Runway turns into racetrack as IndyCar stars, RAF Mildenhall members, feel the need for speed

  • Published
  • By Karen Abeyasekere
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  The roar of engines on the runway is a common sound here. But Jan. 21, the only sound to be heard around the runway was the roar of a very different kind, from a much smaller engine - that belonging to an IndyCar, tearing along at speeds up to 150 mph, and driven by none other than racing legend, Mario Andretti.

The winner of 12 Formula 1 Grand Prixs and four national championships in IndyCar racing was here with other drivers on the Indy 500 Centennial tour, visiting servicemembers overseas to boost morale.

Mr. Andretti, along with Al Unser Jr., Larry Foyt, Johnny Rutherford, Sarah Fisher, Davey Hamilton and British driver Martin Plowman, visited troops both at military bases and on an aircraft carrier at sea. Also on the tour were racing announcer Jack Arute and IndyCar Series spokesmodel, Cameron Haven.

The team and their crew arrived at RAF Mildenhall by the light of a full moon Jan. 19 - not by fast car, but by a KC-135 Stratotanker piloted by Maj. James Muniz, 351st Air Refueling Squadron.

The trip was divided into two parts and two lots of aircrew - the first of whom flew to Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind., to pick up the IndyCar which would be taken on the tour as well, then onto Indianapolis International Airport to collect the drivers and their support team.

Originally, the plan was for everyone to travel to McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., but the aircraft was unable to fly there because of a snow storm. After a delay of 24-hours, the KC-135 headed for Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where Major Muniz and his crew took over the precious "cargo."

"From there, we flew to Bahrain and stayed for three days," he said. "On the first day, the drivers and their teams boarded the USS Abraham Lincoln, and spent the night with the Navy."

After that, they flew to Joint Base Balad, Iraq, to spend time with troops there. Meanwhile, the car owners stayed in Bahrain and gave incentive rides to Navy personnel. The next leg of the tour was to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, then on to RAF Mildenhall.

The pilot said he spent quite a bit of time chatting with Jack Arute, who fascinated him with stories of all the people the racing announcer has met throughout his career.

"I also spent time talking with Larry Foyt, since we're both from Houston and my last assignment - at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas - was right next to his family ranch."

He added that he thinks it's a great thing the IndyCar drivers are giving their time and talent to visit the troops.

"It's a chance for deployed guys to break up the 'Ground Hog Day' routine, and is a great way to remind the troops that people back home are thinking about them and what they're doing," Major Muniz said. "As far as 'meeting the stars,' I was amazed at how down-to-earth they all are - they all had time to talk with us, and never seemed to have an ego issue."

The major said organizing this particular mission kicked up a lot of unique challenges to ensure everything went smoothly, and a lot of people in the 100th Operations Group helped the plan come together.

"I don't think any of the crew members understood how important our mission was, until we saw the reactions of the troops we were visiting. I'm just very happy that all the planning we did allowed us to accomplish the mission successfully," he said.

While in England, Mr. Andretti and the other drivers visited British troops at RAF Honington, near Thetford, and American military members both here and RAF Lakenheath.

Some of those troops were lucky enough to experience the thrill of a lifetime, when they were given the opportunity to be a passenger in the two-seater IndyCar; some were driven by Mr. Andretti himself, while others were back-seat drivers to Mr. Plowman, a British driver who has just finished his third season in the Indy Lights Series. Mr. Plowman took over from the world champion when he had to leave ahead of schedule on Friday, to get back for other commitments.

One half of RAF Mildenhall's runway was temporarily closed to aircraft so it could be used as a "race track" for the IndyCar.

The first person who got the bragging rights of having Mr. Andretti as his driver was Airman 1st Class James Seals, 100th Operations Support Squadron.

"That was one of the most amazing things I've ever done in my life!" he said breathlessly, after climbing out of the tiny seat of the car. "When we took off... oh - it felt just like a rollercoaster ride.

"I knew it was going to be fast, but I wasn't expecting it to be that fast! That was crazy," he laughed. "You could make out some objects, but once he (Andretti) was on the straight and he really gunned it, you could see barely anything. It was just all flying by.

"I think it was a great opportunity to meet him, and to be the first person in the car with him. I know he's a great legend, and lots of people have come out here to see him, but not everybody's going to get a ride with him," Airman Seals said.

The second driver of the IndyCar, Mr. Plowman, was also happy to be on the tour and have the opportunity to visit troops around the world.

At just 23, Mr. Plowman is the youngest racing driver on the tour, and until now has been driving in Indy Lights Series, but is currently planning to compete in his first Indy 500 race later this year.

As a British driver, most would see themselves as a Formula 1 driver, rather than IndyCar, which is not really known here.

But not this guy.

"For any aspiring new driver, his destiny is guided by opportunity rather than desire. But having said that, the Indy racing series has always been a dream of mine, and to have the opportunity to go (to the United States); I didn't have to think twice about making that transition," he said.

Mr. Plowman is friends with Dan Wheldon, who is one of the stars of Indy racing, and has an excellent reputation in the sport. Back in 2008, Mr. Wheldon offered him the opportunity to race in the junior class of Indy racing, known as Indy Lights.

"It was a great place for me to learn and to get onto the ladder towards IndyCar. We average about 195 mph per lap; IndyCars do around 230 mph per lap - to put it into perspective, NASCARs will do around 138 mph, so we're a lot faster than them!"

The British driver said he's glad to have had the opportunity to personally come and thank the men and women who serve for our freedom.

"I have a lot of appreciation for what they do. I understand that it's a blessing to be a racing driver, and it's an honor to do what I do, but that privilege is only afforded to me by the fact that these guys (servicemembers) make the sacrifices that they do."

Mr. Andretti said he was also impressed by the attitude of the military members he's met, and how hard the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen work.

"Some of them would say, 'If it takes 24 hours to get the job done, we're there,'" said Mr. Andretti.

"That seems to be the mindset of everyone I've spoken to; they have a certain passion that comes across and the sense of responsibility is clear. I love that sort of discipline, and that's what parallels the world that I know in motor racing over the years. That's our mindset - there's no time limit as to the amount of hours you're going to dedicate to your job. All you know is, the objective is to get the job done and to spend whatever time is necessary, and that's what I see here. So I recognize that, and I have a special appreciation for it."