We were just a couple of faces in a crowd of more than 300,000 this afternoon taking in the action of the 92nd Indy 500. After arriving in Lot 2 more than five hours before the start of the race -- and having to sit around another 3 plus hours afterward to get out of the lot -- one might wonder if the hassle and cost is worth it. Arguably, the best seat in the house is just that: A seat at home in front of the TV. But so much of what makes the 500 the greateast spectactle in racing can only be experienced at the track. From the standing and prolonged ovation given by the crowd to members of the military who marched down pit lane before the start of the race to Jim Nabors singing Back Home Again In Indiana, the sights, sounds and smells of the track is what makes Indy Indy. The fly-over by F-16s, the balloon release and those famous words, "Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!" make the hassles of race day worth the effort. There's nothing like Indy in May.
If you watched the race on the tube (we recorded it for later viewing) you know the outcome and saw the drama. Mark and I again brought along a scanner and headsets so
that we could listen to drivers and their crews during the race. We were directly across from Sarah Fisher's pit and if you haven't followed her story throughout May, then it's nearly impossible to imagine what it was like when the field pulled away for the parade lap and there in the middle of the starting grid sat Fisher. We watched in horror as A.J. Foyt IV's car (also across from our seats) erupted in flames after pulling out of his pit box. While he went 19 laps down, Foyt did finish the race. Personally we were cheering for Helio or Tony Kanan, but it was neat to see Dixon dominate the entire month of May and bring it home with a win.
Because racing stats are important, here are ours: Tickets and parking $200. One t-shirt: $22. Liquid refreshment: 4 quarts of Gatorade, 10 Diet Cokes and 6 bottles of water. Three foot-long subs from Kroger were sacrificed in our honor, as were 10 pieces of fried chicken and assorted chips. Hey, it was a long day and we were hungry. Tomorrow morning I'll be online to renew our tickets for the 93rd running and will again question my sanity: Is the cost and time worth the effort? And next year I'll arrive home again sun burned and tired from a long day at the track. So come on down to Fishers next Memorial Day weekend and experience the electricty yourself by being another face in the crowd at the world's largest single sporting event. Besides, we have extra beds. And for those who wonder what Flora was up to: She took in a movie and wandered the new mall with a friend...and enjoyed a day of freedom from her two boys.
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