FISHERS, Ind. — Residents at Northridge Gracious Retirement Living celebrated Carb Day in a special way, transforming their scooters and walkers into race cars.
Some spent weeks decorating their cars, choosing a favorite candy or store to sponsor them. One woman used her son’s honeybee business.
“He thought it was pretty cool,” said Janice Bastin.
There were three pit stops with games where participants completed to cross the finish line. The group then did a celebration lap being led by their official pace car.
For resident Duane Jacobs, it wasn’t his first time building a race car.
“I look a little different than I did back then, but it was a neat little beast,” Jacobs said, showing a photo of him with a ’66 Chevelle.
Back in 1970, Jacobs and his younger brother decided to build a race car. They found one for $50 at a shop in Detroit and fixed it up. After 11 months it was complete. They raced it at a track in Mt. Clemens, Michigan.
“It’s amazing to think back on what we did and how we did it and what we had to build this thing. It was amazing,” he said.
Now, 50 years later he built it again getting the details just right, including the color, number and decals. His wife was his pit crew.
“The pedals work, the steering wheel comes off. It’s a full model of what we had,” Jacobs said.
It just goes to prove that you’re never too old to go racing.