To paraphrase the most interesting man in the Dos Equis beer commercial, “I don’t visit race tracks very often. But when I do, I kiss the bricks at the finish line of the Indy 500.”
Full disclosure here. I’m not into motorsports. The last time I stepped near a racing oval was Skagit Speedway, in like 1962. I have watched only small portions of auto races on TV in my lifetime.
I am, however, familiar, with the drivers who made names for themselves in a city they call “The Racing Capital of the World:” A.J. Foyt. Mario Andretti. Al Unser. Bobby Unser. Johnny Rutherford. Rick Mears. Helio Castroneves. Emerson Fittipaldi. Arie Lurendyk.
One can’t follow sports for as long as I have and be oblivious to these auto-racing icons.
The enormity of this race and the venue aren’t lost on me. The track seats 350,000, which makes the Indy 500 the largest single sporting event in the world. The buildup to race time, I’m told is memorable, culminating with the song “Back Home Again in Indiana, ” sung for many years by Indiana native Jim Nabors (aka Gomer Pyle). Our tour guide said most people are in their seats three hours before the race. An Indianapolis native, the tour guide was my age and said he’s been to every race since he was 8 years old. He’s also a longtime track employee, and while being at the track has become ordinary, he said the excitement of “race day” never gets old.
I won’t bore you with too many facts and figures about the Indy 500. But here’s a few to chew on.
The track is 2.5 miles long, which means it takes 200 laps to complete the race. The average speed is 230-240 miles per hour. At those speeds, it takes about 40 seconds to complete one lap. Our trip in a small shuttle bus around the track at an average speed of 20 mph took us considerably longer. More than 70 drivers have been killed on this oval. Ticket prices ranges from $100 to $250. Compared to ticket prices for NFL, NHL and NBA games, that seemed reasonable to me.
Where did the brick theme come from? 3.2 million paving bricks, each weighing 9.5 pounds, were laid on top of the original surface of crushed rock and tar over a span of 63 days when the track was constructed in 1909. Seven layers of asphalt have since been paved over that brick layers. The brick-lined starting and finish line consists of some of those original bricks, which are changed out when they are damaged.
We’re in Indiana to visit our daughter, Greta, and her family, Karl, Svea, Ida and Aksel. They live in Valparaiso, located in the northwest corner of the state, about a 2 1/2-hour drive from Indianapolis. Son-in-law Karl, his brother Eric and I talked this weekend about attending the Indy 500 (always held on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend) as early as next year.
Boiler up!
Truth be told, however, I’d just as soon attend a Purdue University football or basketball game. We stopped in West Lafayette on our way to Valparaiso to check out the Big Ten campus and athletic facilities. Here’s some photos from the home of the Boilermakers.
The Inside Scoop 