Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines: Looking back on the Star of Indiana Mini Grand Prix
September 10 marked 30 years since the first Star of Indiana Mini Grand Prix. For those who were not around to experience the event first-hand, it was a mini-car race sponsored by Cook with Bill Finch (one of Cook’s attorneys) as an organizer. It took place around the courthouse square in downtown Bloomington as part of an annual fall celebration called Hoosier Fest. The square was blocked off, and the course was marked with stacks of tires. Over the years, local businesses and many Cook companies at the time, including Cook Inc., Cook Imaging, Cook Aviation, CFC, Cook Group, Cook Urological, Sabin, and Cook Pacemaker Corporation, had cars in the race.
Teams were formed, cars were purchased, the drivers and pit crew trained, driver meetings were attended, and fans planned to wear their team colors. There was a lot of spirit on the Monroe County Courthouse lawn.
The event took place annually from 1988 to 2000 and served as a fundraiser for the Star of Indiana Drum and Bugle Corps. Bill Cook drove a pace car that looked like a Star of Indiana bus. Many Cook employees helped to make the race possible by setting up the track before the sun came up and tearing down the event, working as track stewards, track marshals, and starters, managing transponders, arranging insurance, driving cars, working in the pit crews, etc. Rex Hinkle, president of Cook Aviation, sang “Back Home Again in Indiana” every year.
Below is a gallery of pictures and some video footage from the races throughout the years. We hope you enjoy this ride down memory lane.
This is awesome! 🙂
Ahhh….. the good ole days!
I was 15 and volunteered to work a concession booth that year! What fun and what great memories! Bruce Miller you still have a baby face!! How fun that a few years later I work as summer help 3 years later. Time has flown!!
Oh my! What memories that brings back. Those were the good old days for sure.
Just like the gospel song “Precious Memories”. Although this does not seem as though that many years has passed me by!
“The Race” was always fun; brought out the fans and the “families” from each participating organization.
I do recall one of the races I drove around on 3 wheels. Sparks were flying before I was black flagged to get off the course!
Thank you Ashley, lot’s of history with our unique company!
You’re welcome! I am glad to be able to share this unique part of our history.
Ashley, thank you for a fantastic Cook trip down memory lane! It was a major project involving many Cook Group employees 30 years ago. . . Celebrate!
You’re welcome!
looks like good fun!
I remember these events going on when I was a kid! it was such a blast to see a race on the square
Wow, great to see early pics of Bruce Miller – Marty Matthews – Jerry Miller – Jim Koontz – Jason Urbanski…hard to believe those pics were 20 years ago!
I’m going to have to hit Rex up next time I see him to hear “Back Home Again”!!!
haha…great post! Love the video! 🙂
GOOD OLD DAYS IT WAS GREAT TO SEE MR. BILL COOK SHARE IN HIS SMILE
Those were fun times. It was exhilarating. I worked at the scoring table and would track a team as it completed each lap. What a thrill!
Purdue has a great go cart track here in West Lafayette. Wouldn’t it be fun to do this again sometime? I call pace car!
These were exciting and fun times with a full display of cross functional teamwork. This was also a true family function with all of the teams family and friends filling the square to root for their team. Sure do miss those days and still relish in the fact of being part of the only Cook company to win the Mini-Grand Prix, that was Sabin Corp.!
Good Ole Days… Reminds me to have more fun!
Ashley,
Great job capturing this event! Brings back so many memories as I drove for Cassady Electric #34 for several years.
Good times, great memories!!
Thanks, Jenell
Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed it.
This was always a great day of fun with the family and what better way than to support our community and our favorite teams.
Brings back a lot of good fun memories.
Another example of the many Cook teams collaborating to put on such an event as this.
Although it took a lot of work and 100’s of volunteers it was a lot of fun working and eventually sharing driving one of the cars in the race with Tony Koontz. I don’t think people today can understand how much fun this event was and the excitement of that day unless you were there.
Ashley,
Great job! Brings back so many fun memories.
Thank you, Bruce
Thank you, Bruce!