A Window for Freemasonry - Scottish Rite

A Mason
At the
Brickyard
Bro. Sam Hornish Jr.
wins the Indy 500
Summing up the importance of the
classic Indianapolis competition to
the sport, and its placement
among sporting events, legendary
driver Al Unser once said, “Every race
I run in is in preparation for the Indianapolis
500.”
In May a member of the Scottish Rite
was first to cross the finish line at that
famed racing spectacle as Sam Hornish
Jr., 32°, claimed victory and won the
2006 Borg Warner Trophy, emblematic
of Indy 500 triumph.
Bro. Hornish, a member of the Valley
of Toledo, was raised a Master Mason at
Omega Lodge in Defiance, OH, his
hometown. He joined the Scottish Rite
in November 2004. A family affair, he
followed his father, Bro. Sam Hornish
Sr., into the craft. In fact family has always
been a major factor at the turning
points of his life.
Sam’s first interface with motor
sports came on his 11th birthday as he
entered a father-son go-kart race. Just
ten years later he joined the Indy Racing
League (IRL).
The league features several races
throughout the calendar with points
Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the #6 Marlboro Team Penske Car, winner of the 90th
Indianapolis 500 with American flag in the winners circle.
earned for each victory. His third-place
finish at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway
was his best as a rookie. In his
sophomore year he went all the way,
beating out reigning champion Buddy
Lazier and winning the series.
In 2002 he repeated his victory of the
year before. His back-to-back victories
still make him the only two-time champion
of the IRL. With 15 first-place
© WILLIAM MANNING/CORBIS
★★
T★ The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, probably the most
well-known auto racing track, was built in 1909 on 300
acres of farmland just north of Indianapolis.
Initially planned as a testing facility for the burgeoning
auto industry, occasional races were conducted,
matching cars from various manufacturers.
The original surface consisted of crushed rock and tar.
According to the official history of the track it proved
“to be disastrous at the opening motorcycle and automobile
racing events in August 1909.”
During a 300-mile race the surface was torn up, making
conditions treacherous.
Several people were killed and the race was stopped
before completion. To solve the problem, more than
three million bricks “were laid on their sides in a bed of
sand and fixed with mortar.” This new innovation inspired
the track’s nickname, “The Brickyard.”
Although most of the bricks are still there, they have,
for the most part, been paved over with a modern asphalt
surface, with only a yard of bricks exposed at the
start and finish.
Helping keep the name alive is a NASCAR event now
held there, known as the “Brickyard 400.” It began
in 1994.
10 THE NORTHERN LIGHT / AUGUST 2006