The 2022 Indy 500

MAY 29, 2022, Sunday

We had two flyovers, one with Jim Cornelison singing "Back Home Again in Indiana" and then, of course "The Star-Spangled Banner."  Jim Cornelison has evidently inherited the honor of singing this song from the late Jim Nabors.  Of course, he is a Chicago Blackhawk favorite as he sings the National Anthem for home games.  

My favorite Indy racer is Alexander Rossi and he was all the way back in the 7th row, so, as they say, he had quite a road to hoe.  He ended up finishing fifth, 4.9 seconds behind first place winner Marcus Ericsson.  None of us had ever heard of Marcus Ericsson, but we know him now.

Congrats to Marcus Ericcson.

Stuck around to watch the award and victory lap as well as the kissing of the yard of bricks at the start/finish line and to let more of the people leave.

Went back to the RV, but when we went over to the Legion for cocktails, they had already closed so we were forced to have our drinks at the RV, bbq some meat and talk aout the race.

Paul and I tried to stay up and watch the replay of the race, but only made it half way through before we had to go to sleep.  We think it might be because we're getting old or sitting out in the sun that long.

I will be writing in a lot more detail about the Indy 500 in my RoadDog's RoadLog blog at some point in the future.

--RoadDog

Indy Here We Come: Race Day Arrives

Continued from June 11.

SUNDAY, MAY 29

Race Day is here.  The Indy 500, and my 10th straight trip to see it (other than, of course 2020 when no spectators were allowed inside the track).  I never thought I'd get hooked on any kind of car racing, but must admit I'm into Indy Car now.

We just have to cross the street from the Legion and we are there.  But then, its a long walk to get to our seats, which now cost $215.  I never thought I'd pay that much for any ticket either.  But, its the Greatest Spectacle in Racing as they say.

The, there are those mean old horrible stairs to clmb.  Those have been wearing me out ever since I first went.  I can take them when there is a crowd and a few steps at a time, but straight up, no.  It took me two stops this time to get the numbness gone in my knees.

The Indy 500 is  strange because they allow you to bring beer cans and plastic bottles in.  However, I don't drink anything until the last quarter of the race as there is no way I am going down and back up those stairs.

The Indy 500, in addition to bing a car race is also probably the biggest salute to our military in the whole country.  The opening ceremonies are all about them.

--RoadDog

Just Got Back from Indy

The reason why there were no posts this past weekend was that I was out of town on another trip to the Indy 500.  This was my tenth straight trip (not counting 2020 when it was held without spectators and in August because of the you-know what.

Always a great time and we have as good of a spot to stay as you can ger.  My friends park their RV at the American Legion Post 500, right across Georgetown Avenue which is next to the race track.  Can't get much closer than that.

We had bands at the Legion, lots of craziness in the camp area, and, of course, one of the best races ever and the first time in two years where things seemed a little more normal.  Last year, many of the weekend events were cancelled and only 138,000 allowed inside.  I understand Sunday they were only a few thousand shy of a sell out.

I'll be writing more about it in my RoadDog's RoadLog blog.

--RoadDog

Just Got Back From Indy 500-- Part 6: A Racing We Go

There were seven former Indy winners running as well as six rookies.

It would be hard to explain the sound of 33 of those engines starting up at once.  Then they do three laps, the first one three across and then, the Green Flag.  Go!!  Everyone stands for the beginning of the race and nothing like seeing then come roaring around Turn 1.  The fun has started.

It seemed that they were trying to get at least half the race in as fast as possible to keep ahead of rain if it should come.  Speeds were high, but no one was taking big chances so only one yellow flag when a car's engine froze up.  There were real high speeds.  The only problems were in the pits where injuries and crashes took place.

For much of the race, it was pole sitter Simon Pagenaud versus Ed Carpenter.  At lap 178 there was a five car accident and the red flag came out.  The race restarted with ten laps to go and then it was the most excitable racing you could imagine with a regular battle between Pagenaud and Alexander Rossi for first.

Pagenaud won.  Just a few years ago he was almost out of racing.

We went back to the RV for cocktails and then into the Legion for awhile.  John left to start his drive back to Arizona.  For the second year in a row, Sue, Paul and I were too tired to watch the replay of the race.  Our excuse was that we had had too much fun already.  And, we're sticking to it.

Not Only Did I Not Get Wet Today, But I Also Got A Bit of a Sunburn.  --RoadDog

Just Got Back From Indy 500-- Part 4: Race Day

SUNDAY, MAY 26

The big day arrives and the question on everyone's mind is RAIN.  We were supposed to get fairly-well deluged.  Folks looking at weather predictions and chance of rain increased throughout the day and were especially high around race time.

Woke up at 6 a.m. to the sound of two big booms and then heard the p.a. announcer talking but couldn't make it out because of echoing, but I did hear the word "radar" at one point.  They then played some songs, starting off with CCR's "Who'll Stop the Rain."  Appropriate choice.

Looking outside the RV, I could see we had received no rain over the night, but there were some worrisome clouds.  We heard that to our north they had gotten hit hard.

We had breakfast and packed for the race, everyone with rain gear.  Then made the walk to the race track (across the street, but quite a way around to our gate.  As usual, huge crowds.  The stairs going up to the South Vista catwalk as usual got me part way up and I had to sit down so that my knees wouldn't buckle.

The usual crowd up there in our seating area, the same ones who have been coming all these years including the couple from Texas who I always sit by.  We greeted each other like old friends, which we are, if only very temporarily.

--RoadDog

Just Got Back From the Indy 500-- Part 2: May 24, 2019: Carb Day

My 68th birthday.  A party just for me.

Piece of birthday cake from Sue, Paul and John and a card.

This was Carb Day, which we have just recently started going to because all of us are now retired.  Carb Day, even though Indy Cars no longer have carburetors, is the last time racers get to have their cars on the track before the big race on Sunday.  This is always on a Friday.

Carb Day costs $30, $25 if tickets purchased earlier, and includes the last practice, a 100-mile race, pit crew competition and a concert.

We like to sit in different places for the practice and race to get a different perspective.  We sat across from the famed Pagoda, right near the Yard of Bricks.

The Freedom 100 Race pits the Indy Light cars, which are a little smaller than the Indy cars and driven by racers wanting to become Indy Car racers.  They drive 40 laps around the track for the 100 miles (the track is 2 1/2 miles around).  This was a good race.

We go back to the RV for a bit as the pit crew competition is a bit boring.  Then we walk back across the street  to the racetrack for the concert.  This year we saw Kool & the Gang and Foreigner.  Last year it was Blues Traveler and Train.  The year before was Barenaked Ladies and Steve Miller Band and before that, Journey.

Back to the RV for cocktails and eating, then to the Legion for a band and more beer.

Great 68th.  --RoadOld

A PLETHORA OF TIDBITS:  TWEETY BIRD, the animated Looney Tunes character, was originally pink.  Bur censors complained that Tweety looked naked, so animators gave the bird yellow feathers.

Just Got Back From the Indy 500-- Part 1: On Arrival

Monday, May 27, I came back from the 103rd Running of the Indy 500.  I went in Sue and Paul's RV, leaving from their place in Round lake, Illinois, on Thursday, May 23.

This will be a shortened version of what we did while there.  I'll write a much more detailed one in my RoadDog's RoadLog blog later this year.

THURSDAY, MAY 23

Stopped at the White Castle in Gurnee, Illinois, for our slider fix and then the Tri-State through Illinois to I-65 in Indiana and to Indianapolis on it.  We have a spot at the American Legion Post 500 in Speedway, right across from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which makes coming and going very handy.

Lots of evidence of rain  the past few days and threat of rain for the whole time we were there.  Quite muddy.

After getting the site arranged and as mudproofed as possible, we had a welcome cocktail then walked over to Speedway's Main Street and did our flight of beer at the Daredevil Brewing Company and all chose Negra for our beer of choice and had another coupla drinks at the Irish bar.

Back to the RV for bbq, cocktails, then the American Legion post for drinks in their bar.

Indy, We Have Arrived.  --RoadDog

Heading Out for Indianapolis for This Little Ol' Race This Weekend

In just a little while, I'll be heading over to Long Lake, Illinois, to meet Sue and Paul and leave in their RV for another trip to Indianapolis to see this little old race.

This is now probably my seventh or eighth time there and I am becoming a bit of a fan, though I never thought I'd be.  I'm not a racing car fan.

Thursday, we park the RV at the American Legion Post 500 in Speedway, Indiana, which is located right across the street from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  You can't get any closer than that.

Thursday, we walk over to Speedway's Main Street and party there.  Friday we go to Carb Day which will have the racers doing last laps before Sunday, then there is a 100 mile race by the Indy Lights cars, which are racers trying to make the 33-car field on Sunday.  Then there is a concert, this year featuring Foreigner and Kool & the Gang.

--RoadDog

N.C. Fall 2016: Day 1: The Usual

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

I have been driving this route so often, especially since Mom died in June, that things are starting to get very familiar.  I went to N.C. in June, July and now September.

After doing some last minute things on the internet, watering inside plants (primarily because for the life of me I couldn't remember if I'd done it yesterday or not) and packing, I left.  As usual, some small roads out to Ill-120, to Woodstock, then Illinois-47 to Mahomet.

I stoped in Dwight to eat at Hardee's and Mahomet at the BP.  Then I-74 the Crawfordsville Pilot station for gas, then to Indy and through it on I-70.  Usual stop  in Ohio at welcome center for motel coupon magazines and Englewood for Skyline Chili fix.

Drove to Columbus to Zanesville and stopped for the night at the Super 8.

--RoadDog

Eight Things About Indy 500's Attendance-- Part 1: How Much Are 350,000 Fans

From the May 27, 2016, Indianapolis Star "Eight things to compare on race's attendance" by Allison Carter.

The 350,000 fans who attended Sunday's Indy 500 race were more than the usual 250,000 or so who attend.  But, it was the 100th running of the event and a whole lot of folks wanted to be a part of it.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway does not release official attendance figures.  But, I would say there were a whole lot more people than usual just considering walking around difficulties and stands that usually aren't very full were now full.

SO, HOW MUCH IS 350,000 PEOPLE?

1.  It is as big as the populations of Indiana cities South Bend and Fort Wayne, combined.

2.  That's 37% of the entire population of Marion County (where Indianapolis is located).  Marion County has the 55th largest population in the United States.

3.  It is 59% of the entire population of Wyoming.

That's a Lot O' People.  --RoadDog

YOU'RE OLD IF YOU REMEMBER:  When all your teachers wore either neckties or had their hair done everyday.

Eight Things About This Year's Indy 500 Attendance-- Part 2: More Than last Four Super Bowls Combined

350,000 People Is:

4.  More people than attended the last four Super Bowls-- combined.  It is almost five times bigger than Indy's Super Bowl.

5.  Nearly twice as many people as attended the record-breaking 2015 Kentucky Derby.

6.  Over 100,000 people more than attended all the games of the 2015 World Series.

7.  More than double the attendance figure of the last-reported Daytona 500 attendance in 2012.

8.  On Sunday, 1 out of every 1,00 people in the U.S. will be at the Indy 500.

Like I Said, Lots O' Folks There.  --RoadDog

Just Got Back from Indy Yesterday

And it took a whole lot of sleeping to catch up on sleeping lost Thursday to Sunday.

As usual, whole lot of fun and, this year we had an extra day, arriving on Thursday around noon instead of Friday. This gave us what is called Carb Day on Friday, which consisted of practice runs by the Indy qualifiers, an Indy Light car race of 100 miles, Pit Crew Challenge and a concert, this year by the group Journey.

Saturday was Legends Day and we saw old Indy cars making runs around the track as well as walking to Gasoline Alley and various car company exhibits.

Sunday, of course, the race and an all-time big crowd in attendance of  350,000.  We never even heard the name Alexander Rossi mentioned until the last several laps of the race when he won while driving on literally fumes.  Way to go rookie!!

--RoadDog

YOU'RE OLD IF YOU REMEMBER: When your mom wore nylons that came in two pieces.

Just Got Back from Indy 500-- Part 3: Race Day

May 25, 2014:

Awakened by announcements and activity inside the track, just a couple hundred yards away.  Big line for the Legion buffet, but good eating and bacon very crispy.

Much easier entry this time.  Last year some folks got in right as the race began.

Climbed way up to our seats on the catwalk, as far up as you can go right between the first and second turns.  Great seats, but now up to $186 (from $150).

The new race listing of top 16 cars made it easier to keep up with the "angry bees" going around track.  Overall, I knew who was leading most of the time and would recognize them as they zipped by.  I was pulling for James Hinchcliffe and Ed Carpenter who were right in the running for most of the race.

For 149 laps there were no caution flags so they were really driving hard.  The last 51 laps, however, a bit rougher with a lot of crashes.  Worst for me was when my two guys crashed into each other and slid over to right in front of us.  Carpenter was ready to punch out Hinchcliffe when he got out of his wrecked car.

Ryan Hunter-Reay won the race.

--IndyDog

Thanksgiving Trip 2013-- Nov. 21-22: 50th Anniversary of the Kennedy Assassination

NOVEMBER 21ST, THURSDAY--

Drove the usual way, Il-47 south from Woodstock, Il., but turned east at Forrest on US-34 instead of going to I-74. Took that east to I-65 and then to Indianapolis where I found confusing signage on I-465 and ended up on the west side of the city instead of the east.

Went through the city on I-70 right during rush hour, but it wasn't bad. Finally stopped raining east of it and drove to Ohio and exit 29 (Englewood) on I-70 and had my Skyline Chili before getting a room at the Best Western.

NOVEMBER 22ND, FRIDAY--

Drove to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton and met my buddy Denny. We took a bus out to see JFK's Air Force One on the 50th anniversary of when it flew him to Dallas from Ft. Worth and then carried him back in a casket and LBJ was sworn in as president.

We then toured the museum and saw the goblets used in the Final Toast of the Doolittle Raiders. And, we weren't finished for the day.

--RoadDog

Indy Here I Come

Tomorrow, I leave for Indianapolis and something about a little old car race there this Sunday.

Some friends have a motor home in which we'll be staying right across from the track.  This is one huge party and we WON'T be staying right next to the street like last year. 

And, I'll remember to have the car sheet from the local paper this year.  This shows colors of the race cars.  They tell you over the intercom and score boards, who is in first with the car number, but those cars go by so fast, there is now way I can see the number in time.  It gets really hard to tell who the first cars are when they start lapping the others.

Oh yes, did I mention that the Indy 500 had a Carl Fisher/Lincoln Highway connection?

Vroom, Vroom.  --RoadDog

Big Game in Town: Colts Vs. Patriots

Well, not Chicago, but one I'll watch anyway.

That would be the matchup of the two unbeatens in the NFL, the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Now, I don't normally watch any NFL games unless its Da Bears or Da Pack, my two favorites. That's right, I like both teams, but definitely pull for the Bears when they play each other. I'll also watch a game if I'm at a bar and it's the only thing on TV.

However, this game today, is a BIG one.

I used to feel a bit sorry for the Patriots because the first time they went to the Super Bowl they lost against that great 1985 Bears team and it was a blow out. Then the second time was to the Packers, both at New Orleans' Super Bowl. However, of late, the Patriots have MORE than made up for those two losses.

I'm pulling for the Colts.

And, besides, the Colts are my third favorite team. A bunch of buddies and I used to go to Indianapolis for a game each year back when they were bad and you could get tickets, but those are hard to reasonably come by any more. Also, Tony Dungey is one of my favorite coaches after Mike Holmgren.

Plus, Indianapolis is a Midwestern team. Then there is Peyton Manning who also quarterbacked one of my favorite colleges, Tennessee.

Sad to see that the Patriots rallied to win the game.

Let's Go Colts!!!!! --RoadDog