Racing has been part of the Byrd family history only half as long as the restaurant business, but it is just as near and dear. That’s why family members are bursting with pride that the Jonathan Byrd’s name is back as a primary sponsor on Bryan Clauson’s car for the 2015 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.
Jonathan Byrd’s Racing was founded in 1982 by its namesake and made its first Indianapolis 500 appearance as a sponsor for noted short-track racer Rich Vogler in 1985. Through the years as a sponsor and/or entrant, Byrd’s has been paired with the likes of Gordon Johncock, Scott Brayton, Buddy Lazier, John Andretti, John Paul Jr. and Arie Luyendyk.
It was in the Jonathan Byrd’s Cafeteria/Bryant Heating & Cooling Special in 1996 that Luyendyk set Indy 500 one- and four-lap qualifying speed records that still stand. Byrd’s has been missing from Indianapolis Motor Speedway for most of the past decade, however. When Jonathan Byrd died in 2009, few expected the name to return again – except for the family that bonded around IMS.
“Every year that we weren’t here, that desire just grew and grew,” said David Byrd, Jonathan’s son and director of operations for the Byrd hotel group and Jonathan Byrd’s Racing. “We got tired of sitting in the stands and watching.”
The journey has come full circle. Bryan Clauson, a midgets and sprint car star in the image of the late Vogler, is driving the No. 88 Jonathan Byrd’s/Cancer Treatment Centers of America Chevrolet. Entered in a joint venture of KVSH Racing and Jonathan Byrd’s Racing, Clauson qualified for his second start in the 500 Mile Race.
“We’re just here to do Dad’s name justice,” said Jonathan Byrd II, who is in charge of business development for the Byrd’s hospitality and restaurant group. “I’m very fortunate to have a name that is so respected in this community and the racing world. We’re picking up where Dad left off. There were so many years that Dad had a car just to be here; and then he came here to win. There’s nothing that says a first- or second-year driver cannot win this race.”
The family has been in the restaurant business since 1952, when Carl Byrd opened the Custard Kitchen in Greenwood, Ind. That led to drive-in restaurant, a fish and chips shop and a string of Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises. Carl’s son Jonathan opened Jonathan Byrd’s Cafeteria in 1987, which the family continues operating today in addition to the catering and hospitality businesses.
But as much as serving good food was fulfilling, there remained a hunger for Byrd Sr. and wife Ginny that could only be satisfied by going racing. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the first time they sponsored an Indianapolis 500 entry.
“Once Jonathan was a part of the Indianapolis 500 for the first time, he never wanted to look back,” said Ginny, still owner and president of the company. “He wanted to always be a big part of the Indianapolis 500. Our first experience was with (former car owner) Pat Patrick with a late deal with our driver Rich Vogler.
“It was our first foray at the Speedway,” she added. “Rich was so excited to be at Indy, he was like a kid with a new toy. He was pumped and he qualified for the race with a bonsai run on the final day.”
Vogler qualified last in the 33-car field and finished 23rd in the race, the first of five consecutive years he drove for Byrd at Indy. The best that a Byrd-sponsored car finished at the Brickyard was fifth by Lazier in 2005. Byrd entries won Indy car races at Phoenix in 1996 (Luyendyk) and Texas in ’98 (Paul).
Plans were announced in May 2014 for this year’s collaboration among Clauson, Byrd’s and KVSH. A multitude of associate sponsors have been added to make the program financially viable. For his part, Clauson is offering fans the chance to see him compete in the “Indiana double” on May 24, first at Indy and then in the Kokomo Klassic at Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway that night.
“I can’t thank the Byrd family enough for giving me this opportunity,” Clauson said. “The Byrd family has a tremendous history not only at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but also among the short-track community as well. To add my name to an impressive list of Jonathan Byrd’s Racing drivers that includes guys like Rich Vogler and Stan Fox is an honor.
“With what I learned from my previous Indy 500 experience, along with a full year to prepare,” Clauson added, “I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together.”
Family matriarch Ginny Byrd first attended the Indy 500 with Jonathan when they were dating in 1973. Both were already hooked then – with each other and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. She knows Jonathan will be looking down with a smile on race day.
“It is a bittersweet moment because Jonathan would have been so proud of the boys with the way they are running with everything, but he is not here to enjoy it,” she said. “I’m very proud that they have gone forward with Jonathan Byrd’s Racing.”