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Ken Lemmon is not from Indiana, but for more than 100 days out of the year, he calls Indianapolis home.

It’s the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that brings him back year after year. Lemmon is a “yellow shirt,” as the part-time safety patrol workers at the track are affectionately called.

The yellow shirts might just be the most recognizable crew at the IMS, and those who have been around for more than a few years will say that they have enough stories to fill a library. Danny Ferris, who has overseen his section for nine years, says he has witnessed everything from marriage to death.

Some yellow shirts even have their own fans. Gloria Grundy, 74, is known as the “silver fox” to fans who often see her directing traffic at Gasoline Alley. After 11 years of working at IMS, she says there is never a dull moment when she is among the action in the alley.

To fans, the yellow shirt symbolizes hospitality, but to the people who wear them, the shirt symbolizes a family built on generations of racing spirit.

“I always say, ‘Have fun, but get the job done,’” Lemmon said. “The majority of my people are here because we want to be here. It makes it really fun to show up every day.”

Interested in becoming a yellow shirt? Applications for the 2025 season open in January and can be filled out online.

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At Indianapolis Motor Speedway, ‘yellow shirts’ see it all

by Alayna Wilkening, Mirror Indy
July 22, 2024

<h1>At Indianapolis Motor Speedway, ‘yellow shirts’ see it all</h1> <p class="byline">by Alayna Wilkening, Mirror Indy <br />July 22, 2024</p> <p>Ken Lemmon is not from Indiana, but for more than 100 days out of the year, he calls Indianapolis home.</p> <p>It's the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that brings him back year after year. Lemmon is a "yellow shirt," as the part-time safety patrol workers at the track are affectionately called. </p> <p>The yellow shirts might just be the most recognizable crew at the IMS, and those who have been around for more than a few years will say that they have enough stories to fill a library. Danny Ferris, who has overseen his section for nine years, says he has witnessed everything from marriage to death.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/brickyard_400_AW-19-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29227" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ken Lemmon, 68, stands at Gasoline Alley July 20 during the Pennzoil 250 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.</figcaption></figure> <p>Some yellow shirts even have their own fans. Gloria Grundy, 74, is known as the “silver fox” to fans who often see her directing traffic at Gasoline Alley. After 11 years of working at IMS, she says there is never a dull moment when she is among the action in the alley.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/silver_fox--1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29358" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Gloria Grundy, 74, speaks with other yellow shirts in Gasoline Alley July 20 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.</figcaption></figure> <p>To fans, the yellow shirt symbolizes hospitality, but to the people who wear them, the shirt symbolizes a family built on generations of racing spirit.</p> <p>“I always say, ‘Have fun, but get the job done,’” Lemmon said. “The majority of my people are here because we want to be here. It makes it really fun to show up every day.”</p> <figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/brickyard_400_AW-11-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29219" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Patrick Stevens, 73, welcomes guests at the gate July 21 during the Brickyard 400.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/brickyard_400_AW-18-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29226" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Napoleon Stewart, 72, fist-bumps a drummer from the Gordon Pipers July 21 during the Brickyard 400.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-gallery alignwide has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/brickyard_400_AW-3-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29211" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/brickyard_400_AW-4-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29212" /></figure> </figure> <figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/brickyard_400_AW-14-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29222" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Pam Lemmon, 66, Karen Dalton, 74, and Ken Lemmon, 68, manage the Safety Patrol office July 20 during the Pennzoil 250.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/brickyard_400_AW-15-1024x696.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29223" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A yellow shirt salutes after the national anthem July 20 during the Pennzoil 250 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/brickyard_400_AW-10-1024x697.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29218" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kurt Stearns, 63, and Dave Wietbrock, 65, move a trophy to the bricks July 21.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-gallery alignwide has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/brickyard_400_AW-1-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29209" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/brickyard_400_AW-2-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29210" /></figure> </figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/brickyard_400_AW-9-1024x684.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29217" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Danny Ferris, 74, stands at section 43 of the Tower Terrace grandstands July 20, 2024, during the Pennzoil 250 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/brickyard_400_AW-8-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29216" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Bill Burr, 65, gives directions to a fan July 21.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-gallery alignwide has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/brickyard_400_AW-7-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29215" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/brickyard_400_AW-5-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29213" /></figure> </figure> <p><em>Interested in becoming a yellow shirt? Applications for the 2025 season open in January and can be </em><a href="https://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/at-the-track/seasonal-opportunities/safety-patrol"><em>filled out online</em></a><em>.</em></p> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org/at-the-indianapolis-motor-speedway-yellow-shirts-see-it-all/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org&quot;&gt;Mirror Indy&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-Mirror-Indy-square-logo-1.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;&lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=29243&amp;amp;ga4=G-X0R0QW371R&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://mirrorindy.org/at-the-indianapolis-motor-speedway-yellow-shirts-see-it-all/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/mirrorindy.org/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;</p> Copy to Clipboard

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