by Houstonian Philip Berquist has his Indy 500 pre-race traditions down.
“We have a favorite parking spot that we park at. We’re about a block from Turn 1,” said Berquist. “We have bloody marys and cigars, just guy things, and we have a lot of fun.”
Berquist and his crew arrive a few days early to soak in the atmosphere.
“The night before the race we go to this bar we’ve been going to a number of years called McGinley’s Golden Ace, an Irish bar on East Washington. That is an experience in and of itself,” he said.
This year, with the announcement of no fans, his annual weekend in Indy with friends came to a halt.
“This would have been my 48th race,” said Berquist. “I was heartbroken, but you understand people are dying. It certainly isn’t a terrible concession to make.”
With 48 straight Indianapolis 500s under his belt, Berquist has seen some incredible things at the track.
“My first race was in ‘69 when Mario (Andretti) won,” he said.
And of course, living in Houston, he’s enjoyed all things: AJ Foyt.
“AJ’s just special because he’s bigger than life,” said Berquist, who witnessed Foyt’s fourth win and some of his intense moments as an owner.
Berquist stays busy in Houston as the honorary Counsel of Croatia, and he’ll be watching the 500 on KPRC 2 on Sunday.
But like so many things in 2020, it won’t be the same.
“It’s just fun,” Berquist said of his annual weekend and traditions, which always includes a post-race visit to the legendary St. Elmo’s. “I’ll miss everything.”
Source:: Houston Sports
