A life around you slowly dies
The forgotten ones will see
How you seek, how you try
To save an undone life from pain
The forgotten ones will know"
Russell Allen/Jorn Lande-"The Forgotten Ones"
Today, my theme is a theme that will probably get ignored by the lion's share of y'all who see, visit, and know about my page. It is partly about a man who none of you have ever heard of. However, after reading about this person and seeing the footage of the horrific circumstances surrounding his death, I felt he needed to be written about, and a lesson needs to be learned from it. I truly hope you take the time to read this story.
Now, join me in Indianapolis, more specifically Indianapolis Motor Speedway..."The Brickyard".
Indianapolis Motor Speedway aka "The Brickyard"
If auto racing in America was its own religion, Indianapolis Motor Speedway would be its cathedral. Every year on Memorial Day weekend, drivers from all over the world converge on this iconic 2.5 mile oval (which is actually shaped more like a rectangle with rounded edges) with one goal in mind: to win the Great American Race. In 1982, it was no different. Competing for the coveted pole position at "The Brickyard" that year were legendary names such as Mario Andretti, Al Unser, AJ Foyt, Rick Mears, Gordon Johncock, Danny Ongais, Johnny Rutherford, Tom Sneva, and young hotshots like Kevin Cogan. Another lead foot who was looking to qualify was Nebraska native Gordon Smiley.
While the 1982 race was only Smiley's 3rd appearance at Indy, he was no rookie and truly no slouch behind the wheel. He started racing at the age of 19 and worked his way up the ranks in junior formulae. He raced SCCA Formula Ford, Formula Atlantic (SCCA Formula B), Can-Am, Formula 5000 and Formula Super Vee, winning races in each series while setting an astonishing 25 track records. Smiley also won the SCCA National Championship four times prior to turning pro in 1974. In 1979, he raced in the British Formula One Championship (also known as the "Aurora Formula One Championship") for the Surtees Team, and in 11 races he had eight top-10 finishes, including a win, which is the last by an American in an FIA sanctioned event, at Silverstone, England in 1979. He also raced in the F1 non-championship 1979 Race of Champions at Brands Hatch, finishing 10th in a Tyrrell. You could say that Gordon Smiley was a rising talent who was on his way to the top in auto racing. So, in 1980, he decided to take his talents away from Europe and road racing. If you drive open wheel racing cars, and you want the big money, you have to head to Indianapolis.
Gordon Smiley when he drove in Formula Atlantic.
While Smiley was an experienced and accomplished road racer, he was new to racing on banked ovals, and the difference between driving on a road circuit and driving on an oval is staggering. Contrary to what many people who dislike motor racing say, it is much, much more than just going fast and turning left. However, it seemed that Smiley acclimated himself well, as in 1980 he qualified his car in a very respectable 20th, but his race ended early on lap 47 when his turbocharger decided to call it a day and blew up. In 1981, he showed even more improvement as he qualified in a fantastic 8th place. During the race he ran strongly among the frontrunners, even leading 15 laps, but on lap 141 Smiley crashed in Turn 4, bringing out the caution period that set up the controversial finish to the 1981 Indy 500 between Mario Andretti and Bobby Unser. Despite the crash, Smiley had to have been pleased with his performance, as he ran a very good race. However, at the end of the 1981 season, Patrick Racing (the team Smiley drove for, who was one of the top teams in IndyCars at the time), decided to release him to what was essentially Patrick Racing's B-team, Fletcher Racing. Still, Gordon Smiley had to be heading into 1982's Indy 500 with his head held high. He had shown steady improvement in his first two races at The Brickyard and with a little bit of luck and a good car, he could have had an excellent shot at a strong finish, or even a race win.
So, in May of '82, Gordon Smiley and his team headed to Indy with his Intermedics sponsored #35 March/Ford Cosworth, looking to accomplish one of two things: break 200 miles per hour in qualifying, or die trying. I honestly doubt he was on a suicide mission, but while he was in the garage area during preparations for qualifying, he kept talking about breaking that 200 MPH barrier. If he wanted any shot at pole position, nothing less than 200 MPH would do. The owner of his car kept telling him to just have a solid qualifying run. Smiley wasn't hearing any of it. It was 200 MPH or nothing. Now, if a seasoned IndyCar veteran like AJ Foyt or Al Unser were talking like this, not much cause was had for concern, as they were masters at making a car go as fast as possible around the iconic oval. Their skills were honed by years of experience and when it came to oval racing, they knew what they were doing. Gordon Smiley, on the other hand, did not.
Gordon Smiley in his car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1982.
Yes, Smiley had raced the last two Indy 500's and ran very well in the 1981 race, but according to his peers, he still did not know how to properly drive on an oval track. Whenever he would have trouble, he would react like he would on one of the circuits in Europe where he honed his skills. On an oval, those same rules do not apply. For someone who was known by his peers as a talented driver but was prone to be a bit reckless, this was a combination of factors that would not bode well for Gordon Smiley. On the second lap of his warm-up before his qualifying run, he accomplished one of the goals he set to achieve. Unfortunately, for Smiley, his wife Barbara, his friends, his fellow racing drivers, and the fans in attendance that day, it was the latter instead of the former.
I will not get graphic here. I will not share pictures or video of the incident. If you are curious, you can find them on YouTube or Google. Even the description by a former medic at Indy is far too graphic to mention in words. Instead, I'll give you the short version: On his 2nd warm up lap before his qualifying run, Gordon Smiley lost control of his car in Turn 4 and hit the wall head on at 175-180 MPH. Dead on impact. What happened after impact, well, you can look it up if you feel the need to. Many still call it the worst accident in racing history. I'd have to agree, which is why I'm sparing you all the details save for the bare facts.
Gordon Smiley's final resting place at Calvary Cemetary in Omaha, Nebraska
Sadly, Gordon Smiley is only remembered by many fans of auto racing due to the violent nature of his death, or by his friends like Chip Ganassi, who is now arguably the most successful team owner in IndyCar, but in 1982 was just a rookie driver trying to qualify at Indy. Or, he is remembered by the fans who were in the grandstands at The Brickyard that day as his spirit left his body when he hit the wall during his fateful attempt to qualify. Honestly, I didn't know his name until I read an article about the 1982 Indy 500. My dad and I probably watched the 500 that year, and maybe remember Jackie Stewart talking about the accident, but it's hard to remember stuff clearly from when you are 5 years old going on 6. To 95 percent of the world's population, if I mentioned his name it would elicit a "who?", and that is about it.
We have a tendency to only remember the superstars in their respective fields when they pass away. If it's an A-list actor, a superstar athlete, a legendary rock musician, or a president or head of state, headlines are saturated with pictures and quotes about that person's life and career. We don't remember the also rans, the actors who only played a supporting role, the backing musicians used by the rock star, or the person who ran errands for the politician. To me, that is a shame. Everybody who has lived is important to somebody, or is somebody's hero. It does not matter to me if they won the Indy 500, or crashed and died trying to just qualify for the race. I'm sure that Gordon Smiley signed an autograph for some kid that day in the paddock and just made that kids' day, and even though Smiley died that day, I am positive that kid grew up admiring him still even in death.
Even though Gordon Smiley died 36 years ago, I am a fan. I think of a driver who had loads of potential and the talent to become a great success in the world of motor racing. The racing world is less for having lost him. I think of the many who had a bright future ahead of them, be it in music, acting, sport, art, writing, and life, and I mourn for them all. We all know someone who's light was extinguished before their time. Our world has been robbed of so many great moments that could have happened, so many great songs that could have been sung, and so many great roles that could have been played. Yet, to most of us, all we consider the dreamers who were taken away from us before they achieved fame or fortune are just footnotes, names in an atlas, or an engraving on a forgotten headstone in a cemetery.
Don't just remember the legends, remember those who were taken away from us before they could become legendary.
In Memoriam, Gordon Smiley (April 20, 1946-May 15, 1982)
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