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| Photo by General Tom |
I just came back from the Indianapolis 500. This year I sat in the North Vista. This is something new for me. We had great views of turns 3 and 4, sitting under the sun with the "little people."
You may have heard that the race had an odd ending with rookie JR Hildebrand, leading the race on the final lap and smashing into the wall of the final turn. The checkered flag was literally "In sight."
Former winner Dan Wheldon won the race. He had not led at any point, except for the final few hundred yards.
At one point, Danica Patrick led the race. The fans went wild! She was easy to spot in her bright green Go Daddy car. She is a favorite at Indy! A late pit stop took her out of contention. Too bad. She always seems to be within striking distance.
A few other things made this one of the wackier 500's in recent memory. When we entered the main gate, 90 minutes before the race, there were so many fans entering, so quickly, that the ticket takers simply asked us to "hold up" our tickets!
The racetrack is surrounded, for the most part, by residential neighborhoods. For $20, you can park in someone's front yard. This practice has been going on for years. While taking a "short cut" back to my car, I asked a State Trooper for directions. He said he couldn't help me...he was from Ft. Wayne and unfamiliar with the area. He was sitting in his car and wanted to start a conversation. I couldn't stay and talk, there was a traffic jam wainting for me!
The souvenier stands seemed to be busier than I remember from previous years. I noticed this while standing in the beer line.
This was the 100th anniversary of the first running of the Indianapolis 500. The track's surrounding was, as usual in great shape, the workers were friendly and efficient. But, the traffic! Good God, we've been doing this for 100 years...can we figure out how to route traffic?
You may have heard that the race had an odd ending with rookie JR Hildebrand, leading the race on the final lap and smashing into the wall of the final turn. The checkered flag was literally "In sight."
Former winner Dan Wheldon won the race. He had not led at any point, except for the final few hundred yards.
At one point, Danica Patrick led the race. The fans went wild! She was easy to spot in her bright green Go Daddy car. She is a favorite at Indy! A late pit stop took her out of contention. Too bad. She always seems to be within striking distance.
A few other things made this one of the wackier 500's in recent memory. When we entered the main gate, 90 minutes before the race, there were so many fans entering, so quickly, that the ticket takers simply asked us to "hold up" our tickets!
The racetrack is surrounded, for the most part, by residential neighborhoods. For $20, you can park in someone's front yard. This practice has been going on for years. While taking a "short cut" back to my car, I asked a State Trooper for directions. He said he couldn't help me...he was from Ft. Wayne and unfamiliar with the area. He was sitting in his car and wanted to start a conversation. I couldn't stay and talk, there was a traffic jam wainting for me!
The souvenier stands seemed to be busier than I remember from previous years. I noticed this while standing in the beer line.
This was the 100th anniversary of the first running of the Indianapolis 500. The track's surrounding was, as usual in great shape, the workers were friendly and efficient. But, the traffic! Good God, we've been doing this for 100 years...can we figure out how to route traffic?
