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Roddy Strong 2023

Bradley Sterrett has gritted his teeth plenty of times while at the wheel of a racecar. The
2013 Midwest Sprint Car Series Rookie of the Year and 2017 Bloomington Speedway Modified
champion had threaded the needle to make a needed pass and had made critical split-second
decisions on more occasions than he could count. Nonetheless, what he faced this time was far
more difficult. He had known Rodney D. “Roddy” Harris since he was twelve years old, and the
time had come for a frank conversation.
Sterrett had been honored to race Roddy’s modified and together they reached the top of
the class at Bloomington. To say they were a magnetic pair would be a vast understatement.
“Roddy was my buddy,” Bradley says, “We butted heads like brothers, but he just had a
contagious smile. Roddy was friends with everybody. He called me Hollywood because I would
go around the pits and see my friends, but everybody knew him. He would be in the pits for five
minutes and then the next thing you know he was up on the hill kissing babies and shaking
hands.
One thing that becomes apparent to any newcomer who visits Bloomington Speedway as
a competitor or as a fan, is that this racetrack is all about families. The same clans have
competed, fought, laughed, and celebrated together for generations. On that score the Harris
family is as indigenous to Bloomington Speedway as the famed red clay. Rodney was the
Bloomington Speedway modified Rookie of the Year in 1997, following in the footsteps of this
father. Bradly Sterrett also loved to trade barbs with the man known to many as Big Rod. “Oddly
enough we were at Putnamville one night,” Sterrett says, “and Big Rod was complaining that his
side hurt. He told me that he needed to go to the doctor, and I said, you are kidding.” He wasn’t.
It was cancer, and not long after he was gone.
It was appropriate that a race was quickly established in his honor, but now to the
disbelief of all Roddy was in the same fight. Sadly, it became apparent that this was a battle that
he was not going to win. It was time for Sterrett to have a heart-to-heart moment with his pal.
“You don’t ever want to have that talk,” Bradley says, “but it was inevitable. He had terminal
cancer. It is tough when your best friend is telling you he is going to die. You know it in the back
of your mind, but you do not believe it. You never want to have to talk about the afterlife.”
Yet, it was the inevitability of the situation that provided the opportunity to talk about
doing something special. Several friends including Brad Barrow and Kent Robinson knew what
had to happen. It was time for the racetrack, the competitors, and the fans to salute Roddy too.
Sterrett broached the subject and was not surprised by his friend’s reception. “He was modest
about it,” Bradley says, “he still wanted it to be more about his dad than himself.”
There was not a lot of time to organize, but a group sprang into action. Andrew Goldman
had created a special trophy for the race that had honored Big Rod, and everyone was thrilled
when he remained committed to the cause. Kedrick Harden oversaw the graphics and flyers. ?
“Our feeling was that Roddy was always doing things for everybody else,” Bradley recalls, “so
we felt we needed to make this a bit more about him. Kedrick had the idea of Roddy Strong and
then suggested we name it the Roddy Strong Memorial in loving memory of his dad. We all
thought that was perfect.”
As this committed group started to spread the word magic happened. “It was odd,”
Sterrett says, “people just started handing me money. We put it out on Facebook and set up an
account and we did some lap sponsors. There was no big donor per se, but money kept coming
in. We had to put the first race on with short notice because Roddy passed in January 2021. Our
first race was that May. We were able to sell tee shirts and hoodies, so we had a buffer for the
next year. Our goal was to make it bigger and better. Then Dora Lisa and Marty O’Neal had a
function at the Moose Lodge and that raised a fair amount of money, and we did make it bigger.
This year we had another event at the Eagles.”
The success of this race is a direct reflection of how so many felt about the family. It is a
story that speaks to what can be accomplished when people are united by a cause. This event
continues to grow in stature and is now one of the premier events in modified racing. The top
prize of $9,999.99 is an attention grabber. There is also no question that many drivers will be
further enticed by a payout that offers $5000 for the runner-up spot, and $3,000 for standing on
the last step of the podium.
The big hitters in this discipline will come in droves. That is a virtual certainty given how
many of the top Indiana and Nationally rated UMP teams compete at Bloomington. That said,
what matters more than anything is that those with a long history with the track and a tie to the
Harris family come out to play. Sterrett and his group wanted to make sure that Roddy’s friends
had extra incentive to compete. To accomplish this goal every driver who starts the feature event
is guaranteed to take home at least $509. Bradley is certain this would have brought the biggest
smile to his late friend’s face. “Paying back in the field was Roddy’s biggest thing,” he says, “He
was adamant about that. Obviously, most racers do not do this to make money, but it does help. If
you make the show and get a little money and at least can pay for your pit passes it helps. It all
must make a little bit of sense.”
This is the 100th anniversary of Bloomington Speedway and some figure that a Harris
has raced on these grounds for at least fifty years. Getting to the point Sterrett says, “That’s a
long time.” It is. This race is unmistakable evidence that Rod and Roddy Harris made a
difference in the lives of those they touched. Giving to others was a hallmark of Roddy Harris’s
life. When you stop to think about it for a moment in many ways he continues to do so today.

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