The Indianapolis 500

[BleedBlueGold]

Ah yes, the yellow shirts. I remember getting chased by one. Some buddies and I took a parachute out to qualifications one year. We were in the infield around turn 3. Found a piece of cardboard sat on it and let the wind take each of us for a ride. I don't know how fast I got going but it was faster than I expected. lol Right after I was done, here comes a yellow shirt running after us wanting to confiscate the parachute.

Haha. Classic.

My domain was the paddock penthouse. First 5 sections of it, IIRC. Amazing seat, I mean job post, for the race. The only other quality spot I've enjoyed the same or more is penthouse level directly across from the pit row on ramp. You can see cars coming out of turn 4, the entire straight away with pit stops and start finish festivities, all of turn 1 and going into turn 2. It's truly unbelievable how big that place is.

 

[Irish#1]

Gentlemen, “ Start Your Engines”.

Expecting 300K today.

Record crowd expected in Indianapolis for 107th Indy 500

An estimated 300,000 racing fans are expected to fill the stands of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday.

www.newsnationnow.com

 

[BobbyMac]

Finally get to use Peacock for something else besides ND's SLG.

Pulling for Santino Ferrucci cuz he's AJ's top driver (My motorsports MJ), AJ's using Chevy engines (Honda has no biz in Indy car, they don't make a single, 2dr sports car) and I used to work for ABC Supply... AJ's main sponsor.

But all eyes will be on Sting Ray Robb. Kudos to his parents for having the stones to name him that. Over the top Corvette lovers are a different breed. Plus, he's racing for Dale Coyne whose shop was a couple of blocks down from the first house I bought in Plainfield. His crew put on my exhaust and cold air intake on my '95 M3 just so they could checkout the car.

 

[rikkitikki08]

Finally get to use Peacock for something else besides ND's SLG.

Pulling for Santino Ferrucci cuz he's AJ's top driver (My motorsports MJ), AJ's using Chevy engines (Honda has no biz in Indy car, they don't make a single, 2dr sports car) and I used to work for ABC Supply... AJ's main sponsor.

But all eyes will be on Sting Ray Robb. Kudos to his parents for having the stones to name him that. Over the top Corvette lovers are a different breed. Plus, he's racing for Dale Coyne whose shop was a couple of blocks down from the first house I bought in Plainfield. His crew put on my exhaust and cold air intake on my '95 M3 just so they could checkout the car.

I got Sting Ray Robb in my families raceday pool. I’ve never been so happy to get a driver. I’ll never not root for a guy with a name like that

 

[texbender]

I remember back in the mid 70's it wasn't uncommon to have between 100k-200k for qualifying weekend. Haven't been for many years, but never miss watching it. I worked with CART from mid 90's- early 2000's, but never worked to the 500 since Indy Car had been split into 2 series during that time.

 

[BobbyMac]

Golden Tate’s friend Josef Newgarden with his first Indy victory. Crazy ending.

 

[INLaw]

Golden Tate’s friend Josef Newgarden with his first Indy victory. Crazy ending.

Hell of a race 🏁

 

[texbender]

Not the typical way to end a race...but when you own the track and the series, you can make it up anyway you like. Would have liked to see at least 3 laps to race for the trophy.

 

[Reaper97]

Not the typical way to end a race...but when you own the track and the series, you can make it up anyway you like. Would have liked to see at least 3 laps to race for the trophy.

You can’t add laps. You are only allowed 200.

The options are:

A) End the race under yellow (which nobody wanted but Ericson)

B) Green white checkered, which is exciting & they actually get to race, and everyone wants to see outside of Ericson

You can’t make the race 202 laps, 510 miles.

What they did was perfect.

And, since you obviously don’t know, the people who made the decision don’t answer to Roger Penske. They are independent.

 

[texbender]

You can’t add laps. You are only allowed 200.

The options are:

A) End the race under yellow (which nobody wanted but Ericson)

B) Green white checkered, which is exciting & they actually get to race, and everyone wants to see outside of Ericson

You can’t make the race 202 laps, 510 miles.

What they did was perfect.

And, since you obviously don’t know, the people who made the decision don’t answer to Roger Penske. They are independent.

Glad you know. I worked the series many years and still connected with team and manufacturer personnel. And ask Paul Tracy if owning the track doesn't come into play.

 

[Bishop2b5]

Is it just my imagination, or does the sporting world not make as big of a deal of the 500 as in the past? When I was a kid, it seemed HUGE and we followed all the top drivers. Seemed that way up until a decade or two ago, but now it seems ESPN and the rest of the sports world have sort of relegated it to 2nd tier status and Memorial Day weekend focuses more on baseball, the NBA playoffs, and etc.

 

[StPaul_Irish]

Is it just my imagination, or does the sporting world not make as big of a deal of the 500 as in the past? When I was a kid, it seemed HUGE and we followed all the top drivers. Seemed that way up until a decade or two ago, but now it seems ESPN and the rest of the sports world have sort of relegated it to 2nd tier status and Memorial Day weekend focuses more on baseball, the NBA playoffs, and etc.

F1 is King

 

[SeekNDestroy]

Is it just my imagination, or does the sporting world not make as big of a deal of the 500 as in the past? When I was a kid, it seemed HUGE and we followed all the top drivers. Seemed that way up until a decade or two ago, but now it seems ESPN and the rest of the sports world have sort of relegated it to 2nd tier status and Memorial Day weekend focuses more on baseball, the NBA playoffs, and etc.

It’s not your imagination. But I think it’s been longer than a decade or two. I think it goes back to the rise in NASCAR during the ‘90s.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

F1 is King

Hell yeah. Oval racing is outdated and boring.

 

[Sea Turtle]

Jeff Gordon couldn't get a ride in CART because he didn't have big money behind him. It was the final straw for the USAC wing of Indycar racing as everyone knew he was the next Rick Mears. And thats exactly what CART needed. A super young, charasmatic, american superstar to replace ageing stars like Mears and Foyt. Instead, CART had become just like F1 with its politics and greed.

The war started, Jeff Gordon headed south and became a superstar in NASCAR and guys like Tony Stewart followed suit.

 

[drayer54]

Another fun race. I’m tired and burnt. Frustrating slow finish, but my fastest time in and out of the track ever. Saw some things that raise an eyebrow, but good time.

 

[Sea Turtle]

Another fun race. I’m tired and burnt. Frustrating slow finish, but my fastest time in and out of the track ever. Saw some things that raise an eyebrow, but good time.

We lived within walking distance and would just walk up 34th to georgetown. I worked in speedway during college and met countless drivers and team members. Great times.

 

[Irish#1]

Jeff Gordon couldn't get a ride in CART because he didn't have big money behind him. It was the final straw for the USAC wing of Indycar racing as everyone knew he was the next Rick Mears. And thats exactly what CART needed. A super young, charasmatic, american superstar to replace ageing stars like Mears and Foyt. Instead, CART had become just like F1 with its politics and greed.

The war started, Jeff Gordon headed south and became a superstar in NASCAR and guys like Tony Stewart followed suit.

Yeah it was the split that hurt them. The Hulman’s didn’t know how to resolve the feud.

Penske has the Midas touch as evidenced by the attendance last year and particularly today.

 

[GATTACA!]

F1 is King

Crazy how much it’s exploding in the US. Imagine if Andretti is able to get an American team going.

 

[Junkhead]

F1 is King

I've watched every Indy, Cart, and IRL race since about 1987. I can't get into Nascar, and have tried repeatably to watch F1 (hundreds of times), even Monaco today. I like the idea of F1 more than actual F1. I almost always get bored and take a nap or turn it off.

 

[drayer54]

 

[StPaul_Irish]

I've watched every Indy, Cart, and IRL race since about 1987. I can't get into Nascar, and have tried repeatably to watch F1 (hundreds of times), even Monaco today. I like the idea of F1 more than actual F1. I almost always get bored and take a nap or turn it off.

Watch Drive to Survive on Netflix. Get to know the guys, teams, drama. Kind of sucks you in.

 

[FOTY977]

Watch Drive to Survive on Netflix. Get to know the guys, teams, drama. Kind of sucks you in.

Also maybe try watching not the most boring race of the year. Qualifying was great though.

 

[Irish#1]

I use to watch NASCAR but haven’t in a long time. It was becoming pretty predictable with the way NASCAR would handle each race.

Schumacher no longer driving has helped F1 grow. His dominance was hurting its popularity IMO.

Penske adding road courses to its schedule was a smart move.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

Crazy how much it’s exploding in the US. Imagine if Andretti is able to get an American team going.

I heard a rumor it's going to be Ford powered which would immediately make them my team.

 

[texbender]

If you like racing, go check out Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Hour north of Milwaukee. Four mile road course through the rolling terrain and woods. As good of a fan and family friendly racing venue as you will find....kids free, great reasonably priced food, amazing European style track that the drivers love, multiple seating vistas that you can rotate to during the weekend or race. Will be there again in a few weeks.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

If you like racing, go check out Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Hour north of Milwaukee. Four mile road course through the rolling terrain and woods. As good of a fan and family friendly racing venue as you will find....kids free, great reasonably priced food, amazing European style track that the drivers love, multiple seating vistas that you can rotate to during the weekend or race. Will be there again in a few weeks.

I've taken my Shelby GT350R to Road America twice in the last four years. The Bend has been closed both times so I was able to hit the Kink doing triple digits. Great experience. There's another little track just west of Rockford named Blackhawk Farms. They have a lot of track days and is a joy to drive. Defiantly not the super high speeds of RA though.

 

[texbender]

I've taken my Shelby GT350R to Road America twice in the last four years. The Bend has been closed both times so I was able to hit the Kink doing triple digits. Great experience. There's another little track just west of Rockford named Blackhawk Farms. They have a lot of track days and is a joy to drive. Defiantly not the super high speeds of RA though.

That must have been awesome. I was able get some laps at RA in a '21 Corvette. Such an awesome track.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

That must have been awesome. I was able get some laps at RA in a '21 Corvette. Such an awesome track.

Just thinking about the Carousal is giving me goose bumps. I think I'm going to take a drive out to Galena today now to experience some "spirited" twists!

 

[GATTACA!]

I heard a rumor it's going to be Ford powered which would immediately make them my team.

I believe Cadillac will be making their power units unless something changed.