Seeing the operation from behind the scenes was enough to bring a new respect for the sport for Reese. “We watched them bring the cars out, set up the pits and got to stand on pit row with the drivers and officials for the National Anthem,” he said. “I looked around and saw Andretti, Danica and Kannan as the anthem was sung, then they told us to get behind the wall because the race was about to start; a couple of minutes later, they were on the track, it was amazing.”
During his tour around the cars, Kevin ‘Rocket' Blanch, IRL's Technical Director, who is primarily charged with the Rules and enforcement of them, and one of two officials Reese would be taking fishing the next day, pulled the steering wheel, with permission, off of Andretti's car and walked Reese through its functions. “He told me that the wheel cost around $40,000 and that it controlled most every function of the car,” Reese said. “It had buttons and levers like a video game; it was a high tech piece of equipment.”
Reese also got to meet some of the crew members who help those drivers and their cars perform at peak efficiency. One of those crew members was a fishing fan who actually recognized Reese before he was introduced. “Donnie was the right wheel changer for Andretti's Venom Energy Honda,” said Reese. “He recognized me, and told me all about his job, and I thought he was a total stud, until he told me that the wheels are made from magnesium and only weigh 40 pounds; I busted his chops after that – I was only kidding of course.”
Reese and his guests watched the majority of the race from behind pit row, and the result was that Indy Racing gained a new fan in the reigning Bassmaster Classic Champion. “Watching the efficiency of the crews as they turned out six to ten second pit stops and the speed those drivers pushed those cars to was mind blowing,” Reese marveled. “I'm definitely a fan of Indy Racing now; I can't wait to watch more.”
The following day, Reese met up with Blanch, who is an avid bass angler, often competing in tournaments himself when his schedule allows, and IRL's President of Operations and Competitions, Brian Barnhart headed to Clear Lake for some big bass action.
Things started out a little slowly for the trio, as Reese searched for the most productive pattern for the day. However, being the professional angler he is, he found a productive frog bite. “Brian hadn't fished for a couple of years, and was a little rusty at first,” Reese said. “He missed the first couple of bites, but soon was connecting with them.”
Reese reported that the three new friends caught 20 to 30 fish in the three to four pound class on frogs, along with a few over five pounds, and one or two that eclipsed six pounds. The big fish of the day, a seven pounder, was taken by Reese on an offshore rockpile. “We had fun all day, but there was a three hour period that we seemed to catch them fairly steadily,” he said. “It was a great day, and I made some new friends as well.”
One of the advantages of a fun fishing outing such as this, was that Reese could experiment further with new equipment, and he was able to put his Wright & McGill Skeet Reese Tessera rods to some dedicated testing; the 7'2” Senko and toad rod performed flawlessly. “I put an Abu Garcia Skeet Reese Revo on my signature rod and spooled it with 65-pound-test Spiderwire Ultracast braid,” Reese said. “I knew what I wanted when I designed it, and now having the time to really put it through its paces, it's everything I wanted it to be.”
