Indiana Open Wheel - RIP mark bridges

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RIP mark bridges

Tonight the racing community lost a dear friend and a true racer. He was a man that never knew a stranger and has a history in our sport from the viceroy champ cars to the speedway. He touched many lives in racing and lived a life full of Passion. I am blessed to have known him and I just ask for the IOW community to lift the bridges family up in their prayers for comfort through this difficult time.
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Very sad news. Prayers to the family.

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RIP and prayers said.

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Wow this is truely sad news. What a great person he was and an awesome family! It was a privelage knowing him! With prayers too the family!

R.I.P Mark

Joss and Bill Moffatt

Sad news. May peace be with the family
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R.I.P Mark. Great guy and great racer..

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Very sad news and Thoughts and Prayers for the family.
Dan Laycock

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RIP Mark Gods Speed! The Sosbe's

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Just a quick story of the type of man Mark was.....
I had broken my arm while racing go-karts indoors and had been to Methodist for a follow up appointment. I ran into Mark at a restaurant and he had asked me what happened ( apparently, the cast and racing t-shirt was a conversation starter).

I am a 500 trivia buff and we got to talking about the racing days of old.....the conversation must have lasted for over an hour! When we were leaving the restaurant he gave me his card and said "hey, when you get better, I work for the IRL give me a call and I will get you full access passes to any race you want" This was not just empty parting words. He was a man of his word....Courtesy of Mr. Bridges, me and my son had full access at the Richmond race. Every time I would see him after that and thank him again he would wave it off and say "forget it...it was nothing"

He reached out to a perfect stranger and ended up gaining a friend. He was a true racer.

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Mark was a great guy and will be missed. Praying for the Bridges family. Love all you guys.

RIP Mark. Prayers go out to Michael and the entire Bridges family. May God Comfort you!
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Rest in Peace, old friend, and God Speed. To David, Marlene, Mike, so sorry to hear of your loss, we too will not forget him, he was a wonderful man, and an inspiration to others. Our prayers go out to you, in your time of sadness, and sorrow. Bob and Peg McClure

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Him and his son came to Lawrenceburg as spectators back in the 1/4 mile era about 5-6 years ago. They struck up a conversation with Fishburger and me asking all about the track because they were interested in bringing their sprint car there, which they did on a few occasions. They seemed like great people.

I still think their sprint car, painted in Johnny Lightning colors, was one of the best looking cars I've seen in a while.

My condolences to the Bridges family.:(

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I had the good fortune of sitting with Mark on a trip home from the Copper World a few years back. He shared many great stories. Just a really nice guy. All of us who love this sport have lost a good friend. RIP Mark

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I met Mark at the Speedrome one night by chance. We started talking,and I told him that I was only at the Speedrome as I was on call at work and had to stay nearby Indy,and that most nights I watched sprintcars instead. He told me his son raced, a sprint car and I asked who he was. Number 40,a purple car. The Johnny Lightning car I said. Yes indeed!

I ran into Mark here and there,and a few years ago he stopped in at Van Craft,and we got talking and before he left I asked him if he liked old racing videos,and he said yes,and he started coming to "Movie night" at the time at the Brickyard Crossing on Thursday nights in the off season. He showed up about every week for movie night,and the stories I got to hear were great. Add to some of the lunches on Fridays that I got to go to where you never knew would be there,for even more stories!

I havent seen Mark for awhile now. I heard he was sick late last yr. I hate to hear the sad news.

RIP Mark......Thanks for the stories!

RIP Mark
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Thank you everyone for your heart felt replies on behalf of my father Mark Bridges. It's always nice to hear stories about him and the lives he touched. My family & I greatly appreciate these stories and would love to hear more in a time like this.

We will be honoring and celebrating the life of Mark Bridges on this Saturday 9/24/11 @ the Brickyard Pavilion from 1pm to 4pm with a eulogy @ 2pm. We hope any and everyone can come help us celebrate a Great Mans life!

Sincerely,

Michael Bridges

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Thoughts and prayers to the family. A good guy from the few times I was around him.

Marlene, David, Michael and your entire family will be in our thoughts and prayers. I really do not know what to say other than I am so sorry. Mark was an awesome man! He will be greatly missed and never forgotten.
Stay strong

The Lewis family
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I've just uploaded some photos of my dad (Mark Bridges) during his racing days. I hope you enjoy seeing them, as we have sure enjoyed the walk down memory lane.

https://www.indianaopenwheel.com/album.php?albumid=631

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Thoughts and Prayers for and ol' friend who always had a smile and a good story.
Dave Gansert

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As reposted from my facebook..
http://www.facebook.com/notes/jon-ma...96156100401844

Quote:

Originally Posted by jontheturboguy

Today I mourn the loss of a friend, a teacher, and the world's greatest story teller the racing world has ever known.

Mark Bridges was a kind man, with an unforgettable handshake.

Mark was the kind of guy that had big rimmed glasses, told jokes with a voice not unlike that of Ron White, and could hold a cigarette and cup of coffee all in one hand, while moving his hands like a politician and never spilling a drop of coffee.

I had the privilege to work under Mark's direction in Indy Car racing for a number of years. Mark was always there when you had a question, and every one knew Mark.

It was almost spooky - Mark knew every one at the track and off. He had been on the racing circuit for so many years, many of the regular locals knew him, and always greeted him with a smile.

Mark was a crafty man, with many go fast racing secrets, some of which he spoke about after the racing had stopped years later.

I spent many a night listening to his stories of racing gone by - the glory days of racing - sitting up with him at 3am, over a cup of coffee at the nearest Denny's, Waffle & Steak, or IHOP, both of us waiting on that late night flight home.

How he and the guys pulled this prank, or how they made the car faster. I wish now I could have recorded his stories, or at least written them down. I wish I could have heard more.

Mark was a noble man.

Before I had the chance to know Mark, he told me the story of taking care of his long time friend Sheldon Kinser. Sheldon was diagnosed with cancer. Mark made is possible for him to be comfortable in a time when comfort was a rare commodity. Sheldon eventually lost his battle with cancer in 1988.

When I met Mark, I was young, ignorant, and fresh to the racing scene. Mark took me under his wing, and just like he had done with so many others, pointed me in the right direction. Even after all these years, Mark had yet to loose his sense of taking car of his guys. Later that year I got to work the 500 under Mark's direction. All of his "guys" were taken care of. I never went a day in the month of May with an empty stomach.

After Mark was let go by the IRL, I continued to work for them, and tried my best to keep in touch. Every once in a while Id make it up to his midget shop and buy some old parts, and bull **** for a while with him. I could care less about the $50 muffler.

Over the years I'd see Mark at Lawrenceburg and I'd call him at least a couple times a year. Once during Christmas, and once during the 500. During the winter Id wish him well and happy new year, and later come spring Id ask if he had a job for me in May. As par for the course, each phone call last over an hour or so.

Mark never told me he had cancer. Maybe he kept it private. Maybe it was a story he didn't want to share.

What ever the reason may be, I miss the man. I resent not having more time to share more cups of coffee with him and listen to more stories.

I know Mark and Sheldon are up there watching over all of us. If they aren't watching, they're most likely have one hell'va racing team going, and catching up over the years gone by.

For the short minute I knew you Sir, thank you for every thing.

God speed Mr. Mark Bridges. We'll see you soon.

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Thanks everyone for your kind and thoughtful words.

We were able to get the arrangements out today.

please visit the following at Indy Star

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ind...d=sp_shareobit

I look forward to seeing everyone there

Best regards,

Michael Bridges

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RIP, Mark, I do not know how many years ago we became friends but they have all been GOOD. GOD BLESS the Bridges family your in my PRAYERS

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Prayers and thoughts go out to the Bridges family. So sorry for your loss. Mark will be missed by many in the racing community. Dave Foist,Former H.A.R.F. officer.

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Mr. Donald Davidson was kind enough to write the following:

BRIDGES OBIT

Mark Bridges, winning co-chief mechanic with George Bignotti and driver Tom Sneva in the 1983 Indianapolis 500 died on Monday, September 19. He was 60

Mark was a lifelong Indianapolis resident who was raised within a half-a-dozen blocks of the track. A graduate of Arsenal Technical High School (the famed "Tech," which produced Wilbur Shaw, Howdy Wilcox II, Jimmy Jackson and Jerry Hoyt, among others) and a standout pupil at Lincoln Technical College, Mark was already working on "Speedway" cars while still in his 'teens. Considered by some to have been somewhat of a protoge of Paul Brooks, he was on the Federal Engineering crew with driver Jim Malloy in 1970, looking quite a bit older than his 19 years.

In 1973, he was paid a supreme compliment by car owner Dick Sommers and team manager Dick Northam by being named as the MVS team's chief mechanic, Mark calling all of the shots for driver Sam Sessions at the age of only 22.

After a stint with Grant King, Mark became part of the Vel's Parnelli Jones squad, usually assigned to Mario Andretti but also working with Al Unser. He was part of Mario's winning crew with the 1974 USAC Dirt Car series (forerunner of Silver Crown), scoring firsts at Springfield and Du Quoin.

Following the 1983 Indianapolis win with Sneva and Bignotti–Cotter Racing, Mark was back with the team for a second-place finish with Roberto Guerrero in 1984. Other assignments included Patrick Racing Team with Gordon Johncock and Wally Dallenbach, the Machinists Union with Josele Garza and Kevin Cogan, Jack Rhoades with Chip Ganassi (as a "rookie"), Dick Simon with Scott Brayton, Forsythe with Teo Fabi, Playa Del Racing with Jaques Lazier, Frank Arciero, John Menard and numerous others.

Highly respected for his ability to work with a variety of "characters" and a talent for transforming a group of apparent "strange bedfellows" into a functioning crew, Mark eventually moved from the race shop and into a couple of stints as an official. He worked with former crew chief Mike Devin as Devin's assistant in the technical department at USAC in 1995 and '96 and then in a similar role for several years with Phil Casey at the Indy Racing League. Friends who felt Mark never looked completely comfortable behind a desk were not at all surprised when he left the IRL and went back working on race cars.

Working closely with sons David and Michael all the way from their quarter-midget racing days, up through full midgets and even sprint cars, one of Mark's proudest days came in 2007, when, as chief mechanic for Ron Hemelgarn's team in the "500" with driver Richie Hearn, he had Michael on the air jack and David on the left rear wheel.

The tributes have been pouring in from all over the country from people who were taken under Mark's arm during their early days as crew members, and those tributes will continue this Saturday afternoon with a celebration of life at the track's Brickyard Crossing Pavilion, between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eulogies will begin at 2:00 p.m.

Mark is survived by wife Marlene, daughter Julie Wilkinson, sons David and Michael and four grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Mark Bridges Memorial Fund at any Chase Bank location.

Thank you DD for your kind words.

Sincerely,

Michael Bridges

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Rest In Peace friend. Mark, thanks for all the great times. So many!

With Love, Lynn

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To give you some idea of how well known Mark was, there was a short obit in this morning's Boston Globe, a paper that is not known for its racing coverage.