By Mark Ambrogi
Speed has always been a passion for Rickey Calhoun. So he’s not letting his loss of sight deter him from his dream of setting a land speed record.
“I used to do a lot of street racing and circle track driving,” Calhoun said. “I did that weekends for many years until my eyes blew up and I lost the centers out of each eye.”
Calhoun, a legally blind Indianapolis resident, had an optic nerve hemorrhage in both eyes and had to close his construction company. It took four years for him to re-learn how to walk. He was forced to go on disability and struggled for years. Calhoun said using Bosma Enterprises rehabilitation services has helped him cope with his vision loss.
Now Calhoun is hoping to set a land speed record at Utah’s famous Bonneville Salt Flats in September. The current record for a blind driver is 200.9 mph.
“I’m going after the sighted records,” Calhoun said, adding no one has gone faster than 267 miles per hour in a production-bodied car. “We want to compete with big boys.”
Mariel Betron, Bosma internet marketing specialist and Zionsville resident, has helped encourage Calhoun to pursue his dream.
“I’m going to be his navigator for the first run,” said Betron, who used to ride motorcycles. “I’m almost like his eyes during the run.”
Calhoun, 55, and his team are trying to raise $20,000 to buy a white Chevrolet and have started a campaign at gofundme.com/rickeycalhoun. Those that contribute will have their names painted on the car.
If they are able to purchase the car, the first trial run is on black top at the Hot Rod Magazine Top Speed Challenge in Wilmington, Ohio, in May.
“There we’re trying to run 220 (mph),” Calhoun said. “Then we’re trying to run El Mirage (Texas) and try to run 240 and 250 (mph). Then in Bonneville we’ll put in a new motor and try to run 301 (mph).”
Calhoun, a Bosma employee, credits Bosma for helping him regain his confidence when he started there in 2013.
Kenric Massey, another Bosma employee who has an eye disease called macular degeneration, is serving as Calhoun’s crew chief.
“From conversation at work we found we had the same passion for cars,” Massey said. “We want to let it be known just because your vision impaired or blind, you can still fulfill your dreams.”
Calhoun said he wants to silence the naysayers.
“There are so many that turn against you because you can’t see,” Calhoun said.
Brian Dial, another Bosma employee, is serving as the mechanic. There are 22 members of his team, which has dubbed itself as the Blind Faith race team.
If they are able to buy the car, Calhoun said they plan to auction it off after Bonneville and donate the money to Bosma Enterprises.
