the indy 500 (part two)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, I’m back at home after an awesome trip.  I stopped by and spent some time with my parents in TN on the way to and from Indianapolis.  While in Indy I was able to visit some friends I haven’t seen in a while.  It was great to catch up.  As I said in an earlier post, true friendship is priceless and I’m grateful for the friends in my life.

This was my 3rd Indy 500 in 4 years and I’m hoping to make it a yearly tradition.  The weather was perfect, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) was packed, and the race was full of excitement and surprises, as always.

There’s a reason why the “500″ is “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and “the largest single-day sporting event in the world (270,000 in attendance annually). Well, there are many reasons, actually.  The “500″ is indeed a race unto itself.  There is no other race in the world like it.  As I said in my other post about the race, it truly is racing’s crown jewel.  If you win the Indy 500, you’ve made it in racing.  There is a hundred years worth of tradition at the IMS, including the drinking of milk by the race winner.  The Indy 500 is a month-long affair involving time trials, qualifying, carb day, the Indy 500 parade, among other events.

As I mentioned in my other post about the 500, even if you don’t like racing, there’s just something about being there.  It gets into your blood.  Hearing Jim Nabors sing “Back Home Again In Indiana,” watching F-16s and F-18s fly right over your head right on cue at the end of “The Star Spangled Banner,” and hearing Mari Hulman George shout, “Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines!” is just the beginning of the excitement.  The real excitement comes when after 2 warm-up laps, the field gets the green flag and all 33 cars come roaring down the track at full speed.  Wow!

To say the least, I’m glad I was able to go again this year and I look forward to many more.