Tales from the Track | David Popielarz INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — We are less than a month from the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500, and leading up to the green flag, WISH-TV is talking with those who have played a role in past races and those dedicated to the history of this iconic event. Sunday’s “Tales from the Track” welcomed David “Poppy” Popielarz, who, after spending decades on the front lines of IndyCar, is now helping preserve the legendary racecars at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Popielarz’s history with racing started when his cousin took him to a dirt track at 7 years old. In high school, he eventually started racing karts with his father in California. He credits a friend for talking him into moving up to racecars. “I became a mechanic because I sucked as a driver,” he joked. “I was the back end (mechanic), but I started at the bottom. I worked on the truck, I did tires, I carried, I was a human forklift. And then I got a chance to work on shock absorbers, and then I got a chance to work on the racecar.” Eventually, after working his way up the line, Popielarz became crew chief. The new title did come with a couple of downgrades, especially being the first in the blame chain. Popielarz worked for 20 years with Andretti Autosport, now called TWG, where he helped win a handful of races, including several Indy 500s. But after stepping away from the front lines, Popielarz eventually found the opportunity to work with the IMS Museum, where he now keeps the older cars in working order. “It’s good because when we would be on the road, I would read abouts about history, and I learned a lot about the past. This way, I get to apply what I learned and (continue working) on the cars.” When asked why he thinks it’s important to preserve the old cars, he indicated it’s important for the “young folks” to see them. “Last week, we had the modern-day guys drive 11 of our cars, and they just couldn’t get over how barbaric it was to drive the cars. I mean, it’s like an almost 180-mile-an-hour lawn tractor. Keeping that (preserved) so it keeps people grounded on how good they have it now.” To hear more about Popielarz’s preservation work, watch the full interview above! (Provided Photos/David Popielarz) Previous ‘Tales from the Track’ interviews Tales From The Track: Indianapolis 500 veteran Donnie Beechler reflects on memorable career Tales from the Track: Jimmy Kite Tales From The Track: Mike Lashmett, founder of Vintage Indy Tales from the Track: ‘Voice of the 500’ Paul Page, two-time winner Al Unser Jr. ...read more read less