Much evolves over years, but memories don't fade

“Welcome back,” Gian Paolo Dallara greets Scott Goodyear at the Dallara Automobili facility in Varano de Melegari, Italy. “Bentornato.”

It had been 30 years since Goodyear’s visit to the municipality near Parma in which about 80 percent of adults are connected directly or indirectly with the motorsports manufacturer and automobile consultant. Much had evolved over the decades – most notably Goodyear’s racing career and Dallara Automobili’s significant expansion – but the memories quickly flooded Goodyear’s mind.

The Canadian had traveled to Varano de Melegari early in his career with the promise of competing in the Italian Formula 3 Championship. Or at least he thought that was the plan.

“It was something that I thought would help propel me to the next level,” said Goodyear, who was 23 years old at the time. “I had started Formula Ford racing in 1980 and ran Fords in 1980, ’81 and ’82. Part of the programs I ran was if you won the series that I ran in ’82, called the Walter Wolf Formula Ford Championship, you won a full season of racing in the Italian Formula 3 championship sponsored by Walter Wolf with a car provided by Dallara and Dallara running the team.”

The Austrian-born Wolf emigrated to Canada, where he made his fortune in oil, and at one time owned a Formula One team (back in the day when sportsmen were running teams; Jody Scheckter was among his drivers).

“I arrived at Mr. Dallara’s place in Verano to find out he’s expecting me but also expecting a check from the sponsor,” Goodyear said. “I didn’t arrive with a check and had just enough money to put gas in the VW Rabbit that was loaned to me. I went to the shop with Mr. Dallara and was there when he opened the door in the morning and basically said I’ll do whatever I can, I just want to go race.

“I was there at least a couple of weeks before we went across the street and tested at the Varano track.  We drove the car from the workshop, over the bridge and to the little Varano circuit. We tested there and at Vallelunga (near Rome) and in Austria, and basically we were fast at every track we went to and below the record at a couple of tracks.

“I was there when Mr. Dallara was on the phone with Wolf and said, ‘This young man is very fast and we should run him.’ Wolf had paid for the Formula 3 car and some testing but had not paid for the season. We tested as much as we could and in early summer I just came home.

“I really wanted to move up and thought this was my break. But this is one of the highs and lows you get in motor racing.”

Fast forward more than a dozen years and dozens of races in multiple series across the globe – with additional peaks and valleys -- to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Goodyear, who was competing in CART, had made the decision to switch to the Indy Racing League for the 1997 season primarily because he desired to race again in the Indianapolis 500 following “the split.”

“I was walking down pit lane at Vegas and an impeccably dressed man walks toward me and starts to extend his arms and says ‘Scott do you remember me? Gian Paolo Dallara. I knew you would make it. Every morning I would come to the race shop and you were there and would not go away.

“ ‘You’re dedicated and I knew you would make it one day.’ It was neat that all those years later he remembered -- not only remembered but recognized the whole thing. That’s the thing that was impressive.”

The memory stuck with Goodyear, and a message of dedication he espouses today.

“I tell all the young drivers that you are going to have lots of highs and lows, and you’ll have a lot more lows before you make it,” he said. “In motor racing, a lot of people will get to that top level and it’s just as tough to stay there as it is to get there. If you get there and you’re fast and get to drive for 10 years like I was lucky enough to do, then that’s great. You have to cherish what you do.”

Goodyear, longtime analyst on ABC broadcasts of IZOD IndyCar Series races, was a member of a contingent that visited Dallara Automobili in February. He drove the Dallara simulator for a spell, toured the facility, took a KTM X-Bow for a spin on the Varano track, visited the humble workshop where it all started in the rear of the Dallara family dwelling, and got reacquainted with the company founder.

“I was neat to see the new workshop and the old only, and Mr. Dallara is as passionate about motorsports as ever,” Goodyear said. “I think that INDYCAR made the right choice to partner with them (in constructing the 2012 chassis) because of their knowledge and background in racing. I don’t think you could ask for someone who would be a better partner.”