GREGG CORY: DOING THE UNIMAGINABLE
By: Pat Sullivan – USAC Media
Shelbyville, Indiana (July 18, 2023)………It was a long and at times difficult journey for Gregg Cory to reach the USAC Silver Crown Series, but for the 2022 Rookie of the Year, it was all worth it.
“I’ve come full circle,” Cory recently remarked. “My dad claims that, by the time I was three years old, I had been to Springfield, Du Quoin and the Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.”
Today, he marvels at the places he has raced, often reliving those family trips that highlighted summer days gone by at places like Indiana’s Winchester Speedway where he’ll compete in this Thursday’s Rich Vogler Classic Presented by The Pallet Builder on July 20.
It all started with his father, Steve Cory, who served as a parts manager for Don Siebert Oldsmobile in Shelbyville, Indiana. Siebert was a prominent entrant who fielded cars for the likes of Bob East and Bubby Jones. Yet, for many Siebert is best remembered for his association with Rich Vogler. In 1980, Vogler captured the USAC National Sprint Car championship for Siebert, but sadly, his owner suffered a fatal heart attack shortly thereafter.
As Greg notes, “Don didn’t live long enough to see the no. 1 on the side of his car.”
By now, the family was interested in Don’s program and followed Rich Vogler. There were trips to Winchester and Eldora, and Steve made his first trip to the Indianapolis 500 in 1961. He returns every year.
Gregg enjoyed a typical childhood in Morristown, Indiana. He was active in basketball and cross country but caught the eye of one of his teachers. Phil Morris taught industrial arts but was also an active coach. It so happened that Phil’s son, Brent, and Gregg were great friends, so there was a great deal of contact between the two families. The day came when Morris decided to offer a bit of advice.
“In my junior year, he called me into his office, and he asked me what I was going to do with my life. I told him I wasn’t sure. He said, I’ll tell you what you are going to do. You are going to Indiana State University; you are going to get a degree in education; and you are going to start teaching industrial arts. Go see your guidance counselor and see what classes you need to take to be eligible for Indiana State,” then Gregg adds with a laugh, “He sent me to the guidance counselor right in the middle of class.”
Cory followed through with the plan, and shortly after his graduation from ISU, began teaching industrial arts in Griffith, Indiana. Two years into his career, he learned of an opening at a new middle school in Shelbyville, Indiana. After 16 years of service in this setting, because of increased demand, he was asked to transfer to Shelbyville High School. He’s still there and has now spent 35 years as a professional educator.
Then he got the bug to go racing. The United Midget Racing Association was a popular three-quarter (TQ) midget group that competed at several venues near his hometown. Now back in the area and established as a teacher, he jumped at a chance to buy a turn-key operation.
“There was a divorce or something like that,” he says. “The ex-husband was out of the picture, so I got a complete car and some spares. I didn’t have the money to buy the car, so I went to the bank for a loan. When they asked if the car had a title, I told them it was an offroad vehicle.”
Greg was a quick learner. He won three times in his first season and was an easy choice for Rookie of the Year. The TQs served him well, but after six seasons, he was ready to branch out. With the help of perennial Indianapolis Speedrome champion Michael Lang, he secured a midget and began racing on the tight paved oval. In 1998, he was the Rookie of the Year and finished third in the final standings. On the move again, he started racing midgets on dirt with the now disbanded NAMARS series, and by 2004, he had jumped into a sprint car. He eventually became a regular at Paragon Speedway, and in 2006, claimed the track championship. Today, he refers to this period as the prime of his career. He was consistently up front and, in his words, “in the groove.”
Then disaster struck. He was building a garage when he fell 14 feet from a ladder and landed on a concrete slab. The brief version of the damage report is that he broke bones from his head to his toes. Not only were there multiple fractures, but he suffered internal swelling around his heart and lungs. He was placed on a heart monitor and needed breathing treatment to repair damage to his lungs. The good news was he was set to receive care in the best possible place – Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. This is the setting where famed Dr. Terry Trammell and his team had put scores of racers back together. In Cory’s case, his primary physician was Dr. David Kaehr. Unfortunately, Dr. Kaehr had some sobering news.
“They said, ‘we aren’t going to be able to save this ankle and foot,’” Gregg says, “and I said, wait a minute, you guys put IndyCar drivers back together. They said the ankle exploded and there are no pieces we can grab onto to put it back together. We had a few conversations, and I basically said, I believe in you. I think you can do it. We had a moment where we both stared at each other, and he finally said, ‘Okay, we will give it a try, but you understand there are no guarantees.’ It took six individual surgeries to put it all together, and they were spread over several months. I was down and out. They told me I would never be able to use my ankle again because it would be locked in place.”
For six months, Cory could not put the slightest bit of pressure on the damaged ankle. He missed a semester of work and returned against advice. Because of his situation, he made a prudent decision and sold all his racing inventory. Still, he went to work in physical therapy. At first, he had only five percent range of movement in his ankle, a full 10 percent less than the average person. He kept working. When he improved his range of motion by two more percent, it was enough to allow him to walk without a limp.
While his own career was on the sidelines, his brother, Chad, was still climbing into a racecar. He had also moved through the TQ ranks but had also found a home in the unique Thunder Roadsters. One day, Chad called with some interesting news. There was an upcoming race and there was an open seat. Gregg protested that he had absolutely no gear. That proved to be no problem as a driving suit and helmet were quickly procured. Cory won a heat race his second time out. He had the bug again. Soon, he was racing at places like Winchester, Mount Lawn and in Angola, Indiana. In 2019, he was the Anderson Speedway and Thunder Roadster touring champion. He was back and loving it.
Then came the most unexpected opportunity of all. Gregg Cory has known Silver Crown owner Roger Williams for three decades. Steve Cory interacted with Roger in his role with the automobile dealership. Additionally, Gregg became acquainted with Williams when he began his racing career. In time, Roger, the proprietor of Williams Precision Engines in St. Paul, Indiana, helped Gregg with his midget and sprint car program. Even when Cory was on the shelf due to injury, the men stayed in touch. In one conversation, Williams admitted he would like to get his pavement car back out on the trail but just couldn’t devote the time needed for proper maintenance. Cory had an idea.
Just like that, USAC had a 56-year-old Silver Crown Rookie on their hands. For Gregg, it was a dream come true. He knows where he is at. The goal is to have fun and improve. He realized last year that he needed to be in better shape to survive 100-mile grinds. He hit the gym, lost 20 pounds and got back on a weight program. The result? He feels faster than he did in 2022. Then there is the matter of just learning these cars.
“They are different than anything I have done before,” he says, “Especially after they are loaded full of fuel. How do you prepare for that?”
He marvels at the help he has received. Kody Swanson and team owner Malcom Lovelace are always willing to listen, and he is astounded that long time crew chief James “Chuy” Sandberg drove all the way to his house just to lend a hand.
Perhaps it all goes hand-in-hand. People want to help Gregg Cory because he has helped people his entire adult life. To stay at the top in racing, one must evolve too. Shortly after he began his teaching career, he returned in the evenings and in the summer to get a master’s degree in education at Ball State. He needed new academic endorsements and certifications to remain relevant. In his words, he was once “a 40-something guy trapesing through the Purdue campus.”
What was once industrial arts is now simply called engineering. He is all for it.
“Shelbyville High School developed a program called Project Lead the Way, which is basically a program put together by Purdue University which prepares students to go into engineering.”
Cory teaches four different levels of classes, and in each instance, students get dual credit. Should they choose to pursue engineering, they begin college with 15 hours of credit. Should they decide to go in a different direction, they may use these classes for electives. More than anything, it allows students to see if this is truly a path for them. As Cory notes, “this is a win-win for everyone.”
For a racer, there is no greater feeling than taking the checkered flag. There are also rewards as an educator. Cory takes rightful pride in the handwritten notes he receives from students thanking him for his role in launching their career. This year, one of Shelbyville High School’s top-ten students named Gregg as her most influential teacher. Yes, there is pride in these accomplishments. It also leads to moments of self-reflection. Cory recently sought out Phil Morris and told his former teacher and coach that, beyond his family, no one was more important in his life.
In 2022, Gregg Cory became the oldest Rookie of the Year in USAC history. He knows the score. He isn’t likely to run down Kody Swanson or Bobby Santos III for a win at Winchester, Springfield, or World Wide Technology Raceway. Nonetheless, he has made it to a once unimaginable destination. He can look back to those days when he watched A.J. Foyt and Rich Vogler handle what he believed, then and now, are the most beautiful cars in the world. Those drivers made an impression on a young fan. Gregg Cory has done the same on the racetrack and in the classroom.
THE DETAILS:
On Thursday night, July 20, spectator gates open at Indiana’s Winchester Speedway at 4pm Eastern with practice starting at 5pm and qualifying at 7pm, followed by an autograph session, then pre-race ceremonies and the 100-lap main event. Crown Vics will also be in action.
General admission tickets are $30 for ages 13 & up. General admission tickets are free for ages 12 and under. Reserved seating is $35 for ages 13 & up and $15 for ages 12 & under. Pit passes are $35 for members and $40 for non-members. Tickets will be available at the gate on race day. You can also save $5 buying advance tickets online at https://usacracing.ticketspice.com/2023-elite-promotions.
The event can be watched live and on-demand at FloRacing | https://flosports.link/40w7aPg.
