The Southsider Voice
Visit us at these places!
  • Home
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • Sports
    • Car Nutz
    • Stilley Goes Trackside
    • Southside Deaths
    • Personal Recollections
    • Reminiscing
  • About the Voice
  • Advertising
  • Contact
  • Newspaper Archive
  • Classifieds

"Mr. First in Line" of the Indy 500

1/20/2016

15 Comments

 
PicturePHOTOS ARE COURTESY OF IMS Lawrence “Larry” Bisceglia, a mechanic from Yuma, Ariz., and an Indy 500 fan, first attended the race in 1926.
By Brett Hickman

​​Lawrence “Larry” Bisceglia, a mechanic from Yuma, Ariz., and an Indy 500 fan, first attended the race in 1926. In 1948 he decided to arrive several days before the event and drove his 1933 DeSoto but was surprised upon his arrival that there were already two cars lined up at the gate.

Striving to be first, in 1949 Larry again drove his DeSoto and left a few days earlier than before but was beat yet again, this time by one vehicle. 

In May 1950 he finally achieved his goal, the first in line. He once said, “I love racing. When I first drove to the Indy 500 in 1947, I thought if you got in line first you didn’t have to pay. I had to pay, but I just decided to be first for 10 years, then 20, then 30.’’ He was to become famous, at least in Indianapolis and with the racing community for being “Mr. First in Line.” He continued to drive his DeSoto to and from the track every year through 1954.

By 1955 he had acquired this 1951 Chevrolet panel truck, which over the next few years he covered with hundreds of racing decals. In 1958 the Indianapolis Motor Speedway presented him with a lifetime pass to the Indy 500. He was awarded a key to the Speedway gates by Tony Hulman. Track officials even installed an electrical outlet outside the track for Larry to use in his truck for a more comfortable stay. He drove this Chevy to IMS for the next 12 years.

On Pole Day 1967, he was summoned to the start-finish line, where the Ford Motor Co. presented him with a brand-new Ford Econoline van. Larry then donated his old Chevy panel truck to the IMS Hall of Fame Museum, where it still resides.

He made the “Guinness Book of World Records” and “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.” His health began deteriorating in the early 1980s, and he drove to IMS for the last time in 1983, although he continued to be first in line through 1985.

In 1986 he became ill and didn’t make it to opening day; his first-in-line streak ended at 37 years. It appeared that he would not even make it for the race. When he didn’t lead the pack into the IMS as he had done for nearly four decades, the Indianapolis media put out an all-points bulletin. He was found in Yuma, where he had been living in his van on a friend’s business parking lot. 

He immediately received several offers to fly him in for the race, one coming from a local contractor to Ford. Mario Andretti led a group of drivers contributing to the cause, chipping in $100. 
​
Larry made it back to IMS in 1987 for his last race. He died Dec. 7, 1988, at age 90.

15 Comments
Bryan blohm
9/3/2016 05:49:41 pm

I live in yuma arizona and I now own his 1967 ford Indy van.

Reply
Brett Hickman
2/12/2017 12:31:50 pm

That is awesome.
Could you provide any photos or stories?

Reply
ED
2/12/2017 07:51:42 pm

look in any Indy 500 year book. Larry was a super nice guy who never met a stranger. I talked to him many times at Indy and twice Phoenix I remember one year at Phoenix he told me after the race he would head towards INDY. We pass Larry just barely outside of Phoenix as we were headed back to INDY. About a week later he was parked outside of turn 2 setting in the snow . We had 5in of snow.

Jason H
4/9/2018 09:41:21 pm

Just saw your appearance on
Fast-N-Loud... (4-9-18)

Reply
Amy Garrison
4/9/2018 11:20:01 pm

Watching fast n loud. Loved learning the rest of the story. Cool van.

Chad Herring
4/9/2018 11:24:14 pm

I just saw the Fast 'n Loud episode. AWESOME!!! Larry, may you RIP. INDY rocks and you are a part of the history and the fabric that makes INDY great. Congrats and thank you for your contribution to the history and pageantry that has been part of the great history of this Country!!!

Greg Smith
4/16/2018 08:20:41 pm

Here it is April 2018 and you’re selling the van to Richard from gas monkey garage!

Reply
Beth L
10/5/2018 06:46:16 pm

Bryan do you still own it? We recently saw it at a museum and my 4 year old sun is obsessed with it. Do you have any photos not available online I could purchase for him?

Reply
Larry Large
5/13/2019 10:44:28 pm

I am from Speedway In. And in 1968 thru 1971 I lived in Yuma Arizona. I went to high school At Yuma High. I remember Larry's Van park at Algadones Rd and Hwy 80 in the winters.

Reply
JIM ROBBINS
3/20/2021 02:01:43 pm

Larry Large where are you

Tammy
4/16/2018 08:16:01 pm

What a awesome story ....and dedicated too . Amazing

Reply
Scott Jones
4/16/2018 08:22:51 pm

I am from Indy and remember looking forward to see Larry's vans from as long as I can remember. Nice update.

Reply
Chris Pike
8/12/2019 08:26:33 pm

Great story I can tell he was an honest hard working Americans!!!!

Reply
Larry Large
3/20/2021 02:31:42 pm

Jim Robbins
I am still at the same place. I have looked for you for years. 317 490 8030

Reply
Marina T. link
4/28/2021 12:57:24 am

A very cool and decent story. I recently saw it in a museum

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Car Nutz Contributors
    Picture

    Brett Hickman

    Picture

    Bill Thorpe

    Picture

    Big Dan Pfeiffer

    Archives

    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

 DROP OFF: The Toy Drop 6025 Madison Ave., Suite D
Indianapolis, IN  46227  |  317-781-0023
MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 17187, Indianapolis, IN 46217

ads@southsidervoice.com | news@southsidervoice.com
Website by IndyTeleData, Inc.