Touring the Brickyard

The fun didn't end after the Honda Indy 200 in Mid-Ohio. On our drive back on Monday, dad and I stopped at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a grounds tour. It was definitely the whipped cream on top of a great racing weekend. I suggest you take the tour if you ever have the chance - it's amazing.

Our tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. He said he could tell right away that my dad and I were huge race fans and that it wasn't our first time at Indy. I guess it was our Indy apparel and my dad's IMS credit card that gave us away.

The tour started out on the bus that takes you around the track starting just before the backstretch. The bus speakers began with the "drivers, start your engines" call, live from race day. That alone is enough to get you excited.

It's a learning experience

Being driven on the track is a pretty cool sight. You see things from a different view and try to learn a lot as you try to remember loads of information the guide throws at you. For instance, did you know there's a golf course within the speedway? Or that there were hot air balloon races at Indy way back in the day?

We also heard the stories behind the Brickyard traditions like why the winners drink milk, the kissing of the bricks and the fence climbing. It's hard to take it all in at once, but it's awesome just to be there too.

At the start/finish line, or the yard of bricks, we were able to step out of the bus and onto the speedway. Despite it being an extremely hot day (especially on the asphalt), standing on the track was incredible. We stood on the bricks, took photos and looked around in awe of where we were.

Media Center!

From there we went around to some of the different buildings along the grandstands that face the main straightaway. Among the rooms we ventured to: a hospitality suite, the broadcast booth and... the Media Center!

For anyone who knows me, I'm sure you'll understand why the media center was such a big deal for me. While the rest of the group was standing and listening to the guide, I was walking around with wide eyes like a kid in a candy store, or in this case, a huge race fan/journalist wannabe hoping to someday be able to work in the media room.

The big room was filled with long tables, chairs and televisions for hundreds of media personnel to be in attendance covering some of the biggest events in auto racing. I was a pretty happy camper to have the opportunity to see where the sports journalism magic happens.

Gasoline Alley and a little Jim Nabors

We also went out to see the podium where past winners have stood. And although we didn't get to tour the garage areas in Gasoline Alley on foot, we rode past them in the tour bus. Plenty of photo ops all around.

The tour concluded with the bus bringing us back to the entrance to the museum, with the sounds of Gomer Pyle... I mean Jim Nabors, singing the end of "Back Home Again in Indiana." It was a slightly corny conclusion that still made me smile.

Dad and I then did a walk-through of the museum, since I hadn't been there since I was a youngster. It's a pretty weird walk down memory lane. And to see some of the older cars and their designs, it's a wonder how far cars have come in terms of style and safety.

After a pretty-much mandatory trip to the gift shop, we were on our way. Indianapolis Motor Speedway is amazing. I had an absolute blast.

Turn four, to the main straightaway