Five Indies=Winning Hand!

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This is my fifth and perhaps final trip to the Indianapolis 500 Auto Race. This also happens to be the Centennial Celebration of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. I have written about this trip numerous times before. It still holds a special place in my heart since my Dad came here twice while he was alive. And our hometown (Fresno) hero, Bill Vukovich, aka The Mad Russian, won this race two years in a row.

I have a nice routine now for the Memorial weekend. I fly out to Indy on Friday, with a stop in Chicago at O'Hare Airport for some Garrett's Popcorn. Then pick up a rental car at Indy airport and take the short 20 minute drive to downtown Indy. I stay at the Holiday Inn, walking distance to the center of the city, and across from Peyton's Palace, the Lucas Oil Stadium. Saturday morning, I head to LePeep, at 301 N. Illinois for the best breakfast in town. I know this by all the policemen eating there every morning. And it is always voted the best breakfast place in the city.

Then, we start gearing up for the big Indy 500 parade through downtown at noon. After spending a few hours in the heat, I head to the Nordstrom Cafe for their bar and an ice cold bottle of champagne. I know the bartender there, after five years in a row. After I sleep it off, dinner at Harry and Izzys in THE place to eat, especially their prime rib and lobster. And another bottle of champagne.

Sunday is the big race, so we take a shuttle bus out to Speedway, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We visit the Indy 500 Museum, then settle into our seats near the start/finish for the race. The thrill of hearing 33 race cars warming up shakes the earth and is deafening to the ears. The excitement builds.

The next few hours at the race go by so quickly. Once back in town, we head to a quiet dinner at Adobo (their homemade guacamole is supreme) and talk about the race. Exhausted, a good night's rest prepares us for an early wake up call and the flight home. This is the best weekend of racing anywhere in the world! Imagine 33 race cars, powered by Honda engines, going flat out at 225 mph, making a left hand turn without ever having the driver take his/her foot off of the throttle! Great technology.

Dad, I do this in your honor. I wish we could be here together, just once. But thank you for putting this race in my blood. It feels great.

The race winners I have seen here in the last five years are: Dario Franchitti (twice), Scott Dixon, Dan Wheldon, and Helio Castroneves. My favorite driver is Danica Patrick. But I was glad to see any of the drivers who are not part of the big racing teams (Penske and Ganassi) win this big race. With qualifying providing many surprises, unknowns and newer, younger drivers are making an impact this year. It was exciting and less predictable. A Californian, J.R. Hildebrand should have won! He crashed into the wall on the LAST lap.

We wondered who was coming down the final straightaway. It was none other than number 98, Englishman Dan Wheldon, winning his second 500. At least Danica led the race for nine laps. If a yellow caution flag had come out, she would have been able to avoid her last pit stop for fuel, and win the Greatest Spectacle in Racing!

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