Memorial Day Weekend is quickly approaching us and as we all know it is one of the celebrated holidays of the year. Many of you will hit the roads to go camping, host family outings, see long time friends, honor our fallen soldiers and those that we have lost, and take in a race or two. One of the biggest races on Memorial Day Weekend and in all of the racing world is the Indianapolis 500. My wife and I decided that this would be the year that we make voyage down to Indianapolis and would make a road trip of it. Once, arriving to the Indianapolis Speedway we beelined it to the hall of fame and on our tour we were informed that the state of North Dakota had a distant but ever so important connection to the Indy 500. How though? Was it a sponsor that we were not aware of? Maybe it is a crew chief or an official that has made a significant impact? It couldn't be a driver...right?
The connection indeed is a driver but not just any driver that attempted to qualify or had made the field. No. It happens to be an actual Indy 500 winner and that person is Floyd Roberts. Floyd was born in 1900 in Jamestown North Dakota. In 1920 he would move out to California to race out at the now defunct Ascot Speedway. Once gaining a
reputation for his abilities as a talented driver his focus would turn to the famed race track in
Indiana. In 1935 he would make his rookie debut at Indianapolis and would finish fourth. The next couple years would be plagued by misfortune but would still finish in the top twenty for those races. 1938 would be the big year for Floyd as he would go onto qualify on the pole with the Bud Pistons Special car. Floyd would back his qualifying efforts up by leading 91 of the 200 laps and would go onto eventually win the Indy 500. Floyd would not just stop his season there as he would go onto finish the season as the national champion.
The following year would see Roberts return to Indy to attempt to defend his title of reigning champion. He would start the race thirteenth and would not live to see the checkered flag. In attempt to avoid a fellow racer Floyd would make an ill-fated attempt to swerve around the spun car and would make contact with the other car and would cause the car to cart wheel out of the track. Roberts would make history as the first Indy 500 winner to die on the track.
Much like every dirt track race the story of Floyd Roberts has came to an end. However, the significance of his life and the impact of his contributions will carry on. He is enshrined in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame. His name will be synonymous with the Indy 500 and in turn it proves that at one time, even a boy from Jamestown, North Dakota could go out and win one of the biggest races in the world.
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