Indianapolis 500

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$85 ticket price into the Brickyard - mostly guiltless.

Standing in the third turn as the first lap at full speed ROARS by leaves you - mind-numbingly speechless!

$30+ on food, parking, beverages, etc. - suprisingly painless

4+ hours of delay before and during the big race allowing more time for people watching and shooting the breeze with friends you rarely "see" - happiness

A three mile walk back to the car during which
(a) a monsoon pummels you with 3-4" of rain, while
(b) vendors continue trying to sell you beer 8 hours after your arrival, and
(c) small hail bounces off your head, masking your ability to hear the
(d) tornado warning sirens blaring all around, even though they dont seem to muffle
(e) your host ranting endlessly about how "brilliant" it was to park in suburban Chicago to see a race in Indianapolis - mindless.

(Fun was had by all. Thanks Smed.)

[sweaver]

:loud: So who won the race?

[Crash Course]

What is it about races and mud? IIRC, Trev has a story about leaving a huge race and walking thru mud too.

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:loud: So who won the race?Race? There was a race?

Oh yeah, it was the same guy who was in "first" before the race started - polesitter Buddy Rice. We coulda stayed home!

[SmedIndy]

No mud, because I park in a parking lot by a high school so we only have to walk on pavement.

PS - it's only 1 1/2 miles!

[nyy26wc]

A three mile walk back to the car during which
(b) vendors continue trying to sell you beer 8 hours after your arrival


Trying to sell beer to people walking to their cars. Unless they happen to cans to be used later, I call that one criminal.

[SmedIndy]

Well, Lee, frankly there were a lot of people that didn't drive and stuck around to tailgate and party some more after the race, even during the thunderstorm!

I was surprised that stands had beer left - since the gates opened at 5AM and it was past 7 when I got back to the car.

[pathogan]

...I'll get out there with Annie.Sounds like a blast...what I never knew before yesterday is that someone actually OWNS the Brickyard! I thought it was a municipal thing...

[SmedIndy]

Oh, yeah. It was built by a gentleman named Carl Fisher with some associates in 1909. Then it was owned by Eddie Rickenbacker before the Hulman family bought it in 1946. It used to be out in the boondocks, but not now.

[KCBOOMER]

Standing in the third turn as the first lap at full speed ROARS by leaves you - mind-numbingly speechless!


There is no more electrifying moment in sports than the start of the Indy 500.

[Crash Course]

You've never seen a pitcher get hit by lightning.

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No mud, because I park in a parking lot by a high school so we only have to walk on pavement.That's a funny way to spell 'water' - as yesterday required our best Jim Caviezel impersonation. :D