Having enjoyed the previous day’s outing at the Autograph session, little did I know that the races Oh So Scintillating Finish would be so exciting! As I still swear I saw sparks trailing down the front straightaway wall as Y’all know who slid by...
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| An elated Panther Racing crew celebrates victory prematurely upon lap 199 as J.R. Hildebrand takes the white flag while leading. (DOB) |
Sunday, May 29
95th Indianapolis
Unfortunately most of my Raceway memories are gone - since I didn’t manage to jot them down upon returning from Indy... thus I’ll just leave you with the remaining highlights, and although it was definitely warm out that day, it would be nothing compared to the following year’s blistering H-O-T temperature! As I vaguely recall sitting outside in front of the fountain near the IMS Hall of Fame museum? Whilst we awaited my ‘Kuhnaidiun “Bro” Rob to return from his souvenir shopping escapade, whilst I’d become his honorary brother due to my sporting my I AM ‘KUHNAIDIUN T-Shirt today in support of ‘TAG (Alex Tagliani) starting from Pole; as Tagliani really deserves to have more than one stinkin’ IndyCar victory in his resume, eh?
The coolest exhibit we perused pre-race; NO! NOT the ‘Chebbie caravan, but was an amazing ‘Tarsch-jey Cut-away car display, as Rob pointed out various portions of I-T to Mwah before we finally sauntered off in the direction of our seats, situated fairly low down upon the main straightway directly across from Pitlane.
As this year, although I’d been granted access to the Media Centre once again, I’d opted instead to purchase a grandstand seat and sit outside and enjoy the REAL ambience of Raceday at thee GURR-RATEST Spectale in Racing! As I appreciated the Blogger media access granted but just wanted to not sit inside the hushed confines of that Fishbowl again...
Thus, tagging along with Dave & Rob, I recall a few drunken fans behind us pre-race asking facetiously if they could just use my back to brace their program against while trying to sort out who was in what car... Pretty funny; NOT! Hmm, welcome to the real Indy?
Yet Kudos to IMS for doing the unthinkable and running a veritable treasure trove of those priceless antique classics from the Hall of Fame museo - as ‘Ol Rufus Parnelli Jones was entrusted to drive the Marmon Wasp around the track in the pre-race festivities as just one of the number of hand picked drivers piloting such treasures...
Thus it was funny hearing Parnelli in early 2013 on Trackside with Kevin & Cavin admitting he’d heard ‘Somme-thun go KABLAMOE as he motored down the back-straight, as the Wasp had thrown a piston and left a major sized hole in its block; Aye Karumba!
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| Where’d Everybody Go? Turn 2 Grandstands after the race. (DOB) |
And I really don’t recall the events of the race other than all of our favourites seemed to fall out early, with “Symona-Symona” (de Silvestro) tagging the wall early and ultimately retiring on L24. Davey ‘STUD Hamilton
And then I think it was with about 30-laps remaining? A fairly short gal with blond hair directly in-front of me decided to stand upon her bleacher seat for the remainder of the race; you gotta be joking, right? And then it got exciting with ten-to-go as all of the leaders running fuel mileage strategies were forced to pit for fuel as it looked like J.R. Hildebrand would win the sports biggest race in his I500 debut... Which CARPETS snapped a great pic of the Panther Racing crew celebrating prematurely; Uhm? What’s that tag-line about the joy of victory and agony ‘O defeat? Whilst I still say I saw sparks flittering down the front straightaway on the final lap as Dan Wheldon took an improvable victory over the careening No. 4! And we get it Dan, you’ll be wearing your ‘Willy Rapps jeans at the victory banquet - although it was fun hearing the raw emotion in his voice as he and team owner Bryan Herta enjoyed their victory lap around IMS...
Pressdog: Notes taken during the 2011 Indy 500
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| DannyBoy ‘SPIKE Wheldon does his victory strut upon the Red Carpet at the J.W. Marriott pre Victory Banquet. (DOB) |
Monday, May 30
After a few morning errands, Dave asked me if I wanted to get my photo taken with John Force? Whale at least I think it’s Force, as we parked outside of his racing shop in Brownsburg – which is somewhat Karmic since upon returning home, I heard an interview with John ‘THE MOUTH Force saying how he’d just attended his very first ever Indy 500 this year, spending time in Tony George’s suite along with having some sorta ‘Flopper (Funny Car) display at IMS for 3-days...
We walked up a series of starch white concrete steps that led to a small, shaded semi-circle area with a bronze of Eric Medlen, who’d lost his life in a testing accident aboard one of Force’s Ford Mustang Top Fuel ‘FunnyCarz during a testing accident in 2007.
Museum
’CARPETS took me to the IMS Hall of Fame museum after our brief jaunt to Brownsburg and “Flatliners Row,” where a number of NHRA teams are based - as the museum has become a yearly tradition to which I look forward to each ‘N every year. And thus instead of trying to re-create the wheel so to speak, I’ll just point Y’all instead at the first two of my ‘Mega 3-part review in;
Or simply scroll (way) down to bottom and click on the to continue link to jump to this year’s portion of the story...
Awards Banquet
And for what would become an Oh So Memorable Nightcap to the day’s activities, Dave asked if I wanted to go Downtown to the J.W. Marriott and try seeing if we could spot any of the IndyCar Driver’s and their Better Halfs sauntering into the victory banquet upon the Marriot’s Red Carpet - which not only did we get to be entertained by Dan Wheldon and see other B-I-G names entering, but! Little did I know my life was about to change by getting a personal photograph with Queen You-know-Who...
(DOB: Photos Courtesy of No Fenders ‘Offical Photographer ‘CARPETS)