David Story is an inspiring example of pursuing your passions — no matter how long it takes.
After setting aside a childhood love of the Indy 500 and later, his degreed artistic talent, in favor of starting and running a successful 25-year homebuilding business, Story returned to those interests in retirement. He’s found an outlet for both with his first book, “The First 30 Years of the Indianapolis 500,” featuring his illustrations and writing about the iconic race’s formative history.
The 70-page, 12” x 9” format showcases the depth of his realistic illustrations while the accompanying text offers new insight into the colorful personalities and real dangers involved in the Indianapolis motorsports scene. Story also includes details on many of the famous Indy traditions — including the winner drinking milk in Victory Lane — and how they came about. (FYI, it was Louis Meyer who was the first to guzzle milk after claiming his second Indy win in 1933.)
Story credits Mark Dill and his First Super Speedway website for reigniting his interest in the 500.
“After discovering the website many years ago, I started a conversation with Mark,” Story said. “One thing led to another and I started submitting sketches for the site. When I started work on the book, Mark offered to review it and to suggest corrections. In researching this great race and its history, I’ve been amazed at the amount of misinformation out there. Mark has kept me on the straight and true.”
