IndyCar drivers will honor police when they resume at Texas - MotorSportsTalk

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) IndyCar drivers will have “Back The Blue” decals on their cars and wear caps representing local police and national law enforcement agencies when they resume the rain-interrupted race at Texas Motor Speedway on Aug. 27.

Just weeks after the June 12 postponement, five law enforcement officers were shot and killed July 7 in downtown Dallas at the end of a protest over protest over police-involved shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota in the days before that. There have been protests this week in Milwaukee after an officer-involved shooting there.

Indianapolis 500 champion Alexander Rossi joined Texas Motor Speedway officials Wednesday on visits to the headquarters of the Fort Worth Police Department and the Dallas Police Department.

“It means a lot, we had an opportunity with the race being rescheduled to do something to show our appreciation, and our respect, and gratitude,” Rossi said. “I’m just honored to be a part of it.”

Thank you to @TXMotorSpeedway President Eddie Gossage & @AlexanderRossi for your support! pic.twitter.com/Rorf6MPZ4Y

— Dallas Police Depart (@DallasPD) August 17, 2016

Rossi and TMS President Eddie Gossage addressed officers at each department, and presented 200 tickets for the race at each stop. Police personnel will be admitted to the race free, along with a companion, by showing their badge.

Gossage said all that is being done is a way to show respect to police and all first responders.

“Our fans’ blood runs red white and blue, probably more than any other sport going, so it just made obvious sense,” Gossage said. “To put the `Back The Blue’ decals on the car and for each of the drivers to wear a hat from a various police department, as opposed to their sponsor hats, that’s a big deal.”

The Texas race in June was first pushed back a day because of rain, then the next day completed only 71 of the scheduled 248 laps before more rain led to an unprecedented 2 1/2-month delay.

Fort Worth police officer Matt Pearce, who survived being shot multiple times by a fugitive during a manhunt in March, will return as Grand Marshal and give the drivers command to start their engines – the same as he did in June. He appreciates what TMS and the IndyCar Series are doing for officers when the race resumes.

“It means a lot to every officer, anybody that wears a badge,” Pearce said. “I know that for me it was a big morale booster knowing that I had support, not only from my guys, but pretty much every agency throughout the Metroplex. I don’t think there’s an agency in Tarrant County that didn’t chip in to support me when I needed their help, and that’s huge. … I really think that has a lot to do with how fast I have recovered.”

Vicki Golden has earned a career worthy of a thousand stories and 805 Beer tells at least one of them, as “Inverted Perspective” premiered March 30 on the company’s website and YouTube channel.

Golden did more to break the glass ceiling in SuperMotocross than she ever thought possible. She knows this because riders have never felt the need to explain any of her accomplishments with the disclaimer, “for a girl”.

At this point in Golden’s career, she’s been the first woman to finish top 10 in AMA Arenacross Lites, the first woman to qualify in the Fast 40 in Monster Energy AMA Supercross and the first woman to compete in freestyle Moto X competition, earning a bronze medal by doing so.

Her love for moto came from childhood while she watched her dad and brother ride. By seven she was on her bike and making waves throughout Southern California.

Golden, 30, is still madly in love with the sport and has no plans on moving away but her career is already one to talk about. 805 Beer’s film series wanted to do exactly that.

“I’m taken aback by it all,” Golden told NBC Sports about the documentary. “It’s just crazy to see your story, it’s one thing to live your life and battle everything that comes about but it’s another to just sit there and talk about it.”

805 approached Golden about the feature by asking, “Do you even realize that what you do, and your story is special?”

Golden took the question as a blank canvas to map out the highs and lows of her career and life.

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The title “Inverted Perspective” came from a brainstorming session with Dominick Russo and it highlights Golden’s outlook on the sport of SuperMotocross and her life in general.

“My whole life, my whole career was thinking differently and looking at things that shouldn’t be done and aren’t there, while being able to make a place for myself, where no one thought there should be a place,” Golden said. “It’s inspiring someone to think in different ways. It sums up my life.”

*Vicki Golden is not “fast for a girl”; she’s just fast. – 805 Beer*

While Golden is no stranger to the spotlight, this was the first time she’s been fully involved with the storytelling and creation of a feature about herself.

“It’s not like a full new experience,” Golden said. “Obviously, you get your standard questions about your upbringing and accomplishments, but I’ve never really put into perspective things that happened in my past with my dad and putting that to light. Also, certain other things that maybe got overlooked in previous interviews or films. I wanted to touch on these and Dom wanted to create a story. It’s just cool to see it come to light, it’s a nearly impossible thing to tell somebody’s life story in 40 minutes.”

Golden’s father was left paralyzed after an ATV accident, robbing him the opportunity to ride again. This happened a few months before the father-daughter duo was set to compete in the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Nationals when Vicki was 12. While she might have been unable to grasp the severity at the time, it’s something she carries with her. Golden continues to ride in his honor.

Years later, an accident in 2018 nearly sidelined the then 25-year-old Vicki when a freestyle accident almost resulted in the amputation of her lower leg.

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Golden 805 Beer — *Vicki Golden has ridden a variety of disciplines in SuperMotocross, which gives her a unique perspective. – 805 Beer*

“Inverted Perspective” highlights her father’s diligence in helping Vicki continue with her career and the kindness and strength he carried while fighting his own battle.

“My dad was the entire reason that I started riding in the first place,” Golden said. “So, to honor his memory and to honor what we went through and how hard he pushed to keep our dream alive and keep everything going – in that sense then, it was really special to be able to honor him and talk about him.”

The 40-minute feature was filmed entirely in black and white, a stark contrast from the oversaturated world of motocross where the brighter the suit the easier it is for fans to find their rider and follow him in the race. By filming in monochrome Russo and Golden had the chance to focus on the race and track from a different perspective.

“It was cool to be able to film it differently,” Golden said. “It created a challenge in the sense of what was going to be more visually impactful for the film.

“I couldn’t be here without the companies that back me but at the same time, it’s not like the logos or colors disappeared, it’s just different lights shed on different spots. It’s just a cool way to do it and to take color away and still be impactful. When you think of black and white, you think of old school, the OG way of doing things.”

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