CHAMPION CREW CONVERSATION TM PHOTOS 

 

   

     

   

       
                       
                 
  

   



       

   

          
         




 
 

                                                                        
                                                 thru Noggles Goggles 5/21/2013

 

Michael Boren of discusses race day parking:

   It’s that time of year again — when finding a parking spot in Speedway becomes a test of nerves for town residents and visitors. A residential parking permit program, however, is expected to alleviate some of that stress. At least if you’re a Speedway resident. Here’s what you need to know if you live in Speedway:

 • Parking zones, for residents only, will be formed around town. You can park on the street in the parking zones but must display a residential parking permit. Permits must be picked up by noon Thursday at the town manager’s office, 1010 N. Main St., if you haven’t already received them in the mail. And don’t try selling the permits — city officials say it’s not allowed. You can, however, give your permit to a guest.

 • The parking zones are organized alphabetically and by color. They include: red (Zone A); blue (Zone B); green (Zone C); and yellow (Zone D). The zones are between 10th and 16th streets; locations of the zones are at:

www.townofspeedway.org/egov/docs/1369080425_48492.pdf

 • Parking restrictions begin Friday and end Sunday. Patrols will be watching the parking zones from 3 a.m. to 6 p.m. You must display the parking permit on your rearview mirror during these hours, Speedway officials say. If you don’t, expect to find your car in a towing yard. And don’t park in the wrong zone — it’s a $100 fine.

 Questions? Call Speedway officials at (317) 246-4125.

 Those who don’t live in Speedway but plan to head there, along with tens of thousands of other race fans, can find parking in other areas:

 • A resident’s yard, if he or she allows it.

 • The designated parking zones near Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which are described at IMS’ website:

www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/

indy500/eventinfo/35216-Parking-and-Tailgating

 

   

                                                                   
                                  thru Noggles Goggles 5/22/2013

    Friday sees Carb Day action at IMS along with the Indy Lights “Freedom 100”. That night, the USSA Sprints return to Anderson Speedway for a “Little 500” warmup. Saturday is “Legends Day” at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in which 1963 Indy 500 winner Parnelli Jones and the sons of his late car owner, J.C. Agajanian, Jr. and Cary Agajanian will be honored. The two Agajanians will escape long enough to join us for a “Race Chaser” luncheon (making the 2nd one in just six days). There will also be a Memorabilia Show in one of the South Pavilions all day. That night sees two traditional racing events take place: the 65th annual “Little 500” sprint car race at Anderson Speedway and the 68th “Night Before the 500” midget race at Lucas Oil Raceway Park.  On Sunday morning, one may view TV coverage of the F-1 race from Monte Carlo before going to the Big Daddy of them all, the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500. 

  Had enough open wheel activities?

   If not, there’s an NRA sprint car contest at Eldora the night of the Indy race and one may attend or watch on TV the annual Victory Banquet on Monday night. Somewhere in there are also fan club activities, the IRL Ministry breakfast, the Indianapolis 500 Festival Parade (second largest in the nation), the Last Row Party, and many accessory company socials.  Hopefully, that will hold you until the following weekend when we’ll have our choice of the IndyCars at Belle Isle, MI, the USAC Silver Crown cars at Gateway, IL, or the USAC midgets at Pontoon Beach, IL, not to mention all the local track offerings.

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  reporter Cathy Kightlinger shares her experiences concerning the two-seater IndyCar ride with the 1969 Indy 500 winner behind the wheel:
            

                     

      In Indy 500 winner Mario Andretti's down time, which is precious and limited, Andretti enjoys strolling the grounds near his home, sometimes in the company of a family dog.

                                            

                            Here I am just before losing my cool in front of the coolest guy in motorsports,
                                                      Mario Andretti. / Suzi Elliott / For The Star

 

     Every life has to have a few perfect moments, and one of mine came today while I was sailing around the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway at more than 180 miles an hour, with Mario Andretti at the wheel. The Grand Canyon was breathtaking. So were the Grand Tetons and California’s Pacific Coast Highway. The Indianapolis Super Bowl was an enormous amount of fun packed into one week. And I don’t know if I’ll ever get over getting to interview Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s Stephen Stills. But, there’s nothing quite like driving into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May — especially if you grew up in Indiana, hearing tales of the world’s most famous race track. It’s humbling.

   That emotion was multiplied over and over again for me today when I climbed into a two-seated IndyCar Experience car with iconic Mario Andretti, who won the Indianapolis 500 the same year I was born. (In 1969.) “You are going to enjoy the heck out of it,” Andretti coolly told me before we headed out. “It’s going to be fast. Exciting. And you get to experience probably the closest thing to the real thing you can experience.” We took three laps, Andretti and I.

    At first, it seemed almost calming. We took a warm-up lap, but I didn’t know it at the time. Sure, we were going fast, I thought, but it didn’t seem too crazy. Andretti swerved around a bit, but I kept my composure. Then, when we passed the Pagoda the first time, he apparently mashed on it. My heart raced. The stands flew by. It was kind of like flying, but different. Still, I maintained.

    Then, he really mashed on it — sending us flying around the track at more than 180 miles an hour. My body hugged the side of  the car, and I thought — more than once — that we might get sucked into a corner. That’s when I lost my composure. All of it, screaming like a crazy person. A drunken crazy person.

    By the time Andretti hit the brakes, I’d forgotten everything. The Grand Canyon. The mountains. Stills. I’d probably have even forgotten the Beatles if I’d seen them. For those few moments, speeding around that 2.5-mile oval was the coolest thing I’d ever done in my entire life. Since, I’ve regained my composure. Remembered nature and rock ‘n’ roll. But today will go down, to me, as the day I lost my cool in front of the coolest guy in motor sports.

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 This “Pit Pass” column was written by Phillip B. Wilson:

   Graham Rahal considers himself destined to one day win the Indianapolis 500, as his father Bobby did in 1986. While speaking Sunday about racing legacies, the 24-year-old driver couldn’t resist stirring the pot on his family’s historical rivalry with the Andretti family. “I certainly don’t get the pressure that an Andretti does, by any means,” said Rahal, who qualified 26th for the 97th Indy 500. “How many father-son combos have won it? I think one, right? Andretti can’t do that. That would be one more that we’d get on them.” Rahal and 26-year-old Marco Andretti, the No. 3 qualifier, have bumped each other on the track and traded words off it. Rahal was put on probation after an incident involving Andretti last year.

   Their fathers, Bobby Rahal and Michael Andretti, weren’t known for hostilities but had their share of on-track duels. Graham’s father-son reference was a not-so-subtle shot at Michael’s dubious distinction of leading the most Indy 500 laps (431) without winning. Marco, a 2006 Indy 500 runner-up as a rookie, also has not won. The elder Rahal and Andretti are car owners for their sons. Andretti has won the Indy 500 twice as an owner with Dan Wheldon in 2005 and Dario Franchitti in 2007. Rahal has won the Indy 500 once as an owner with Buddy Rice in 2004.

   Much is made of the mythic “Andretti Curse,” which includes Michael’s father Mario, who won the 1969 Indy 500 but encountered a seemingly endless series of disappointments after that. Oh, and Rahal is correct on his father-son combo answer of one — Al Unser reached victory lane four times and son Al Jr. did it twice.

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   A day after the field was set, drivers headed in different directions Sunday night and Monday to promote the Indy 500. Three-time winners Dario Franchitti and Helio Castroneves embarked for New York City, which included a Castroneves Tuesday visit to “Good Morning America.”

   Pole sitter Ed Carpenter, Justin Wilson and Tony Kanaan will be in Cincinnati. Andretti is flying to Dallas. The No. 2 qualifier, rookie Carlos Munoz, went to Miami with EJ Viso, Oriol Servia and Sebastian Saavedra.

   Canadians James Hinchcliffe and Alex Tagliani traveled to Toronto. JR Hildebrand ventured to L.A. Ryan Hunter-Reay went to Washington, D.C.

   James Jakes took a short trip to Columbus, Ohio, where his Jakesy Nation fan club is based. Rahal also didn’t have to go far, to Chicago. Hoosier rookie Conor Daly went to Louisville.

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    Ed Carpenter’s Saturday pole victory had added significance for more reasons than the obvious, that it was a local boy from Park Tudor High School and Butler University who qualified quickest. Here are some other facts:

• His first Indy 500 pole marked the first time a No. 20 car has earned that starting position.

• He’s the first American driver to win the 500 pole since Team Penske’s Sam Hornish Jr. in 2006. Carpenter’s four-lap average of 228.762 mph was also the fastest since Hornish went 228.985. Hornish won the race that year.

• The stepson of Indy Racing League founder and former Indianapolis Motor Speedway CEO Tony George is the first longtime Indiana resident to earn the pole since Pancho Carter in 1985. Carter, who lived in Brownsburg, is now a spotter for Panther Racing.

• Carpenter is the first owner/driver to win the pole since A.J.

Foyt

in 1975.

• Exactly one decade ago to the day, Carpenter won the inaugural Firestone Indy Lights Freedom 100 race at IMS.

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    The Izod IndyCar Series reported Dario Franchitti, Graham Rahal, Josef Newgarden and Charlie Kimball will receive 10-grid spot penalties in Detroit for changing engines before reaching a motor’s threshold. Marco Andretti, Alex Tagliani, Ryan Briscoe and Will Power have changed to Indy 500 engines.

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Carlos Munoz is the youngest driver to qualify on the front row in race history at 21 years, 136 days old. That distinction was held by Rex Mays, who was 22 years, 81 days old when he won the 1935 pole.

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      Each driver in the front row: Ed Carpenter, Carlos Munoz and Marco Andretti has won a Firestone Indy Lights race,

which is props for the developmental series producing talent.

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   Will Power made the last pole run at 7:12 p.m., the latest an attempt was made since May 26, 1968, when rain meant qualifying didn’t conclude until 7:54 p.m. And that field wasn’t set, which meant more qualifying the next day. On Sunday, he lightly brushed the wall in Turn 4 during the final hour of practice.

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              Alley Talk:

      Stories are circulating that the Indianapolis 500 ticket prices will be increased and I hear my $85 seats will be $100 next year ! Really ?

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    You can’t blame Tony George for lack of interest in auto racing. Racing is struggling all across the world. There are empty seats at every F-1, MotoGP, Nascar, and IndyCar race. No matter how it’s promoted, the place will still be half empty.

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Ain’t the lower crowds great for getting around, though?

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    Thanks to the Speedway for the free shuttle service they’ve been providing the last several years.

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