Indianapolis 500

Memorial Day weekend has never been a cornucopia of excitement in my household. For many, it’s the unofficial kickoff to summer and a time to duck out of work early and head up to the cabin. Then it’s nothing but fishing, swimming in the lake and barbeques.

Well, my family does not have a cabin or favorite campsite up north. And fishing is not a pastime we have taken part in recently… or ever. The long weekend is pretty low-key, with maybe a gathering at my grandparents’ home for some burgers on the grill.

But this year we decided to change things up a bit. My dad proposed the idea of driving down to watch the Indianapolis 500. I was sold right away and super excited (although I found out later that I would be gone for the graduation of my friends at the University of St. Thomas, which I was disappointed about).

We drove down Friday afternoon and also Saturday, with a stop in Rockford, Ill. which included the Steak ‘n Shake restaurant, a cool burger place if you’ve never been. When we finally made our way into Indianapolis, our route to the hotel took us right past the track. And what a sight.

As we got closer to the track, I pulled out my camera and started snapping photos with the window rolled down. Then I started to look around and take notice of the electric atmosphere filling up both sides of the county road.

I observed a few long tables stacked with plastic cups in what I'm sure held lively rounds of beer pong. Motorhome trailers, pick-up truck and lawn chairs lined the grassy roadsides. And I even saw a group of guys relaxing in the back of a pick-up in the lane beside us with dozens of strands of Mardi Gra beads hanging from their necks.

Yes, it certainly was a sight unfamiliar to me. But it only added to the anticipation of the great race the next day.

Race day
Attending the Indy 500 is not like going to a mid-season Twins game. You can't get to the track five minutes before the pace lap, and expect to be in your seat in time to see the green flag wave. No, with about 300,000 people coming together for one event, it requires an early call time.

The gates at the track open at 6 a.m. I don't have the foggiest idea who is there that early, but it wasn't me. Although the wake-up call we abided by was still early for me, especially on a weekend.

After an uneventful 30-minute drive with limited traffic issues, we parked in a huge grass field at about 9:30 a.m. We had some time to kill with more than three hours until the race, so we weren't in any rush.

As we made our long walk from the car to the track, there were more festive sights to see. The most memorable one had to be looking over to see a guy lying face down on top of a make-shift table, passed out from too many beverages - at 10:30 in the morning.

For some, this big event is simply an excuse for a road trip, to drink cases of cheap beer (Keystone Light cans scattered the ground) and basically, to party. We saw more beer pong, bean bag toss games, loud music and tons of garbage littered on the ground as we walked to the track. It looked more like the aftermath of a college frat party than a parking lot.

Once into the mighty brickyard, we found our seats, placed perfectly on the infield side at the entrance to pit lane. I still had plenty of time to take in the surroundings and snap some photos.

This monstrous event also had a monstrous amount of pre-race festivities. Most of these included long-standing traditions like Florence Henderson and Jim Nabors sharing their singing voices with the crowd, and a few tributes to our men and women in uniform.

Going green next time by…
Everyone was on their feet for the pace laps and start of the 500-mile spectacle. The first green flag was waved off, but when it finally did fly, we didn’t have to wait longer than the first turn to get some action. Marco Andretti and Mario Moraes made contact and ran into the wall. Two cars were taken out in dramatic fashion – and we were only on the first lap.

The race was pretty good overall. I was impressed with how much I was enjoying myself, especially being at an oval track, when I am more partial to the road courses. Ovals can get monotonous, but this race was kept exciting with just the right amount of spread-out caution flags flown throughout the race. And snacking on some Indy (hot)Dogs while watching the race isn’t a bad way to go either.

We had great seats to get an up-close look at some of the incidents on the day. Ryan Hunter-Reay hit the wall coming out of turn four and his car came to a stop right in front of us at the entrance to pit lane. I also got a few snapshots of the tire marks Graham Rahal left along the wall as he skidded down the main straightaway.

I was pulling for Paul Tracy to come out victorious, who was lucky enough to be granted a ride for the race. He got as far as fourth before falling back a few positions to finish ninth. It was the pole-sitter and, as most may know him, the Dancing With the Stars champion, who took the checkered flags – Helio Castroneves. The win marked his third at the Brickyard.

Out of everything, the winner was the only thing I was really disappointed with from that day. I am always cheering from one of the underdogs to win it all and beat the two powerhouse teams of Ganassi and Penske.

We couldn’t have asked for better weather for the race duration either. As race fans, we are always worried about rain. But we were rewarded with sunshine and temperatures in the 80s. Not bad for a memorial day weekend.

Even though I had been to the track previously for Pole Day and to visit the museum as a youngster, and for the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix a few years ago, nothing can top being there for the big event of the Indy 500. I had a great time with my family and had the opportunity to watch an amazing race and the biggest sporting event around.

I hope to go back again someday for the 500. After all, it’s so much better to watch a race live than back home on your TV set. Even HD doesn’t do the sport justice; you really need to be there and experience the thrill of seeing cars streak past you at 220 mph. You need to feel the excitement in the stands. You need to hear those cars and those engines firsthand. And most of all, you need to have the experience of enjoying a delicious Indy Dog.