Metzler enjoyed spending time in the grandstands seated next to his customers, discussing their likes and dislikes while sharing virtually any substance offered to him in friendship. He could be found in the track’s camping area simply “hanging out” with fans long after the end of the day’s competition or presiding over an impromptu contest of any type in the Beer Garden just before dawn. It was just one of the reasons why “Broadway Bob” was always greeted by a standing ovation when he appeared in front of the main grandstands at any time during any event.

Metzler lived in a house on the Great Lakes Dragaway property directly across from the starting line with his wife, Mary, and daughter, Patti. He was always available to talk even when the track was closed. Many times, fans who visited were shocked to find a relatively quiet and gentle man whose love for his family and friends was never hidden. Often, that discovery only increased his legendary stature.


(Mark Bruderle photo)

Yes, there were moments that bordered on the unbelievable. He often rode the nose of a jet car while saluting the crowd with a can of beer…but it was always the sponsor’s brand of beer. Usually, the rides ended when the driver of the jet car was preparing to stage on the starting line but, on at least a few occasions, “Broadway” held on with one hand while the pilot pushed the dragster past 40 miles per hour. He rode as a passenger in everything from Art Arfons 280-mph “Super Cyclops” jet dragster to Tyrone Malone’s 130-mph Kenworth…while it was RACING against a jet dragster.

He notoriously staged a handicap match race between a jet dragster and a man on foot (reputed to be Jon “Bowzer“ Bauman, the lead singer of the music group “Sha Na Na”) in which the jet dragster lost while passing its opponent at the finish line at 240 mph. Metzler often used local talent for exhibitions including, but not limited to, the “Wheelie Busters”, a pair of Milwaukee residents who rode a motorcycle in a 120-mph wheelstand while the passenger laid back to scrape his helmeted head on the asphalt the entire length of the track...for the price of two free tickets and all the beer they could drink. The stories are endless…and they’re all true.

That was “Broadway Bob.”

However, there were also moments that bordered on the magnificent. He was a man who would stop at nothing to succeed. He created a drag racing dynasty with nothing more than guts and instinct. He played a role in the careers of every drag racing superstar imaginable…and had an equal hand in the lives of those who never reached that level but still raced every week. He was inducted into multiple Halls of Fame yet could spend seven days alone at the annual Chicago Auto Show handing out flyers to 1.8 million people. He was a pioneer who shaped the face of a global sport. He was a genius.

Most of all, as he lay near death after all but one member of his family had passed before him, he was surrounded by and cared for by people who had met him only because of his creation of Great Lakes Dragaway. He was a legend…and he was loved.

That was Robert W. Metzler…and there will never be another one.