Indy 500 Lifer

By: Bert Beiswanger

Indianapolis–Foyt, Mears, Andretti, Rutherford, Unser, Sullivan, Rahal, Castroneves, Hornish; sometimes Indy makes the people. When it comes to the likes of a Tom Bose, someone you’ve never heard of, sometimes it’s the people that make Indy.

One thing that makes the Indy 500 so special is the number of individuals like Bose who have dedicated much of their life to it - from mechanics to engineers to track personnel and fans. They’ve helped make the race what it is. They are a big part of the rich history.

Growing up in the shadows of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway breeds a racing drive and passion in some people that’s not found in many places; if anyplace. Racing is a way of life here. And although NASCAR visits the Brickyard every year and Formula One has graced Indy with its presence recently, the Indy 500 is the race. The morning of the race is Christmas morning and the first day the track opens in May is the equivalent of the J.C. Penney Christmas catalog arriving. May means leaves are on the trees and the Indy 500 is near.

“The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” has fueled the lives of people for generations. For people like Tom Bose from nearby Brownsburg, Ind., the roots of Indy run deep.

Bose is the chief mechanic for the No. 98 CURB/Agajanian/Beck Motorsports car driven by Roger Yasukawa. He has worked for car owner Greg Beck for 12 years, but his experience in racing goes well beyond that. In a world of IndyCar Series behemoths Andretti Green Racing, Team Penske and Target Chip Ganassi Racing, Bose says the drive to keep coming back to Indy is to help a small team like Beck Motorsports.

“With a big team, they’ve got everything set in stone; this is the way you do it,” Bose said. “With this, I can either do gearbox (work), uprights, floor cleaning; whatever. I can do anything on the car. It helps him (Beck) out, because he doesn’t have to pay the big money for other people.”

As with many people who grow up in the Indianapolis area, Bose became acquainted with the Speedway at a very early age. “The first time I was here, I was nine months old,” Bose said. “It’s just something I’ve enjoyed so much.”

After spending some years building his mechanical resume, Bose went to work for Patrick Racing. “From there,” Bose says, “I built transmissions for probably 15 years. Then, I got involved with Greg and did just about everything; engines, transmissions, uprights, everything. I’ve been with him ever since.”

One of Bose’s proudest accomplishments was winning the 2001 Clint Brawner Mechanical Excellence Award while working on a car driven by Billy Boat. “That was a wonderful thing,” Bose said. “At that time, we had three full-time mechanics work on this car, and we finished that year fourth in the championship against the ‘Penskes.’ Everybody else had a hundred guys in their shop. We had three guys who worked on the car! I think that’s a wonderful accomplishment. I had great people around me.”

Last week while the larger, more established teams were on the track practicing for the 92nd running of the Indy 500, Beck Motorsports had yet to determine who was going to drive its car. It’s the life a small team sometimes lives at Indy. However, Bose says he uses the extra time wisely to focus on the “fine details.” “Whether it’s the aerodynamics or just cleanliness; make the car look smooth and clean.” Bose said.

When you’re a small team at Indy, the years of experience an Indy lifer like Tom Bose has with the “fine details” is invaluable. It’s all part of the drive to make the field of 33 for the Indy 500.

Sometimes Indy makes the people; sometimes the people make Indy.

Tags: Beck Motorsports, Indianapolis 500, No. 98, Roger Yasukawa, Tom Bose

Bert is a freelance writer and passionate and knowledgeable Midwest sports fan. Having lived his entire life in Central Indiana, he ranks the Indy 500, "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing," as the single best sports event in the world.