INDIANAPOLIS -- The beloved track icon Chuck Lynn, who sold newspapers riding a souped-up trike bought for him by the IndyCar teams who adored him, and the guy who had more access to more drivers than just about anyone at Indianapolis Motor Speedway has died. He was 71.
Lynn was born with cerebral palsy, had a speech impediment and other physical disabilities, but he never let any of those deter him from his favorite two tasks, working at the Indiana State Fair and selling newspapers at IMS.
His nicknames were "Wolfman" and "Chucky," but some fans simply called him "Paper" because that's what he shouted as he pedaled through the hallowed grounds of the Speedway for more than 40 years.
"Paper! I can hear it as if he is saying it right now!" IMS president Doug Boles posted to X. "What an iconic character in the history of the 500! We will all miss him."
Lynn was a fixture throughout the month of May and would also go to the track the day after the Indianapolis 500 for the winning car's photo shoot to deliver an IndyStar newspaper to the victor.
"Everyone at #IMS mourns the passing of Chuck Lynn, a legendary friend to all at the Speedway for decades through his job selling newspapers at the track from his beloved bike," IMS posted to X. "He was a ray of sunshine and kind to all. Rest in peace, Chucky."
At the Speedway? Nothing but acceptance
Born Charles Lynn in Johnson County, September 19, 1952, he was the oldest of Jason and Nellie Lynn's five children. His cerebral palsy was due to a lack of oxygen to his brain during birth, according to Lynn's 2012 self-published book "Charles Lynn: Chuck 'The Wolfman' Lynn," written by a close friend.
The diagnosis meant spending a lot of time at Riley Hospital for Children working on speech, physical therapy and learning how to feed himself and tie his shoes. Lynn also attended Camp Riley in the summers in Martinsville for children with physical and developmental diagnoses.
At seven, Lynn was sent to a school for children with special needs. "In school, I could not learn to read very well. I could not say sentences," Lynn writes in his book. "I remember my family going on a vacation and, while we were on the trip, I tried to read. I finally gave up."
When Lynn was 10 years old, he had brain surgery to help him "not shake so much." He later said he wasn't so sure that surgery worked.
As a student at Franklin Central High, Lynn took special education classes. Although he didn't play sports, the school gave Lynn a letter sweater because he attended every single high school game he could. "I was happy to receive the sweater!" he wrote in his book.
While in school, though, Lynn said he was mostly made fun of by other kids. At home, he said, it wasn't much better. His father made him eat at a separate table from his family at dinners.
"One day, my dad told me he didn't want me to get married or to have kids. I think I could make a good dad," Lynn wrote. "It really hurt me that he told me that. I don't think that my dad really understood my disability."
For most of his life, many people didn't understand his disability, but there was one place where Lynn could go where he felt nothing but acceptance -- his beloved Speedway.
A new trike, bought by his heroes
It was 1973 when a 21-year-old Lynn first started making delivery rounds through Gasoline Alley and stealing the hearts of motorsports' biggest names.
"He's probably the only outsider who is allowed inside nearly every team's garage," IndyStar wrote in May 1991, when drivers revealed a gift they had gotten for Lynn, a Worksman factory tricycle, a three-wheeler with enough space to transport just about anything, including newspapers.
The idea for the trike was concocted when the teams found out that a friend of Lynn's was bringing him to the track each day. Once there, a mechanic or race official would drive him to Gasoline Alley. Larry Curry, team manager for the Pennzoil Hall/VDS team, and his chief mechanic David Brzozowski, started collecting money.
Every single team at IMS contributed either money or accessories to outfit the trike, IndyStar reported in 1991,then gathered at the Sears DieHard racing garage where Lynn was presented with his shiny new ride. He later said it was one of the happiest days of his life.
Through the years, Lynn could be seen whizzing to and from the garages with the likes of John Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi and other big-name drivers on the back of his three-wheeler taking them where they needed to be -- morning driver's meetings, the media center in the pagoda, their motorhomes.
The drivers got to know and love Lynn and always tried to help him in any way they could. In 2008, Tony Kanaan gave Lynn a little side job, paying him $500 to put his face prominently on his famous-at-the-track trike.
"(Kanaan) had grown tired of seeing Chip Ganassi's race team promoted at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, so he decided to do something to curb it," IndyStar reported at the time. "He used his wallet."
Lynn proudly drove his trike that May with his very own sponsorship. Of course, Kanaan didn't care that much about the Ganassi thing, he really just wanted to let Lynn see how important he was at IMS, how he was definitely part of the team.
It wasn't just the drivers who adored Lynn. Fans would approach him as if he were a celebrity (which he was around IMS) and give him high fives. The late motorsports writer Robin Miller would buy five papers from Lynn and give him $50, longtime IndyStar sports columnist Bill Benner said.
After Lynn's death was announced Tuesday, those in the racing community showed an outpouring of love to the humble, kind, hard-working Lynn on social media. Some called for his trike to be preserved in some way.
"There is some off-track memorabilia that should be in the Museum as part of the place's fabric, if they still exist," Brian Taylor posted to X. "Larry Bisceglia's van, which I think they have. Pat Vidan's white jacket. Mom Unser's chili pot. Harlan Fengler's red hat. Chuckie's bike."
"Chuck defined what makes the Speedway what it is," IndyCar turn announcer Jake Query posted to X. "He was part of its fabric."
Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on X: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via e-mail:dbenbow@indystar.com
