should go there at least once.
The Indiana Connection in Rio
The Boss reminded me that Indiana Olympians are second only to California in the amount of athletes in the 2016 Games There are 16 Olympians with Hoosier ties in Rio. Evansville’s Lilly King took the gold for the women’s 100 meter breast stroke. The IU student set an Olympic record in the process. She’s also the favorite in the women’s 200 meter Rio Games. David Boudia of Noblesville and Steele Johnson of Carmel won the silver for men’s synchronized diving off the ten meter platform. Hamilton County can claim one medal for its sports hall of fame. Cody Miller, who is a member of the IU swim team, took a bronze medal in the men’s 100 meter breaststroke. Fellow IU teammate Blake Pieroni of Valparaiso won a gold medal as part of Men’s 4×100 freestyle 100 meter swim team. Paul George of the Pacers and Tamika Catchings of the Fever are part of the USA Men’s and women’s Olympic basketball teams. Catchings holds three previous gold medals. Chloe Dygert of Brownsburg moved from basketball to cycling and is now considered one of the top medal threats. Indiana connected athletes have already collected four medals and more are sure to come. snicewanger@yahoo.com