x
Breaking News
More () »

Arizona resident known as ‘Wagon Man’ at Indy 500

Bob Parker has attended the Indy 500 for decades and transformed the wagon he uses to carry items to and from the track to look like an IndyCar.

PHOENIX — The Indy 500 is packed with tradition, but an Arizona resident is behind one you may not have heard about.

“I don’t have enough money to own a car, too old to drive a car. But this is our way of being I involved and I’m just known as the wagon guy down there.”

Bob Parker has attended the race for decades and began to transform the wagon he uses to carry items to and from the track—little by little making it look like an IndyCar.

“Every year, we did a little improvement here and there. About 2002, we finally put the big tires and wheels on it, and that was really a hit. “

That’s when something that started out as a hobby became something bigger than Parker had ever dreamed.

He can talk for hours about the people he’s met making wagons for various celebrities, being a part of the Fiesta Bowl parade, and how his wagons are a big ticket item at an annual charity event in Indianapolis.

“I think maybe the second one I did sold for $5,000 and I’m going, ‘Dang!’ And the one I did two years ago for Sam’s charity sold for $7,000," Parker said. 

Each wagon can take weeks, even months to build, and can have over 80 parts.

“And yet, the wagon we take every year still does the same thing. You pull it and it has food and drinks and beer. This will be my 21st consecutive year and it still does the same thing. We still park away from the track, we still pull it there every year," Parker said. 

Before You Leave, Check This Out