Indy 500

[Ozark]

I know there are a lot of racing fans on this site, so how many of you have attended the Indy 500. It's been a dream of mine for years, but something is always getting in the way. Is it as good to attend as I imagine or is it, as some have told me, better sitting in front of a widescreen in the comfort of your home. Thanks.

[BOO]

I don't remember how many times I've been there but probably 6 to 10 times and several days for qualifications.

Not a real viewing track, not many seats let you see the whole track and most that due let you see the track, you can't really see the racing.

Best you can hope for is center main straight or 4th and 2nd turns get sort of interesting.

The experience is another story, at one time you could camp in the infield the night before and have a heck of a time. Poker games, working girls, you name it.

I think they seat maybe 250 to 300,000 people so it's interesting.

There are a lot of tracks around the country that are better for just viewing the race.

You should go to Speedway, it's a blast.

Jerry

[Ozark]

Thanks Jerry. Just finished watching todays race on T.V. Good race, but I'm still craving to see it in person. Like you said, I heard the infield was the place to be years ago. I now have a niece who lives in Indy and her husband is a Deputy Sheriff. Might have to try my luck there.

[Squeeze]

I agree, it was nice Race. The best Man won. Danica was not bad at all, but she was just good enough and the Crash in Pit Lane was partially bad Jugdement by her.

 

On the main Issue, from my Experience, if you want to see the Race, watch TV. But feeling the Speed, hearing the Sound of the Cars and everything is one thing you should have experienced if your interested in the Racing Circus.

 

If i would visit a Race, i always would choose to see some Action on Friday and/or Saturday during Practice and Qualifying, and watch the Race on Sunday from TV. But i've been to many Races in several Classes over the Years and been spoiled by a Lot of Pit Passes and Backdoor Entrances. A Indycar Race though, misses on my List, yet....

[Bummer]

I live a couple of miles from the track. When I was a kid I all but lived there in May. The whole month was a party around the track.

 

I sold papers at the track on days I wanted in. When we got done selling the papers we just wandered around and had a good time. That was in the Snake Pit days before there were grandstands everywhere. They can't get away with that today.

 

The coolest place to watch the race from is the top floor of the pagoda. You can see the whole track. When I was in High School my girlfriend's dad ran the area stop lights from a control panel on the top floor. We used his pass to get up there and just stayed out of the way. We got to meet Raquel Welch and Dan Blocker. One of the best races I've been to! No idea who won.

 

I've driven my car and ridden my bicycle around the track. Some day I'll make a motorcycle event. Maybe they'll have something around the GP they're having there this year - hope to make that one. I haven't been to the race itself in years. Burnt out on it, I guess.

[juggler]

I'll keep watching from home. Better seating better view of the race.

 

 

How the heck was the moron hitting Danica from behind as he overpowered his car out of his pit stall and rammed into her rear wheel "bad judgment" on her part? She was up against the right side pit wall as far from the pit stalls as you can get.

 

Pit row "accidents" need to be have penalties and disqualifications.

[Dano]

Been going since I moved here in 1980, seats since 93 in the third turn up high. Good for backstretch and thru 3 & 4. Big screens a definite advantage. Didn't go this year, first I've missed since living here. Just now watching the replay cause it's blacked out locally live. Listened to it while working on the bike, that is an exercise in using your mind as they talk it out!

Would be on my "Bucket list" of things to do if I didn't live here.

 

BTW, "Snake Pit", both 4th & 1st turns thru the 80's------ all I can say is-----YOU HAD TO BE THERE!!!!!! Most times, esp. in early 80's, we never even saw the race!!!! Passed out by then. Much more sober and responsible nowadays.

 

Definately do it!!

 

Dan

[rosebud]

We always cheer for Danica. One of our daughters went to HS with her in Rockton, IL, where she was a cheerleader during the school year and spent her summers in Europe learning to drive.

[Squeeze]

...

 

Pit row "accidents" need to be have penalties and disqualifications.

 

 

I agree on that. Once there was a Time when you hit anything in the Pit, be it your old Tire or a Air Hose or anything else, you get a black Flag, come in and park the Car. Period.

[Bummer]

BTW, "Snake Pit", both 4th & 1st turns thru the 80's------ all I can say is-----YOU HAD TO BE THERE!!!!!! Most times, esp. in early 80's, we never even saw the race!!!! Passed out by then. Much more sober and responsible nowadays.

Sigh. And the party the night before extended outward for most of a mile down Crawfordsville Road. The race itself was pretty much SRO. They didn't actually sell formal tickets. You paid at the gate. There was no real attempt to count heads and it was widely believed attendance was greatly under reported to reduce the tax hit. The owner, Tony Hulman, was quite the political player, so it was kind of expected of him. Basically we lost the Snake Pit to the tax man.

 

Today it's a modern family event. Everybody has a seat. The barbarism has been pretty much banished. If you're a fan I encourage you to go at least once. It's still quite a spectacle.

 

There are a bunch of photos in the Indy Star if anyone's interested.

[Bummer]

Pit row "accidents" need to be have penalties and disqualifications.

Hard to argue with that. I'll bet there's at least one pit crew guy who'll agree.

[Dano]

Just like the "lollipop man" in F1, it's the responsibility of the right front tire man to hold the car till it's clear, there was one episode yesterday with 2 cars coming down pit lane and the tire changer sent the car out in between them and caused damage. Blame Briscoe for Danicas out, he had plenty of room to take the left lane.

 

Yeah for Vitor, he almost pulled that one off!!

 

Back to work on the bike now, later!

 

Dan

 

BTW, didn't even watch the Coke 600 last night, watched the replay whilst workin'

[Bummer]

Blame Briscoe for Danicas out, he had plenty of room to take the left lane.

It looked like she wanted to go all Cale Yarborough on him. Can't say I blame her. He definately screwed up. Sarah Fisher got picked off too. I hope she can pick up the sponsorship to keep going.

[Squeeze]

The Way i saw this Incident, Briscoe screwed up by getting the Car in the spinning the Wheels, the Mech screwed up, because he shouldn't have sent him out and i'm sure Danica's Car must have had the Brakes not working properly. That why i called this Incident bad Judgement. I'm sure they will have another Oppurtunity next Year.

 

Sincerly, all the People involved wanted to win this Race, but in such a close Situation, it's better to back off one Time than to go on into the dark. She could have passed him later , in no Time, with all the Anger and Adrenaline involved.

[BOO]

The Way i saw this Incident, Briscoe screwed up by getting the Car in the spinning the Wheels, the Mech screwed up, because he shouldn't have sent him out and i'm sure Danica's Car must have had the Brakes not working properly. That why i called this Incident bad Judgement. I'm sure they will have another Oppurtunity next Year.

 

Sincerly, all the People involved wanted to win this Race, but in such a close Situation, it's better to back off one Time than to go on into the dark. She could have passed him later , in no Time, with all the Anger and Adrenaline involved.

 

Sure looked like there was enough room for both of them if he hadn't let the car get away from him when he lit up the tires. You almost got to call it a racing incident.

I don't think anyone that's a winner is going to back down, you see it time after time. It's just not in their nature. Unlike the Sprint Cup stock cars, the open wheel racers seem to race every minute of every lap.

Jerry

[Squeeze]

Sure looked like there was enough room for both of them if he hadn't let the car get away from him when he lit up the tires. You almost got to call it a racing incident.

 

I don't think anyone that's a winner is going to back down, you see it time after time. It's just not in their nature. Unlike the Sprint Cup stock cars, the open wheel racers seem to race every minute of every lap.

 

Jerry

 

Yeah, those 'would have been' enough Room for both ...

 

I can assure you, all those Openwheelers are born with such an Attitude, but sometimes it just backfires on them. The real Champions are those who are smarter than the 'average Driver' and back up once to gain the Points. OK, INDY500 is only once a Year, but what have they won both now ?? nothing ...

 

I.E. Montoya was (probably still is) a Hell of a Driver, based on his Formula3000 and F1 Career, but he made me mad more than one Time. The Hero to Zero Game is how he drove there and i could count as much good Races and real fantastic Wins as i could count his Brain Farts which took him out and on a Lot of Occasions some other Drivers too. I was reliefed when he left F1, i just wouldn't see anybody die because of him. Even if i very much respected him for his driving Skills, he NEVER would have been a Champion.

 

Decisions are made at a blink of an Eye, one can't really blame anybody.

[Guest cwil2988]

We go up there for the Nascar race just about every year. Last year, we rode the TD up there, and it was the best experience I ever had there as far as parking, getting in, and out. We went through the tunnel into the infield by the museum, took an immediate left, and another immediate left and we were parked, great bike parking area. It is gravel with concrete pads running through it to put your side stand down on, in other words, your wheels are in gravel, and your side stand is on concrete. We had to actually wait for them to start letting people out of the gate to leave.

Our previous cage experiences would sometimes take several hours to get out, and you better be there several hours before the green to park in the infield to avoid the high cost parking on the outside.

[Ozark]

I want to thank all of you for the posts. Lots of good thoughts and ideas shared. I'm sure my lounge chair is the best seat in my house, but I'm going to have to try it one time before I get too old to enjoy it....I suspect that will be a long time. My cable went off for about 30 minutes and I missed Tony Kannan and Sarah Fisher being knocked out of the race. Like someone else said, I would really like to see Sarah get the same opportunity as Danika. I think with the right ride and sponsorship, she would be a winner on the track as well as a fan favorite.

Thanks for replying to the post. I don't post often, but knew some of you could offer first hand insight into "The Race"