2024 Indy 500-- Part 1: No Legion for Us This Year

This will be a short account of the days at the Speedway.  I will go into more detail later in my RoadDog's RoadLog blog.

FRIDAY, MAY 24

I met Sue and Paul in Ingleside and they drove their RV to Indianapolis, where we had a spot about 7 miles from the IMS at the Raceview Family Campground (located across from Indianapolis' "other" race track, the Lucas Oil Raceway.

For the past ten Indy 500s we had been at the Speedway American Legion Post 500 RV campground right across the street from the Indy 500 but were unable to get our spot this year because they were rebuilding the place.

Drove to the Legion and were not happy to find that no construction had been done and our usual spot was empty.  We  had a talk with the people there and evidently it was a big old case of misunderstanding.  Hopefully we will be back there next year.

But, a friend who camps by there had an extra parking ticket so we didn't have to purchase one of them.  Had a couple drinks at the Legion and back to the RV park.

--RoadDog

Johnny's Cafe, Kevin and Kelly's Party and Day After Party

FRIDAY, JUNE 17

Bought half price flowers at our Spring Grove Jewel.  My kind of price.  Gas at the Spring Grove Mobil station at $5.60.  Well, at least it's not over $6.  Big Oil GRBs.

Met Kevin, Kelly, Barb and Glen at Johnny's Cafe in Fox Lake for that great pasta bowl and fish frys and then to the Fox Lake Legion for 50-50.

SATURDAY, JUNE 18

Said goodbye to Sue and Paul over in Ingleside as they will be driving back to New Mexico in their RV.  I had gone to the Indy 500 with them.  

We then went over to Kevin and Kelly's for a party out by the lake.  Came home and watched "The Godfather."  Hard to believe that Paul McCartney is 80 years old today.  

SUNDAY, JUNE 19

I took my U.S. flag down for the day.  There was a reason for that.

Spent quite awhile planting geraniums and went back to Kevin and Kelly's for the Day After Party, always a favorite time.

--RoadDog

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: Indy 500, Speedway Main Street, Bars, Bands and Lots of Walking

FRIDAY, MAY 27

It was off to my 10th straight trip to the Indy 500 Race in Indianapolis (well, Speedway, Indiana).  Met Sue, Paul and Michelle in Ingleside and they drove their RV there.  

After setting up at the American Legion right across from the track, we walked over to Main Street of Speedway where they were having a street festival.  They went over to Daredevil Brewing and I had a coupla beers at Barbecue and Bourbon.

Back to the RV and our own little barbecue and then  had a great time with the band in the Legion.

*******************************

SATURDAY, MAY 28

A warmer and nicer day than yesterday.  No rain.  We went over to the Speedway for Legends Day where, for $10 entrance you get to walk the track, Gasoline Alley and go to the exhibitors.  And, of course, spend money on souvenirs.  I only bought a 2022 race license plate.

Back to the RV and listened as they practiced for tomorrow's show before the race.  Twice we had military jets fly over us.

Later, we went to the Legion and listened to the band before returning to the RV and sitting outside.

--RoadIndy

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 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

Just Got Back from Indy 500-- Part 1

Always a great time out at the track.

FRIDAY, MAY 23RD:  The drive to the track.  We parked the RV at the American Legion right across from the track.  After "we're here drinks" we walked over to the town of Speedway's Main Street area and listened to a band for awhile at Barbecue and Bourbon, even though Sue and Paul couldn't go into the roped off area because they didn't have ids.  You'd think that at age 58 you wouldn't need an id.

Went to Dawson's for a bucket.  They went back to the RV.  I went back to the first band (as I had my id) and listened to them and had some really fine giant wings and corn on the cob drenched in their delicious bbq sauce..

I then went to the Rockin' on Main Street event and listened to a band and got Al Unser, Jr.'s autograph.

Back to the RV and then we went to the Legion and listened to a blues band.

'Cue, Suds and Bands.  --RoadDog

RETIREE Q&A:  Q: "When is a retiree's bedtime?"  A: "Two hours after he fall asleep on the couch."

Indy 500: Day One: May 24th

My 62nd birthday and too busy in morning packing and watering plants to do much about it.

Liz drove me over to Sue and Paul's and we hit the road in their RV.  Picked up Paul's brother John at an I-80 truck weigh station (closed) and drove over to I-65.  Stopped at the Meijer's in Merrilville for gas and stuff we forgot.

Gas was $3.86 there ($4 back in Round Lake).  Gas at Speedway, Indiana, on the outskirts of Indianapolis was $3.60.  Like I say, the farther from Chicago you get, the cheaper the gas.

Drove to the race course and to our parking spot in a field just to the west of it (behind the Speedway American Legion).  Set up "camp" as much as you can do in an RV and then had celebratory drinks.  We had arrived: me for my second trip, John for his eighth and Sue and Paul for their 13th.

That evening, I went over to the Legion and enjoyed their band, the Cowboy Cassanovas.

Gentlemen and....  --RoadDog


TOO PUNNY:  The midget fortune-teller who escaped from prison was............ A small medium at large.  (Really sorry about that one, folks.)

Is an RV in My Future?

I doubt it, but you never know. It might be just the thing for roadtrips of which I am very fond. I also like staying in the mom and pop motels which are generally cheaper. And then there is the huge cost of gas, low RV mileage, and big gas tanks on them.

I probably won't make up my mind until I get the opportunity to go out in one.

Right now, my brother and his wife have a RV and two of our friends, Sue and Paul, just got bitten by the bug. They just bought one at the beginning of the summer and enjoyed it so much, they're already looking to buy another one. One that, as they say, is more to their specifications.

I also am a Road Advisor on the Road Trip America forum, and the guy who started it got into roadtrippin' after his home in California burned down in a forest fire. They bought a really big RV and "hit the road."

Anyway, what brings RVs to mind is an article in the June 16th Chicago Tribune titled "A shrine to kings of the road" by Bob Sector. It is about the new RV Hall of Fame museum in Elkhart, Indiana.

I will write about the article in my other blog http://roaddogsroadlog.blogspot.com

Still Wonderin'. --RoadDog

Another Great Friday, Boating, Bars and RVs

Did some boating Friday and cut the grass, which really needed it after all this rain we've been getting. Went over to Alden Terrace in McHenry and visited with Frances, my mother-in-law.

Then, Liz and I went over to Baja Benny's on Fox Lake (used to be Costello's, a favorite stomping ground until they sold it a couple years ago). Met up with a bunch of teacher friends of ours, who, unfortunately, are going back to school, several this Monday!!! We had to try to keep the smiles off our faces. We, including Kora now, DON'T have to go back on Monday. We's RETARRED!!!!!!!

Sue and Paul just got back from a two-week vacation out to Montana, ND, and SD. They just got an RV at the beginning of the summer, and this was their first major excursion in it. They are now officially AFFLICTED with the RV bug. As a matter of fact, they are already planning on getting another RV to more meet their needs.

My brother Bob and wife Judy are big-time RVers as well. He has tried to get me into it, which is a possibility as I really like hitting the road. My biggest problem would be convincing Liz.

Is an RV in My Future? Only Time Will Tell. --RoadDog