A few months ago, the wifey and I decided to take a walk through the "Antique Mall" that's less than a half mile from us. We'd been there a few times and I'd never picked anything up. Until that day.
I saw it. I wanted it. I did my due diligence and messaged the man that knows more about the Indianapolis 500 than anyone I know. He verified that it looked legit, as much as one can from a few photos. It left. with me.
It is a poly jacket (pretty much a windbreaker) that, hopefully, was Jim McElreath's. I'm not going to give you a long biography of him. He was born in Arlington, TX (where I live) and still lives here. He was in the Indianapolis 500 15 times. He never won, but he finished in the top ten four times.
I suspect the jacket is from the 1973 season. I've not been able to find any images of him wearing it, but hope to come into one someday.
I was the first caller into The Talk of Gasoline Alley with Indianapolis Motor Speedway Track Historian Donald Davidson last night and asked him to profile McElreath. He knows all these things off the top of his head. You should give it a listen.
If you shop online and haven't signed up and used ebates yet, you're missing out. I also use it on eBay to get money back. Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $100 in about six months. FREE CARDS! If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow. Happy collecting!
What an amazing find! Seriously, I've come across some game worn minor league uniforms in thrift shops, but that is downright amazing!
ReplyDeleteI had the opportunity to interview Mr. Davidson on-air a few years ago when I was working with an NWI NPR station and he was a joy to talk to. I consider myself lucky to have gotten to talk track with him and his endless fountain of knowledge.