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IndyCar: A tribute to Indianapolis 500 legend Jim Nabors

By Asher Fair

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 25: Johnny Rutherford and Jim Nabors attend the Maserati 8CTF 'Boyle Edition' Commemoration Of Indianapolis 500 Two-Time Victory at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on May 25, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images for Maserati)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 25: Johnny Rutherford and Jim Nabors attend the Maserati 8CTF 'Boyle Edition' Commemoration Of Indianapolis 500 Two-Time Victory at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on May 25, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images for Maserati) /
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Rarely are sports legends made outside of competition. But Jim Nabors, an Indianapolis 500 legend, is an exception in the IndyCar world.

Jim Nabors, who was best known to the IndyCar world as the singer of “Back Home Again in Indiana” before the start of the annual running of the Indianapolis 500 in 36 years spanning from his first performance of the song in 1972 to his final performance in 2014, passed away yesterday in his Hawaii home at the age of 87.

While it is rare that a sporting legend is made without that legend competing or even being involved in the operations of a league or team, Nabors is an exception in the IndyCar world, as he was truly an Indianapolis 500 legend.

I don’t know how many people are in the same boat as I am; probably some, but not too many. Without Jim Nabors, I would not be the IndyCar fan nor writer that I am today.

In the summer of 2008, I watched, albeit against my will, Nabors in his role as Gomer Pyle in Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. in the show’s first episode, “Gomer Overcomes the Obstacle Course.” But while I didn’t even want to watch it, I became a big fan of the show, particularly of Nabors, right away.

After I really got into the show, I was told that Nabors sang a song called “Back Home Again in Indiana” each year before the Indianapolis 500, an IndyCar race that I had only ever heard of but never watched.

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So I became interested in seeing the man I knew as Gomer Pyle perform, even though I knew he was much older than he was in Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., which aired for five seasons from 1964 to 1969.

Leading up to Nabors’ performance of the song on Sunday, May 24th, 2009 ahead of the 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500, I watched the pre-race festivities and bought into the hype surrounding the race. While I did not initially plan to watch anything past Nabors’ performance, I ended up watching the race, which led me to want to attend it one day.

While I didn’t watch another race that season and didn’t attend the Indianapolis 500 the following year, I did end up going to the 2010 IndyCar race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course as a result of the interest I had gained in the sport from watching the 2009 Indianapolis 500, which I only did because I first watched Nabors sing. Ever since attending the 2010 Mid-Ohio race, I have watched each and every one of the sport’s races.

And without Jim Nabors, a.k.a. Gomer Pyle, none of it would have been possible.

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When he wasn’t performing “Back Home Again in Indiana” before the start of the 2015, 2016 and 2017 Indianapolis 500 races, it just wasn’t the same, and it will be even more different starting in 2018 knowing that he is no longer even alive.