PNC Koutz shares excitement for Legion’s involvement with INDYCAR

One of the great things that the partnership between The American Legion, INDYCAR and Chip Ganassi Racing has created is awareness in each other’s message.

For The American Legion, it is spreading its message and initiatives such as the Be The One program to prevent veteran suicide by using INDYCAR as a vehicle to help spread the word.

From INDYCAR’s viewpoint, it is helping introduce its fast-paced sport to the nearly 3 million members of the American Legion Family.

Many members of the American Legion Family have attended NTT INDYCAR SERIES races for the first time since the program began in 2021 featuring Chip Ganassi Racing and drivers Jimmie Johnson, Tony Kanaan and Alex Palou.

But for Past National Commander James Koutz, he was introduced to INDYCAR 42 years ago. That is when he attended the 1980 Indianapolis 500 and watched Johnny Rutherford score his third Indy 500 win by driving team owner Jim Hall’s famed “Yellow Submarine” to victory that day.

Koutz has been back to the Indianapolis 500 every year since. He even rents a spot for his motor home at Speedway Post 500 on Georgetown Road, across the street from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, for the month of May.

“I take my camper up there at the end of April and stay there for the whole month of May,” Koutz said. “They have different camping packages there for the whole month. I get there as soon as our national meetings are over. I’m there for the rest of the month except when I go home and flag my cemetery.

“Post 500 is open every evening and during race week on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, they are open for breakfast at 7 a.m. You can get all you can eat for breakfast for like $12. It gets a lot of action on Georgetown Road. I have a nice spot right on the road there.

“At nighttime, you see a lot of action up and down Georgetown Road, especially the night before the race.”

Koutz is a member of Post 200 in Boonville, Ind. He served in the U.S. Army from 1969-71 and was stationed in Vietnam in 1970-71 as an E-5.

“I was with the engineers in Vietnam,” Koutz said. “I was not in a lot of combat. We were in as much as some other groups. We saw a lot of action, too.

“Vietnam was just a different place.”

After he left the Army, Koutz worked in the coal mines of Southern Indiana for 22 years. After the AMAX Coal Company shut down, he worked as a county service officer for the Veterans Service Office for 18 years before he started campaigning for national commander of The American Legion.

He served as national commander in 2012-13.

“I was always concerned about our POW’s and MIA’s,” Koutz explained. “When I was national commander, I went back to Vietnam and searched for remains for about a week. That was emotional but it was great, too, to know what they are doing over there searching for remains.”

Koutz regularly attends races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but on March 20, 2022, he was the Legion’s guest at the XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway.

That was also the weekend the Legion unveiled its activation unit that it takes to nearly every NTT INDYCAR SERIES race to help spread its message to potential new members, as well as its effort to prevent veteran suicide.

“I really appreciate the program, especially what The American Legion is doing now with racing,” Koutz said. “I think it’s a good opportunity now that they are hooked up with INDYCAR as a charitable organization. I think it will be great for us and great for INDYCAR.

“I think it has gone really well for the Legion. It is a smart move with Roger Penske owning the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Doug Boles as the president, that is two great people that believe in veterans. I think it is really going to help The American Legion. We brought The American Legion activation trailer to the races, and it has gotten great reception.

“I don’t know how you can put a price tag on what this means to The American Legion and what it means to INDYCAR. Take 3 million members of the American Legion Family and that can make a big difference helping The American Legion and helping INDYCAR.”

Before The American Legion became an official partner of INDYCAR in 2022, it enjoyed a successful debut into the series with its association with Chip Ganassi Racing. The American Legion is the major associate sponsor for Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 Carvana/American Legion Honda. It was the primary sponsor for Tony Kanaan’s No. 1 Honda in the 106th Indianapolis 500. It has been the primary sponsor for Alex Palou’s No. 10 Honda for selected races the past two seasons.

They all share the message of Be the One to help prevent veteran suicide.

“That’s the main thing The American Legion has to do and that is why Jimmie Johnson and Chip Ganassi, and Tony Kanaan and Alex Palou are with us because suicide is something we have to stop,” Koutz said. “If we can even slow it down, that would be a great thing for The American Legion.

“People who have never been to a race before and didn’t know The American Legion was involved in racing, they come up to you and talk to you and tell you their concerns about what is happening to the veterans and veteran suicide. That gets things going and makes you proud to be a member of The American Legion.

“I was excited when I heard about this program. It took a long time to do this. We’ve tried a lot of promotional stuff.

“This is going to be the best thing we’ve ever done.”