Or, it could be said to start in Wichita Falls and head northeast to St. Louis. Either way, when one is either arriving in or departing from Wichita Falls, the overpass one negotiates at that point now has an official name, honoring the area's most prominent citizen, retired race driver Lloyd Ruby.

On Saturday, Sept. 23, it was officially named the Lloyd Ruby Overpass.

Slow-talking Texan Ruby, who competed in 18 consecutive Indianapolis 500-Mile Races from 1960-77 is generally thought of as being racing's "hard luck" driver as well as among the finest ever who never won the "500." He missed a trip to Victory Lane despite leading in five out of six years between 1966-71.

A most versatile performer, Ruby was exceedingly proficient on road courses, competing in the 1961 United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen with a Lotus and sharing the winning Ford GT40 with the late Ken Miles in both the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1966.

On hand as special guests for the Sept. 23 celebration at Wichita Falls were fellow drivers Al and Bobby Unser, Parnelli Jones, Johnny Rutherford, Jimmy McElreath and Ebb Rose, plus Indianapolis Motor Speedway Historian Donald Davidson.

The celebrations were spread over four days, kicking off with a barbecue on Wednesday, Sept. 20, catered by "The Mavericks," a merry group of charity-minded individuals, who as Wichita Falls ambassadors have been displaying their skills at such functions since the early 1970s. They fed 750 people.

A testimonial dinner took place Thursday night at which Davidson was the guest speaker, and on Friday night, the guests joined Ruby at a Western swing dance, where they signed autographs through much of the evening.

Following the Saturday-morning dedication, presided over by Mayor Lanham Lyne, a longtime Ruby fan, the drivers then participated in another autograph session, which had to be concluded after two hours with several people still waiting in line. They were all accommodated later.

Ruby, Jones and both Unsers then took turns at taking a pair of Indianapolis cars for a drive around a "lap" of several city blocks, made possible by the mayor. Ruby drove the #5 Quin Epperly-built Autolite "laydown" Offenhauser-powered car in which he had competed in the 1961 Indianapolis 500. Bobby Unser followed him in a 1957 Federal Engineering Offenhauser-powered "roadster." At the completion of their lap, Jones stepped into the Autolite car, which he had "shaken down" at Indianapolis in tire tests in 1960, and Al Unser replaced his brother in the Federal car.