Jump to content

The bucket list.


Recommended Posts

Just crossed another one off.

The 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500.

My first time there was for the second running of the Brickyard 400 NASCARNIVAL race. BILLYCAR isn't even close to the same speed.

My first Indy car race was in 96. The year of the split. We drove to Michigan to watch the big boys even though a guy from here that I played hockey with as a kid, had qualified for the Indy race.

This was special early birthday present to me.

If you ever get the chance to go, don't think twice. Just do it.

Click to Enlarge
tn_201166163411_004.jpg

62.94 KB

Click to Enlarge
tn_201166163429_038.jpg

54.65 KB

Click to Enlarge
tn_201166163540_048.jpg

74.11 KB

Click to Enlarge
tn_201166163558_072.jpg

29.12 KB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Never seen the big race, but I've been to several of the qualifying runs.

I always go down to the 1st turn, stand @ the rail, and watch those guys coming right @ me @ 220+mph; they get to the turn, and it's like they all of a sudden vanish because they're going through the turn so fast. You can't even follow it with your eyes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Never seen the big race, but I've been to several of the qualifying runs.

I always go down to the 1st turn, stand @ the rail, and watch those guys coming right @ me @ 220+mph; they get to the turn, and it's like they all of a sudden vanish because they're going through the turn so fast. You can't even follow it with your eyes.

Funny you should mention the first turn. The best part about the whole trip, was practice on carb day. (Friday)

I had two rookies with me. We walked in and right up to the lower section of turn one. The looks on their faces were priceless. It made my whole weekend after spending a month of trying to explain the speed and the size of the place.

After ten or fifteen minutes of my first time in that turn, I said, uh hey, want to go see where our real seats are? This looks like a real good place to get killed by a race car.

We moved on. LOL!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Much as I'd like to, I doubt I'll ever get to Indy.

I've been lucky enough to have had Indy cars (first CART, then IRL) race about 3 miles from my house, from 1987-2004. It was such a luxury to drive a few miles, park near the edge of town, walk 1/4 mile and be at the track. After the race, I could be cooling off in my pool within a half hour of seeing the checkered flag.

Nazareth Speedway was a beautiful, first-class track. Unfortunately, because it was so hard to pass on it, races could be pretty boring. Bad dates didn't help attendance either. Once, I called my boss on a Monday morning to tell her I was at a race and wouldn't be in to work that day. The race wasn't run the day before because it snowed!

Dan Wheldon, winner of this year's Indy 500, took the final checkered flag at Nazareth in the Firestone Indy 225 on August 29, 2004.

Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got til its gone ........

Download Attachment: icon_photo.gif 191-9125_IMG (Medium).JPG

158.4 KB

Download Attachment: icon_photo.gif 191-9164_IMG (Medium).JPG

120.51 KB

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazareth_Speedway

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nazareth Speedway was a beautiful, first-class track.

There's another place I would have loved to have seen them. It's a damn shame. Went to Pocono once and if I ever go back it'll be to fly fish the trout streams near the track. You can't see a damn thing there.

If the folks from Indy Car don't wake up and take a lesson on promoting from NASCARNAGE, there soon, won't be anything but NASTYCAR.

These Supermodifieds are what I grew up with. Another class of cars that seems to be on shaky ground because of the cost.

Only about 60k and $600 a week for fuel and tires for one of these little 800 horse, tax write-offs.

Click to Enlarge
tn_201168151841_19.jpg

57.83 KB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...