INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Joey Truscelli, a Marine veteran and former IndyCar owner, has channeled his passion for racing into a lifelong journey that stretches beyond the track.

Joey Truscelli was 11 when he first felt the pull of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

A neighbor, Mr. Flick, once loaded Truscelli and his brother into a wood-paneled station wagon — no seatbelts — and took them to their first IndyCar race. From the fence line, they watched drivers including Mario Andretti, Johnny Rutherford, and A.J. Foyt speed past.

“It was a great thing that happened,” Truscelli said. Decades later, that moment would help shape his future in motorsports.

Before entering racing, Truscelli served in the Marine Corps. He is quick to correct anyone who refers to that service in the past tense.

“Once a...