[WHERE ARE THEY NOW?] JIM RATHMANN.(NEWS)

Jim Rathmann is the oldest living Indianapolis 500 winner, and he isn't interested in slowing down at 80 years old.

At his home in Mel-bourne, Fla., with the picturesque Banana River in his backyard, Rathmann lives a champion's life. He turned his five auto dealerships over to his children and has spent the past several years traveling the country with his wife, Kay. Their favorite spots are Las Vegas, Los Angeles (his hometown) and, of course, Indianapolis.

Rathmann, who won the Indy 500 in 1960, makes his annual trek to the center of open-wheel racing each May, but these days, he seldom watches from the grandstand. Instead, he enjoys a sandwich and a cold beverage from a spot he'd rather the public didn't know about.

"If you put it in [the magazine], it would get crowded, he said.

Here's a hint: He can see the Speedway's second turn from the window.

Rathmann can move around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway relatively freely because his win there came before most of today's fans were born. Those who saw him win remember his tenacious battle with Rodger Ward as a classic duel, one of the best in event history.

Rathmann and Ward traded ...