The Sound of Silence
This post has the potential to come across very different from what I intended. I mean for it to be making a passionate statement for racing fans everywhere. However, it may simply come across as the ramblings of a frustrated old man. This alternate viewpoint may be further driven home by the fact that I can’t figure out how to produce what I’m talking about, on this site.
I follow the IMS Museum Facebook page. It’s a good follow, because they produce a lot of old photos and videos from their archives. Yesterday afternoon I saw they had a video of The Belond Special, the revolutionary car that won the 1957 and 1958 Indianapolis 500; with Sam Hanks piloting the car in 1957, and Jimmy Bryan behind the wheel in 1958. Four cars have won the 500 twice, but The Belond Special is the only car to win twice with two different drivers.
From the looks of the video, it was filmed at The Milwaukee Mile, where the NTT IndyCar Series will be returning to next year. I am all but certain that the car shown is a replica, but nothing in the captions said anything about it not being the real car – but I seriously doubt that it is. The title described it as POV, which is point-of-view. That enticed me, because I wanted to hear the lay-down Offy. I was a little put off by the obvious typo that called the car The Beyond Special, but we all make typos. I know I do, so I’m not casting stones at such a gaffe.
By now you’re probably asking yourself what my beef is. It is how disappointed I was when I clicked on the video to hear the hums of the Offenhauser engine. Yes you can hear it, but someone felt the need to lay down a track of a “musical” drumbeat. I first heard it as the grand old car was pulling out of the pits. It sounded like the clutch was grinding away. It was several seconds before I realized the sound I was hearing had been added in, and that there was nothing wrong with the car.
My question is this…why does everything in racing have to have some type of musical accompaniment to it? It used to be that if you sat in the stands at IMS on a practice day for the Indianapolis 500, you either heard engines of cars on the track, or cars in the pits or cars back in the garage area. Mixed in was the occasional screeching of tires leaving the pits, or the dulcet tones of Tom Carnegie. Any of those sounds were music to the ears of racing fans. Growing up in the 60s, there was no more distinct sound than an Offy warming up in the garage area.
Somewhere along the way, some bright person decided that any time there was a lull in the action on the track, that was time to play loud music that would muffle any car going down the main straightaway. It’s getting worse. As the sound systems improve, the more wattage go to the subwoofers and that adds to the deepening thump, thump, thump that makes your fillings come loose. It’s very similar to going to an NFL game, where the crowd demands to be entertained every second of the day. But football has no ancillary sounds that are pleasant to listen to, so out comes the loud music.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy loud music as much as anyone. I enjoy cranking up the volume in the car, much to Susan’s dismay. At a concert, the louder the better. But in my opinion, racing and music don’t mix. Music detracts from the glorious sounds we associate with racing.
I know I sound like an old man yelling at a cloud, but I have to think there are many young racing fans who would rather listen to an Offy from inside the cockpit of a classic roadster, than they would some anonymous garage band playing throughout the entire video. It doesn’t help that I am technologically challenged, and don’t know how to share a Facebook video to everyone on this site. The last time I checked, the video was not on their You Tube channel.
My hope against hope is that someone might read this and think twice before producing a raving video with some lame music track distracting from the content. End of rant.
George Phillips
Oilpressure 
October 13, 2023 at 6:41 am
They’re just getting us ready for the all-electric race cars that will have no sound, so the music is all you will hear.
October 13, 2023 at 8:31 am
I’m yelling at the cloud as well. It is all sporting events, you cannot have silence. I’ve made my case to IMS and others that I want to be able to talk to my friends in between action. Many times it is their first time to IMS, maybe to a race, they want information. I hate having to yell at them over the PA.
In the videos, TV shows, movies, etc…everything has to have a backing music track – why? If I express my displeasure on FB or Twitter, I get the ‘get over it geezer’ response.
I think it is a trend that has taken root and won’t be going away. Oh well. It does not change the feeling we get when we walk into the Speedway.
October 13, 2023 at 8:46 am
I don’t get to many tracks anymore but I do go to Mid-Ohio and IMS. The music over the PA system at IMS has become so annoying I put on my scanner headphones and try to tune it out. Not only is it loud it’s crappy music to much loud obnoxious rock , I get it no Bach or Mozart but what about silence ? Ages ago Mid-Ohio played the soundtrack to the movie GRAND PRIX on a loop over the PA when there was no on track activity . It was soothing and had some association with racing , IMS should try it sometime.
October 13, 2023 at 10:01 am
Then back in the day at IMS there was the garage public address system…….”Al Unser…..Al Unser you have a phone call at phone booth number 3”.
October 13, 2023 at 10:08 am
[…] 2023 at 4:04 am and is filed under IndyCar. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own […]
October 13, 2023 at 10:14 am
At least it’s not the 1910 Fruitgum Co.
October 13, 2023 at 12:53 pm
I agree with you, George and weglarz says, regarding the continuous musical stimulation at ALL sporting events not just racing. You cannot talk with your friends regarding any topic because the loud music fills any stoppage of action!
The same way with TV broadcasts. The sounds of the race cars drowns out the commentators.
The trend has even gravitated to our weekly church services. It’s the musical director’s long, loud musical occasionally interrupted by the celebration of the Mass.
Another observation. We attended the 2022 Singapore F-1 race, sat in Turn #1. As the red lights were extinguished and te race cars thundered toward us we were the only folks who stood up! The Singaporians all cheered but remained seated so everyone could see! What a concept!
When the race was over everybody picked up all their accumulated trash and carried it out with them to trash containers.
I guess you and I are eligible for honorary membership in te “old geezers” club!
October 13, 2023 at 2:30 pm
It’s a trend I’ve noticed and recently become a real pet peeve of mine. It’s that everything we do has to have music accompaniment or a live band in this day and age. Pretzel Fest. Live Bands. Book reading. Live Bands. Indy race. Live Bands. Any narration. Piped in music. You name it. Hire a band or pipe music in. I have noticed on You Tube that if you want to listen to a great moment in sports history they are now ruining the broadcast with playing music at the same time. It’s like all of a sudden it’s popped up much worse than before. Your rant is well timed! What I would like to hear at Indy is “That’s a new track record!”
October 13, 2023 at 8:34 pm
I stand with you George. I live for the sound of the Offy or even more rare the Novi. Only one running Novi still exists.
October 15, 2023 at 11:52 am
I’m with you.
October 16, 2023 at 9:59 am
I wrote the same thing in a response on Twitter or X to the IMS Museum. I wanted to hear the sound of that wonderful Offenhauser engine, and all I heard was some dumbass musical track. And people wonder why I despise all audio sound engineers, whether at a football or basketball game, at the race track, or, on a video like this.
October 17, 2023 at 9:07 am
I agree George. Going to an NFL game these days feels like you just stepped inside a pinball machine. Bells, whistles, sirens, flashing lights, and the most obnoxious of all “It’s THIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRD Down”!