Growing up in Lafayette, Ind., Scott Harner cheered on the Purdue Boilermakers (his favorite player of all time is Glenn Robinson), especially when they faced Big Ten Conference rival Indiana University. That basketball series resumes Feb. 15, so you know Harner will be rooting for the black and gold.

Now Harner wears the red and white of Target Chip Ganassi Racing (which happens to be similar to IU’s colors) as a team manager.

“Red and white are Target’s colors but I’ve tried to get them to switch to black and gold,” he says.

That’s not likely, but Harner has had years of success with the team in the IndyCar Series and working with the Grand-Am team. He’s celebrated in Victory Circle four times since 2000 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and been a part of a half dozen IndyCar Series championships. So what’s it like for a Hoosier to win that race?

“Having skipped school and everything else to go to the Speedway, my best friend in high school was Tim Halsmer, Pete Halsmer’s younger brother. He drove Indy cars many years ago. As a kid I dreamed of driving there, and when I realized that wouldn’t be an option the next best thing was to be involved in it.

“My first year involved there was 1987, which was an incredible experience. Winning it is almost the worst and best thing to happen to you because once you’ve won it and then don’t win it makes it that much more painful. It is a very special place and always has been for me.”