INDY Freaking 500 Jun 1, 2006
As many of you good folks know, I attend the Indy 500 every year. This last race was my 17th consecutive Indy, and I plan on going every year until I die.
I can already hear some of you now…….”Indy isn’t what it used to be,” or “It’s a useless race without any real talent”…..blah, blah, blah.
Sure, I would have loved to have seen the races between 1950, and 1970, but I didn’t. I also didn’t get to see Don Garlits race his slingshot dragster, or the lunar landing, or our victory in WWII either. These “missed” opportunities aren’t going to stop me from having as much fun as possible in this lifetime though, and for me, Indy is a fantastic experience.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a place every gearhead must visit at least once in his or her lifetime. The place is just mammoth, and the aura that surrounds it is simply awesome. There have been many, many men that have raced and died at this place, and you can feel the ghosts strongly once inside, especially on race day. The sound of those machines rebounding off of the endless grandstands sends chills down my spine every time I think of it. This place really is hallowed ground. And the sight of 300,000 + screaming fans is truly spectacular.
For me, the event is less about a race, and more about getting together with old friends who only gather for this special weekend. We camp, feast, drink, laugh, and realize why we all became friends so long ago. I’ve known some of these guys for over 20 years now, and if it weren’t for Indy, we probably would have lost touch in the bustle and responsibility of everyday life. The race at the end of the weekend is just frosting on the cake, and this year’s frosting was better than usual.
Indy may have it’s detractors, but for the hundreds of thousands of fans who attend, it rarely disappoints. It can also be argued that no event, and no fans appreciate history more than those found at the Brickyard on the Sunday before Memorial Day.
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