“The other side of the fence”

Ever since I was old enough to remember going to the races, I have always gone to the fence, just to look through, hoping to see what was happening on the other side. I was that little kid with the big grin looking up at my driver heroes at Indy, like Jim Clark, AJ Foyt, Jim Hurtibise, Eddie Sachs. There were also photographers like Phil Whitlow, John Mahoney, Gene Crucean and others, who were my heroes too, I was in deep envy of all of them on the other side of that fence.

I had my own camera at 11 years old. Probably a Kodak something or other, but it took pictures, pictures through the fence, pictures of race cars and drivers and various other activities, even some in the Snakepit that would fascinate any 11 year old boy. I still have pictures of cars in the garage area where I could not get into, crazy looking people in the Snakepit, some 50 years later and I still have them. A couple I will post here, not because of the content or quality, just so you can see them and date they were developed, also the fence that separated me from where I desperately wanted to be.

Then many years later, as a grown man marveling at the 19,000 rpm screaming F1 engines at the U.S. Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, still though, stuck on the wrong side of the fence. I still find myself being in awe at certain events, of certain drivers and photographers, all while still looking through the fence. But this Spring that all has changed for me. I was able to attend the Alabama Grand Prix for IndyCars and also, I will be attending the 99th running of the Indy 500. Both events finally, from the other side of the fence.

This all came about because of my dear friends Bruce Leer, and Rick Evans. Bruce who has afforded me the opportunity to be his sidekick on the Racing BS Show, Thursday mornings on Hoosier Country 105.1, and also because, Rick who is the DJ that is forced to ride heard on Bruce and myself, just also happens to be the Chief Engineer for the Indianapolis Speedway Radio Network.

Rick has encouraged me to apply for credentials to be able to attend these events and “cover” them for our radio show. Truthfully, I was reluctant at first, almost feeling like an imposture, trying to get in somewhere that I didn’t belong. But, I decided to give it a shot, sending in my first credential request and getting accepted at several local tracks and then at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL, then following that, the pinnacle, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

I have to say I was surprised as anybody that not only were my requests accepted, so far I have been treated so nicely, at all these tracks, it really is hard for me to put it into words. Someone close to me joked, “man you are livin’ the dream” and truthfully they are correct, I am! So as I get ready to attend my first Indy 500, as a credentialed photgrapher/reporter, I just wanted to say a most sincere and heartfelt thank you, to both Bruce Leer and Rick Evans for the opportunity and encouragement. Without them, this would not be happening.

Tomorrow morning, I will be out the door before dawn cracks, on my way to the greatest spectacle in racing. There is no doubt, I will be grinning just as big as that little 11 year old kid looking through the fence at all my heroes standing in the Snakepit of turn 1. But this time it will be different, I will be in turn 3 and on “The other side of the fence”.

Chris Judah