Indy 500!

(Authored by Jack)
It's been some time since we have been able to kick back and take a breath this month.  Leaving Wilmington in the middle of May. Visiting Glen and Joanna and Ken and the kids in Greensboro for a few days was really great. Then we started our mad dash northwest.

First night we stopped Tennessee at the Fire Fox Riverside Campground. First of all, it has a roller coaster entry way that is quite steep. Then the camp host (who seemed a little backwoods but friendly) says just give him $35 bucks for the night. No registration, name or anything. Okay campground for one night and not too much issue getting out. Then on to Frankfort, KY, staying for two days at the Elkhorn Campground. Nice place, nice sites to be sure.

Indianapolis KOA

...at Indianapolis KOA

Finally on to the Indianapolis KOA in Greenfield, IN, our ultimate goal, arriving on Wednesday. Very nice people and very spacious sites. However, we arrived in the middle of a horrendous thunder storm and had to wait it out before we could even set up. After 30 to 45 minutes it finally began to stop. Waiting in the truck with two dogs wanting to get out and relieve themselves was interesting to say the least. 

You got it! The 98th running of the Indianapolis 500! It's been on my bucket list for years and we're finally going to check this one off.

Friday was Carb Day, the last chance for the teams to fine tune their cars for the race on Sunday. I've witnessed Indy cars on a road course before but nothing prepared me for the speed the cars were traveling. We were perched in the short chute between turns 3 and 4 and could see them going down the front straight away into turn 1. It was a spectacular experience, the sounds, the flashing color, the smell of the exhaust and the vibration from the engines was absolutely exciting!

If you tried to keep your eye on the cars as they passed it made you somewhat dizzy. Wasn't prepared for that either.  Did I mention we were seated facing directly into the sun? The temperature was somewhere in the high 70's but sitting on those aluminum seats was something like sitting in a broiler! Suffice to say we both got a little color in the hour we watched the cars.

After baking to a nice pink color, we moved toward the area where our seats for Sunday were located. Most of the main grandstand was blocked off and so we had to walk almost a quarter of a mile to find an open seating area. The seats were under the upper grandstand so we were in shade with a nice breeze. We arrived in time to watch the Indy Light cars run the Freedom 100 race. Indy Lights are the entry level division before stepping up to run with the big guys. Oh, we discovered one detail we weren't prepared for: bring lots of money with you for food. Bottled water was $5.00, as an example.

There were only eleven cars entered but the race was pretty hotly contested at the front of the field between about four drivers. I must really apologize here because I did not hear the name of the winner other than he drove car number 5 and his last name was Garcia. But it was a great little race nonetheless.

Following the race we went into the infield and wore ourselves out looking at the displays and booths set up there. It took a monumental effort and a couple of stops to get back to the parking lot. All in all it was a wonderful day.

Saturday was Old Timers Day. There were several early era cars on display but the most important guest was none other than Mario Andretti. He signed autographs, did a meet and greet, and a question and answer segment. Really neat! He looks a little older than the last time I saw him at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, Ca about 1992 I believe. He's put on a little weight and his hair is no longer black.

One of the interesting parts of our day was watching all the concert goers coming in to see Jason Aldean that evening. We were amazed at all the shorts and cowboy boots, not to mention vast amount of jiggling breasts tucked into way too small tops. Doesn't anyone own a full length mirror anymore? I must admit, some people really should think twice about tattoo positioning and what they permanently affix to their bodies. Just sayin'. Some of these folks probably didn't even see the concert as they seemed about to pass out at any minute.

The end of day two and so we dragged our tired and sore bodies home to rest up for the big show.

Sunday morning and we're in traffic crawling along towards the speedway. Was that a turtle who just passed us? It took 45 minutes to drive six blocks! Turns out someone was killed in one of the camping areas early in the morning and the police had a cross street blocked. Another life lost to an alcohol induced rage. Sorry for his family.

We parked and then joined the rest of the Lemmings frantically hurrying toward their final destination. It was at least 3/4 of a mile from truck to seats. We settled in just in time for driver introductions and then the highlight of the opening ceremonies: Jim Nabors singing  "Back Home Again in Indiana" for the last time. At last the cars were started and slowly rolled off for three pace laps  then the green flag. The sound of those 33 engines firing up was tremendously loud and the vibration sent goose bumps all over.  The release of thousands of balloons was spectacular! I had rented a scanner and headset from Racing Electronics so I could listen to the teams, officials and the TV broadcast. Gail was unable to do the same because of her hearing aids (she says she wouldn't have understood anything even if she had been able to hear it).

The green flag waved and the sound of the cars was deafening! The speed of the cars is nothing like on TV. The colors are so much brighter, it's hard to tell car numbers as they pass by at over 200 miles an hour. I settled back with my scanner and tuned into several teams radios which was really cool. Who knew there would be 150 green flag laps!  Exciting to me but Gail wished she had brought her book. We had a TV screen across the track from us but she couldn't hear the track announcers though I tried to let her know what I could hear. Not being as avid a race fan as I she was somewhat bored. But she did cause the first yellow flag; she was thinking, "Wow, are we going to get through this entire race without a yellow flag??" Funny how clairvoyant she is sometimes.

The next 50 laps were the greatest I've ever seen. Yes there were more yellows and lots of lead changes, lots of passing throughout the field and cars dropping out for mechanical as well as on track accidents. But the last five laps kept people in total suspense until the checkered flag. What a race! What an experience! By the way, Gail asked me who I thought would win and guess what? Ryan Hunter-Raey did win. Am I good or what?

We sat catching our breath knowing that the parking lots would take quite some time to empty out. We didn't sit long enough. Getting to the truck was a Herculean effort by itself but getting out of the lot, wow! We sat, not moving, for a long time until I decided to turn into another line of traffic which seemed to move occasionally. Once out of the parking lot things seemed to move along until we were finally back on the interstate. Back at the campground we both collapsed not wanting to move for a week. What an experience!

One big bucket list item crossed off the list. I have my wonderful wife to thank for everything. She's so very special, I think I'll keep her... Jack

P.S. Gail took some pictures and will get around to posting them, I'm sure.