The Shelbyville Gazette's own Tippy Gomez spent the weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for this year's rookie orientation program. He caught up with one of the IRL's new stars, Jon Herb, to ask a few questions about his background and chances of making the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing".

TG - Jon, many readers of The Shelbyville Gazette would like to know, just where in the world did you came from?

JH - Well, Tippy, when Tony formed the IRL, I was in a 50's sock hop band, "Jonny Herb and the 7 Secret Seasonings", touring towns like Burlington Iowa, Lawton Oaklahoma, and Vernon Texas. We had a pretty good following, most VFW and American Legions posts loved us, some of the band members were good cooks, and the others did not mind dancing with the older broads.

TG - Well, OK, Jon, but getting back to the racing, what form of racing were you participating in prior to your bursting onto the IRL scene?

JH - I was Frankfort Illinois 550 lb. Lawn Tractor racing champion. Before that, I raced a lot of Hot Wheels as a kid. "Hot Wheels Jon", that's what most of the neighbor kids called me. I won't even get into the 20" BMX bicycling, that circuit was brutal. I had an "unfair advantage". You see, most kids worked on their own bikes, but my Dad hired a factory Schwinn mechanic to put the demon tweaks on my stuff!

TG - Oh, so your family has helped you achieve the dream, eh? That makes good copy. Tell our readers a little about that.

JH - Well Tippy, see, me and Dad had this special agreement. I had to quit the rock and roll world, he just hates the whole "lifestyle" thing. He gave me enough money to buy into an IRL team and run at the Indy 500. We all win; he gets his garage back, he gets some peace and quiet, and I get to live the American Dream, racing a car in the Indianapolis 500.

TG - Who is sponsoring your car?

JH - (Smiles) This is the neat thing about the IRL, most sponsors are secret. In honor of that agreement, we're running our car in full "stealth" livery. It is sans paint. We represent the carbon fiber industry as a whole. All of the makers of carbon fiber, from sheets to something as simple as a cafeteria table, can take great pride as I display the fruits of their labor at 190 mph.

TG - I have noticed that about the IRL, most cars are devoid of sponsorship. Just how does this work?

JH - I really don't know, but we always get all the parts we want! Tony George is such a swell guy! He is so dead set on seeing deserving Americans compete that he puts lots and lots of his own money into each and every one of the teams.

TG - Jon, I have noticed while timing your laps that you are one, if not the, slowest of rookies participating in this weekends ROP program. What is your team, and more specifically, you, doing to achieve the speed needed to pass your test?

JH - Well, I can tell you, it ain't as easy as Nintendo 64, that's for sure! I never been over 140 mph in a car before in my life. The one time I was, I was riding with Scott Harrington and we was trying to ditch the cops after some minor fender bender. We started out Friday just trying to do a few laps without me peeing down my pant legs. Then they moved the governor off the throttle stop. Man O Man, those turns were coming up mighty quick! I delved into my lawn tractor background, and started leaning my head in the corners, and throwing my weight onto the right rear tire. I saw instant results. Our lap times rose from 184 to 188 in no time. I'm getting the hang of it!

TG - How did it feel going out on the track that first time?

JH - It was COOL, I mean, I'm at the freaking Indy 500! It was pretty cool. To think that just a few years ago I was boosting Hot Wheels from the local K-Mart, and now I'm racing at the same track as Greg Ray and Jeff Ward and, uh, that other guy, you know who I mean?

TG - Ummm, Sam Hornish?

JH - No, no, that other guy, you'd know him...

TG - Eddie Cheever?

JH - Eddie, right, umm, Eddie. No, wait, Arie Luyendyk. I knew I'd remember.

TG - Well Jon, good luck in the upcoming event, and we look forward to seeing you in the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing"

JH - Thanks Tippy! Hey, before you go, could you show me the way out of this pagoda thing? I get lost inside this big old place real easy. I never even came to the Speedway as a spectator until last year.

TG - Double down on the life insurance Herbie, capiche?
Tippy Gomez