When Paul Simon’s hit “Kodachrome” started playing on Dave Dugan’s playlist Wednesday, he thought about his mom, who died from cancer about eight years ago.
Dugan used songs on his playlist to remind him of friends and family members he has lost to cancer and to keep him motivated to drive nearly four-and-a-half hours around the roundabout at Jackson Circle in Carmel’s Village of WestClay neighborhood Wednesday.
Another song reminded him of his father-in-law and other tunes for good friends who have died, Dugan said.
“That was a real good little bit of an inspirational boost,” Dugan said.
Dugan, a comedian and Carmel resident, attempted to break the recordsetter.com record Wednesday for the longest time driving around a roundabout. The Guinness Book of World Records does not have a category for roundabouts.
The effort was to raise money and awareness for Cancer Support Community Indiana, a nonprofit for cancer survivors and their families.
“I actually feel pretty good,” Dugan said Wednesday morning before starting the drive in a red-and-white vehicle with adorned with the nonprofit’s name. “I’ve got motivation and good weather on my side.”
According to recordsetter.com, Australian Daniel Bird in 2018 drove around a roundabout in Townsville, Queensland for four hours and 52 seconds.
Dugan Wednesday drove around the internationally recognized roundabout in Carmel’s Village of WestClay neighborhood for about four hours and 29 minutes, or 1,001 laps, Dugan said. He started driving just after 10 a.m. and left the roundabout just after 2:30 p.m.
GoPros and other cameras filmed Dugan as he drove. Recordsetter.com rules stated Dugan could pull over for up to one minute once per hour to swap passengers and could not fill his gas tank during the drive.
Dugan’s video will be submitted to recordsetter.com where it will be reviewed by the site’s moderation team to determine whether it is approved and an official record.
This is Dugan’s second roundabout fundraiser for Cancer Support Community Indiana and the fifth year he has helped raise money for the nonprofit. Dugan drove more than 700 laps around the same Village of WestClay roundabout in 2018.
Eric Richards, the president and CEO of Cancer Support Community Indiana, said Dugan’s fundraising effort is certainly unique.
“We don’t get requests where I get a phone call from someone that says, ‘Hey, Eric, I’d like to set a world record and raise some money for you so you can help people who have cancer by driving around a roundabout in Carmel, Indiana,” Richards said.
Dugan has previously been involved with Cancer Support Community Indiana’s annual comedy fundraiser, Laughing Matters.
The event June 4 features Saturday Night Live comedian Colin Jost. Dugan will be on stage at the fundraiser as well, Richards said.
“He’s just an amazing, amazing guy and we’re so grateful for his support,” Richards said.
Wednesday afternoon, Carmel resident Dennis McClintock left his home near the roundabout to watch Dugan drive in circles.
McClintock, who said he has lived in the Village of WestClay for 10 years, lamented that the fountain typically at the center of the roundabout had not been put back in yet for the summer.
He joined Dugan for a few laps in the roundabout in his vintage Porsche, a 1965 356 SC, McClintock said. After he parked his Porsche, McClintock drove a few laps of the roundabout in his golf cart.
“I’m retired, so I’m always looking for entertainment,” McClintock said.
Dugan greeted McClintock when the comedian finished driving the roundabout.
“I was wondering how many vehicles you had,” Dugan said.
After cleaning out the Cancer Support Community van, Dugan said he thought the ride was easier than he expected. He did not get carsick or dizzy once, he said.
“I really think I belong maybe in a spaceship, making the big money because that doesn’t make me dizzy,” Dugan said.
Dugan had a voice acting job to get to late Wednesday afternoon. Then he planned to relax.
“Then I think I will float in the pool and drink a PBR,” Dugan said.
