Excerpts By Terry Horne and Kevin O'Neal, IndyStar.com
February 18, 2004

Indianapolis businessman Willie Wardlow, 62, a longtime drag racer and founder of the Black Drag Racers Association, was killed shortly before noon. He was shot twice inside Elite Images Salon, 5452 E. Fall Creek Parkway North Drive, the shop he and his wife opened last summer.

Such violence is rare in the area around 56th Street and Emerson Way, surrounded by homes and apartment complexes. Cathedral High School is just to the east. No homicides in the neighborhood had been reported since the summer of 2000.

Wardlow was a "stand-up guy," those who knew him said, a man whose almost daily presence at the salon made other workers in the mall feel they could rely on him. He launched the racers association in an effort to draw more blacks to the sport and to celebrate those already involved.

Wardlow, who was shot in the abdomen and chest, was taken to Wishard Memorial Hospital, where he died a short time later.

"He'd been a customer of mine on and off for years," said Steve Schmidt, drag racer and engine builder owner of Schmidt Automotive. "I always liked him -- he was a nice guy."

Wardlow was struggling as a race promoter. He had tried for years to promote the Indy Soul Nationals, an event aimed at black drag racers. The event was held at the Indianapolis Raceway Park drag strip in 2001 but was called off in 2002 because of a shortage of advance entries, according to Scott Smith of the IRP staff.

Last year, the drag race moved to the Muncie Dragway, where it was held July 27. Only 100 cars showed up for the event, half as many as appear for a Friday night race at the track, said owner Roger Plate, who described Wardlow as a "stand-up guy."

"Last year's show lost money," Plate said. "I was going to try to help him a bit -- we were trying to boost the attendance."

Wardlow's nickname was "Mr. T," but none of his friends could agree on exactly how he had acquired it.