A Hamilton County business owner and race fan has found a way to both give something back to the sport he loves and to help honor the memory of his friend Bryan Clauson. Joe Murello, who lives in Carmel and will soon run two Noblesville businesses, is sponsoring a local driver at the inaugural Driven2SaveLives BC39 in memory of Clauson.
Conor Daly, Joe Murello and Bryan Clauson stand together for a photo in 2016. (Photo provided)
Murello said he met Clauson because he felt it was important to support a young driver from Noblesville.
“I was involved with Bryan’s cars in Indianapolis through my association with Jonathan Byrd and the Byrd restaurant and hospitality group,” Murello told The Reporter. “I got to know Bryan. He passed right after we sponsored him in Indianapolis.”
Murello said he only played a small part in sponsoring Clauson, but came to admire him deeply.
“Bryan’s major backing came from Jonathan Byrd Hospitality and Restaurant group,” Murello said. “Ginny, Jonathan and David Byrd took me along and I started to get to know Bryan and started to admire him not only as a driver but as a young man.”
Murello, a former drag racer, said he considers himself as a race fan more than anything else.
“I started sponsorship at a small, local 1/5-mile track mostly known for figure-8 racing,” Murello said. “Then the Brickyard with Phil Parsons after I heard about Josh Wise fundraising efforts. Gee, seems to be a common theme going that I never realized!”
In 2015 Murello got involved with sponsorship though Byrd Hospitality Group.
“My friend Jonathan and Bryan both being from Noblesville just seemed right,” Murello said. “In 2016, the 100th Indy 500 and two drivers in Dale Coyne cars sponsored again by the same sponsor group as before – so I was sure in for that! Conor Daly actually led several laps of the Indy Grand Prix and Bryan led the 100th lap of the 100th Indy 500.”
On August 7, 2016, Bryan Clauson died in a racing accident while attempting to race 200 races in one season.
After that, Murello said he was finished with racing.
“Before the 2017 Brickyard 400 and Lily Diabetes 250 Ryan Sieg Racing Contacted me about their Xfinity car and I said no,” Murello told The Reporter.
Murello explained to Sieg Racing his connection to Clauson. They told Murello they also wanted to honor Clauson and if Murello was a sponsor on their car, Clauson’s BC logo would be included.
Thus, Murello helped sponsor them last year.
Joe Murello will open Giuseppe’s Italian Market at 1741 Hazel Dell Crossing, Suite 500 in August. (Photo provided)
Which of course brings us to 2018.
When asked how his sponsorship efforts for the BC39 began, Murello said, “Charlie Langenstein contacted me. He knew my history with racing and Bryan was very dear to me. I have an office in Noblesville that is close to a restaurant Bryan used to eat at where I used to see him and his fiancée, Lauren. It was a pleasure to get to help in a very small way to sponsor him in Indianapolis in 2015 and 2016.”
Murello said he has known Langenstein for several years.
“He is involved in all forms of racing, and his son, Austin, is now racing dirt cars,” Murello said. “Charlie wants his son to race in the first commemorative race for Bryan, the BC29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Austin is an up-and-coming dirt track racer, which is where Bryan started.”
The Driven2SaveLives BC39 will take place the Wednesday and Thursday before the Brickyard 400, Sept. 5 and 6. Langenstein’s car for that event is being built by former Indy 500 drive Billy Boat.