102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500

As usual so much happened and there is so much to write about that I’m not sure where to start. My thoughts are all jumbled and I don’t have much time so let’s just break it down.

Pre Show– ABC did fine but I was expecting something spectacular to end their long run of broadcasting the race so I was a bit disappointed. The one opener (I’m not sure what you call them) had a creepy voice in the background. It was actually quite odd. It was a good idea if they didn’t use the creepy voice. All the pre race traditions were great. The National Anthem, God Bless America and Back Home Again in Indiana were all great. Jim Cornelison returned for his second year to sing Back Home Again in Indiana and I hope he returns for many years to come. He changes the song just a bit to make it his own and not imitate Jim Nabors but keeps to the true tradition of the song. I love it.

The biggest disappointment is Tony George. Seriously, can he please do the command to start engines the correct way, the traditional way. I hate that he says Drivers. He needs to say “Lady and Gentlemen, Start your engines!” That needs to change. It may seem simple but it’s a huge disappointment when Tony does it wrong. He should know better.

Post Show- Before we get into the race let’s just jump to the post show. Oh wait what post show. Stupid ABC decided it would be better to show an encore presentation of the F1 race than give us some interviews and show us Will Power kissing the bricks. It was the most ridiculous post show ever. They only interviewed Will and Ed Carpenter. How are you supposed to grow the fan base if you don’t let us get to know the drivers. I’ve heard ABC really wants the 500 back and once the NBC contract is over they will be attempting to gain 500 rights again. Well they don’t act like it. They should be showing IndyCar what they will be missing by moving to NBC instead they are making the decision for IndyCar to remain with NBC super easy. IndyCar is growing and while that is of course due to the spectacular Racing and personalities we have in IndyCar it is also due to the fantastic way NBCSN has showcases the races and talents in IndyCar. They are selling the product by giving us so much more than just a race. We get to know the drivers and the teams and see how the strategies, heartbreaks and winning moments make IndyCar the best sport on the planet. NBC is a big part of why IndyCar is gaining viewers and I hope that the IndyCar higher ups can see that. Seriously, what morons put on an encore presentation when we need to see an interview with Stefan Wilson. Stef’s story alone can pull at anyone’s heartstrings and make new fans. Let’s talk with AJ, Scott Dixon, Alexander Rossi (who had some amazing moves coming from the last row up to the front), ABC just doesn’t get it. So glad they are gone.

The 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 – I enjoyed this years race. Good clean start, the cars could have been lined up a bit better but I’m glad they just threw the green. No major incidents, just cars getting loose and hitting the wall. The only exception was James Davison who should have pitted. He was too slow and it’s unfortunate that he ended Takuma Sato’s day. Ed Jones was complaining his head and neck hurt. He will be re-evaluated before he can race at Detroit.

Ed Carpenter ran away with the first portion of the race and I kept telling myself that seldom do we see one driver be dominant all race, something would change. Eventually cars started going off on different fuel strategies and it was hard to tell who would be up front when it all played out.

Danica lost control and ended her day in the wall, Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves also lost control ending their days. Let’s touch on these three.

Danica- Wow there are a lot of Danica haters. I personally like her. Steve was so upset with her when our local news station made no mention of the race winner in their promo for the sports news and only that Danica hit the wall ending her Motorsports career. I had to remind Steve that Danica did not write the news. It’s not her fault the news chose to focus on her rather than race winner Will Power. I’ve always liked Danica. I believe she should have stayed in IndyCar. We would have seen her win more races I’m certain. No other woman driver has come close to accomplishing what she has. Possibly because of the equipment she has been in but she proved time and time again she could run up front. However, in her post race press conference we saw exactly why she is not liked by so many. She was rude and made it obvious she didn’t want to be there. I’d like to give her the benefit of the doubt and say she was just disappointed in her day and took it out on the media but she has been around long enough to know better and hold her tongue. But like her or not I believe she is the most talented woman driver we have seen in IndyCar.

Helio– I would have loved to see his name added to the four time winners list. He begged Roger on air to bring him back next year. I’d imagine that Roger has to consider that a lot. It’s one thing to win the 500 but becoming the next four time winner would be huge and I imagine Roger Penske would like that fourth win for Helio as much as Helio would. I’m guessing Helio will be back next year.

TK– He put AJ Foyt Racing back in the conversation. TK has now led in more Indy 500’s than AJ. He was impressive and I was so hopeful he would win. While it was a disappointing day it was also a great day. AJ has to see that things have been moving in the right direction. Hoping they win a race this season and look forward to the next 500.

So back to the race, with the different fuel strategies it was a waiting game to see where everyone ended up with only a few laps to go. Oriol Servia was leading followed by Stefan Wilson and Jack Harvey. It was believed all three would need to pit and Will Power would take over the lead. Yellow would be the only chance for the three leaders. Then Tony Kanaan crashed and they got the yellow. Serbia’s team said they would be able to make it to the end on the fuel they had but nothing was said about Stefan or Jack. They went green with seven laps to go and Stefan made a great move to take the lead. I was dying- did he have enough gas? Stefan built up a nice lead but sadly couldn’t make it to the end without more gas and both Stefan and Jack ducked into the pits with four laps to go. Stefan would finish 15th. It was absolutely amazing though watching Stefan lead. Stefan and Justin became one of only four sets of brothers to lead at the 500. They join the Chevrolet’s, Unsers and Laziers. That is pretty awesome. I hope Stefan is back next year.

Will Power went on to win the race, Ed Carpenter was second and Scott Dixon was third. We have seen Will Power win so many races but never have we seen him and Liz as happy and excited as they were after this win. Will was in rare form showing so much emotion. It was so fun to watch. He took one gulp of milk but being lactose intolerant he threw most of it on the people gathered around him. He hit the princess with a big splash of it and had to apologize to her but I think she knew it was all pure joy and she laughed about it. I got a lot of calls from friends asking if I was disappointed Power won. No I wasn’t. He is such a talented driver and he works hard. I’m very happy for him. If he wins it again then I might be disappointed, I love seeing new winners and frankly we watch Will Power win a lot but I enjoyed his win on Sunday.

So that wraps up another running of the Indy 500 and the countdown for next years race begins. Thankfully we have a double header in Detroit to look forward to and get us through the sad days following the Indy 500.

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Race Day

It’s the first weekend of summer break, Steve’s birthday and the 102nd running of the greatest spectacle in racing- the Indianapolis 500! I look forward to this weekend all year and yet dread it at the same time. Right now I’m so excited and preparing to watch the race. Even though I’m watching from home there is still prep- snacks, drinks, a notepad for blog ideas etc. Yet I know in a couple hours regardless of how excited I am about the winner it will be such a disappointment that the race is over and we will have a whole year to wait until we can do this again. Next year the plan is to attend in person.

So right now I’m just trying to savor the moment. I will be camped out on the couch long before the preshow starts and will enjoy every moment. Praying for a safe, fun and exciting race. Happy Indy 500 day race fans. Hope you have a great day wherever you are watching from and hope tomorrow finds you still smiling about the results rather than depressed as we wait a whole year to do this again.

Bump Day- James Hinchcliffe

Once again I was blessed to be able to spend the weekend in Indy and once again there was a 30 degree difference in the temperature between the Chicago suburbs and Indianapolis. My cousin Randy and I set out early for Bumb day and arrived at the track around noon, just about the same time as the rain. That actually worked perfect for us because it didn’t rain too hard and then gave us time to walk past the garages, meet up with Lisa and find our way to our seats after grabbing some tenderloin sandwiches. We enjoyed our lunch and waited for the green flag. Once the green flag waved things progressed pretty much as we figured. No major surprises and just a fun day watching qualifying. Another small sprinkle stopped the action again but it was a much shorter delay and we were back out to qualifying. After everyone had gone out we weren’t too surprised in the order, sure a couple drivers were a bit farther back than you thought they’d be but no huge surprises. Rahal was pretty low and Hinchcliffe was in 32nd position. Oriol Servia and Conor Daly were on the outside looking in. Eventually Servia and Daly were able to bump their way in and it was James Davison on the bubble with Pippa Mann and James Hinchcliffe trying to get back in. When Hinch went out to bump his way back in I sat back in my seat. After sitting on the edge watching Servia and Daly I was not even a bit worried that Hinch would struggle. He had a fast car and tons of experience. He would knock out Davidson and that would stink for AJ’s team but it is what it is. James went out though and instead of bumping his way in he had a wicked tire vibration and came back in to the pits without even taking the green flag. Ok now things got interesting because qualifying was ending at 5:50 due to the tv window and Pippa was also trying to bump back in. As the two cars went through tech Alexander Rossi was able to go out in his attempt to bump into the top 9. He ended up in 10th. With approximately two and a half minutes Pippa went out and u less she waved off James would not be given another chance to bump in. Pippa did not wave off nor did she make the field. The time ran out and James and Pippa were left on the outside looking in. If you thought that was the dramatic part just wait as the speculation and accusations started flying.

So many were mad at Pippa and Dale Coyne Racing for not allowing James to go ahead of them. Others insisted James would be able to buy his way into the field. Let’s look at both those.

Pippa- She has never been overly fast or have amazing finishes but she can hold her own and is an amazing ambassador for IndyCar. She works her butt off to get sponsors and find a ride for the 500. It’s her whole year wrapped into one day. In a lot of ways she needed to make the field more than James did. She was first in line and had an opportunity to attempt qualifying. It’s safe to say most thought she would t make it but she had to try. I don’t blame her or Dale Coyne Racing for going for it. That is what Racing is all about. They did exactly what they needed to do. Unfortunately it didn’t work out for them.

James- He had a car and a team to be in the field. They just simply ran out of time. It was unfortunate that the tire vibration happened when it did but it is what is is. Many thought James would find a landing spot in another car. I heard rumors about Jay Howard being out first and it seemed to make sense but quickly that was dismissed and Zachary Claman De Melo was next on the list. I even heard that Honda was willing to pay a large price to Coyne to get Hinch in that seat but again the rumors moved on. Lastly it sounded like it might be Conor Daly giving up his seat and that by doing so he would possibly be guaranteed a couple rides through the 2018 season in addition to a guarantee for the 2019 Indy 500. At the end of the day Monday none of these has happened and it really looks like Hinch will be on the sidelines for the 500.

This absolutely sucks for James and his fans but it could be the best thing for his sponsors. Already the most talked about driver is James. He has been a complete gentleman during all this, defending Pippa, the Speedway and IndyCar rules. With all eyes on him it is a great chance to get more publicity for his sponsors and show what a fantastic human being James is. I think he is just going to become even more popular by sitting out this year and next year everyone will be watching and cheering for him. Stinks for this year but will be amazing next year. Ask Stefan Wilson, he was asked to step down for the chance for Fernando Alonso to run. It stinks but here he is a year later and everything is going great. Also I hate that teams and sponsors can buy their way back in. I get it’s a business but I prefer teams not buy their way back in and deal with the cards they were dealt.

So as of the time I’m writing this it looks like James Hinchcliffe will not be in the 102nd running of the Indy 500. It’s sad but I think the right thing. He will overcome this and come back better and more popular than ever. I have no doubt.

We ended our day with dinner at the 1911 grill and a glass of wine at the Foyt Vault. Almost had a chance to talk with Larry Foyt but he ran out. We did get to meet Dave Furst. That was fun. The wine was delightful as was the conversation. Such a fun day.

Would You Kiss the Bricks?

The first time I was on the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a bus tour with my dad in 1992.  What I remember about the ride around the track was the banking and Dad and I wishing we would go just a little bit faster.  We also joked about taking our van out on the track. We had a great time.  I don’t remember if we stopped at the bricks or not.  We definitely did not think about kissing the bricks.  The tradition had not yet begun.

Sadly, what has become a treasured tradition at the Speedway was actually started after a NASCAR race.  Dale Jarrett won the Brickyard 400 in 1996. Jarrett and crew chief Todd Parrott walked to the yard of bricks, knelt down and kissed the bricks to pay tribute to the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  And just like that a tradition was born. Now every winner of every race kisses the bricks.  It has become so popular a tradition that the bus tour at the IMS Museum is called the Kiss the Bricks tour.  My boys and I recently went on this tour on Mother’s Day (read previous post).

I named my blog I Kissed The Bricks when I began blogging shortly after our trip to qualifying in 2012.  My boys and I kissed the bricks in the infield while waiting for our IMS kids club event.  We were just being silly and when I was trying to come up with a good title for my blog I Kissed The Bricks kept coming back to me so I went with it.  I had never kissed the bricks at the start/finish line though.

Some people can’t wait for a chance to kiss the bricks.  Many feel a special appreciation for the Speedway and show that appreciation by kissing the bricks.  Some people wouldn’t put their lips on the dirty track for any amount of money even though they clearly love the Speedway.  Some feel that kissing the bricks is reserved for those fortunate few who have raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and had the twin checkers wave as they crossed the finish line, they are the real deal and the only ones who should be kissing the bricks.

So where do I stand?

A couple years ago when I kissed the bricks in the infield I would have not thought twice about kissing the bricks on the track.  I would have gladly placed my lips on the sun warmed bricks for a good long kiss.  I have no problem with the actual act of kissing the bricks, heck I kissed the ones in the plaza area, I’m sure they are much dirtier that those on the track.

However, when the boys and I learned we would be able to do the bus tour due to the track not having such a quick turnover time to the oval setup I wasn’t sure if I would be kissing the bricks when we stopped along the main straightaway.  Sounds silly but I was quite unprepared to make this decision as I didn’t expect it to be an option.  So I played a back and forth game with myself and I tried to decide.  Two things kept coming back to me.  Do it- the name of your blog is I Kissed The Bricks.  Don’t do it- you are not an Indy 500 winning driver, you haven’t completed any big milestone and once you do it you can’t undo it. I hold no judgment against those who have kissed the bricks but I just wasn’t sure this was the right time.

Our tour began and I focused on the track and the history and was no longer concerned about which decision I would make.  As we slowed at the bricks I told my boys they would be kissing the bricks.  They both thought that was the worst idea ever, gross and disgusting, who would do that.  Nevermind that they both did it years prior in the infield. Their stubbornness just made me more insistent that they do it.  I reminded them it was Mother’s Day and we walked toward the yard of bricks.  We knelt down for our photo.  The boys covered their faces and did not kiss the bricks.  I puckered up, placed my face so close to the bricks I could feel the heat from them on my face and lips but I did not allow my lips to touch the bricks.  I would have loved kissing them, letting the history all soak in and having a way to show how thankful I am for all the memories I have at the Speedway but on that Sunday it wasn’t going to happen.  Perhaps one day I will kiss the bricks. Maybe when I attend with my first grandchild, maybe when I’m old and sick and fear it will be my last trip, maybe after some big milestone in my life but on that particular Sunday I wasn’t ready to kiss them. Perhaps I just wasn’t ready to make that memory.  I still want to look forward to it.  Some might call me a tease as I did everything but actually kiss the bricks but I’m good with my decision and while I was right there pretending to kiss the bricks I know I still have that sweet experience to look forward to at some point in the future.

I love the book Long Kiss by Charles West.  He writes about his trip to IMS over a ten year period and it all leads up to a kiss on the bricks after his ten year milestone.  I loved reading the book and recommend it.  Perhaps I will come up with my own journey that ends with a Long Kiss at the bricks but for now I will happily anticipate how and when that will happen.

Mother’s Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Musuem

For the last three years the boys and I have spent Mother’s Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. The year prior to that we were lucky enough to watch cars practice on the oval. Three years ago they delayed the first oval practice to Monday so we decided to visit the museum. This year the first oval practice is on Tuesday so that gave us an opportunity to do the bus tour which hasn’t been operating in the past on Mother’s Day. I haven’t done a bus tour since 1992 with my dad and the boys never had. We purchased tickets and boarded our bus.

We were the first ones on so I had a chance to ask the bus driver how he was with history. He was young but said he grew up at the Speedway. He knew his stuff and helped me with a couple questions I had on George Phillips trivia contest. The bus tour began and while I didn’t learn any new information I still loved being on the track. We stopped at the yard of bricks and were able to get off, take pictures and kiss the bricks if you wanted. The boys definitely didn’t want to and even though my blog is named I Kissed The Bricks, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to. More about that in a later post.

We boarded the bus again and finished our tour zipping through turn one at an amazing speed of 30 mph.

Back at the museum we went in to see the Unser exhibit the other displays. The boys did the simulator and we took our usually pictures in the car. The boys were intrigued with what look like a bank vault and ask about it. Larry was working that part of the museum and opened it for the boys to show that is was currently used for storing chairs and tables. He said in the past it was used to hold the money. He told a story about Emerson Fittipaldi being the first driver to win a purse of over 1 million dollars so they took a picture with the car at the yard of bricks with a million dollars. However, it didn’t look like what they thought a million dollars should look like so they went and got another million to add to it for the picture.

We strolled around some more, watched the movie and then I went back to find Larry. He seemed very knowledgeable and I had a couple questions from George’s quiz that were stumping me. Larry helped with a few, confirmed a few and filled me in on a lot of other details. Turns out he was a race car driver and even worked on Buddy Rice’s team the year he won. I thanked him for his help and went to find the boys. They always purchase my Mother’s Day gift at the gift shop so it was time to see how they were doing. They didn’t find much and needed ideas so we went up to the picture room and I chose a couple prints I would like to have. The woman working in the picture room also seemed quite knowledgeable so I asked her a couple trivia questions. She promised to look up the answer for one of them and get back to me. She emailed me today with the answer. She also looked up George’s site to do the contest herself.

As I came down the elevator I ran into Larry. He was trying to find me because he had found another answer for me. How great is that.

The boys and I went to the clearance shop and made a couple more purchases. That is my favorite place to shop. Great prices. I got a T-shirt from the 101st running for $12. Sure beats the $30 for a T-shirt for the 102nd -I will wait one year and buy that one at a discounted price too.

On our way to the car a bus tour had just arrived back at the museum and Craig had been the guide. I had been told if I saw Craig he might know some answers so I waited as he finished with his tour group and asked if he had a minute. Well apparently my reputation had preceded me. He said he did not know who was killed in a passenger car on the same street as the Jones and Maley Special, nor did he know which driver drove four cars in the same 500 before I could even ask the question. I asked him one other he also did not know. He then asked me three questions to make us even. He didn’t like being stumped like that I guess but again I learned a lot and enjoyed talking with him. He said he has two books coming out next year so I’m eager to read them.

All in all it was another great day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a wonderful way to spend Mother’s Day with Matthew and Zachary.

As always we enjoyed Whatchamacallit’s on the way home.

Check back later to find out if we kissed the bricks or not.

Our Fifth Trip for the Road Course Race at Indy

When each boy turned five I began taking them to Pole Day for the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. When IndyCar announced they would be racing on the Road Course at IMS the boys decided they would like to try a race instead of Pole a Day and we began a new tradition. We have attended every Grand Prix of Indy.

Zach’s first year, Matthew was a pro by his third visit. (I know I’ve posted this a couple times recently but it’s just too stinking cute.)

Friday morning Matthew had an algebra test he didn’t want to miss so we started out a bit later than I wanted but Matthew believes he did well on his test. We stopped for coffee and allergy medicine, which Zach forgot to pack and made our way to Indy. We arrived at the track around 2:30 and tried parking in a new spot. We parked in the turn 3 infield parking. It threw me off a bit. We usually enter from the opposite side of the Speedway, passing the museum, clearance shop and garage area. By parking in turn three we saw lots of grass and an empty Snake Pit. Not as much fun entering from that side. We texted friends and met up with them in the Pagoda Plaza. I then ventured towards the garage area before we went to find seats for qualifying.

Mike and Lisa met us in the plaza. Lisa spent the day with us.

We love sitting in the Penthouse suites for qualifying. It’s a great view, nice breeze and shaded. You overlook the pits and have video screens in sight. On general admission days these seats are available but they are completely sold out already for next years Indy 500- even if we were willing to spend the money for them. So we enjoy them when we can.

Robert Wickens was looking great during qualifying but as we’ve seen so many times Will Power won it at the end. No big surprise.

The boys and I passed by the garage area but didn’t see anyone before making the long trek back to the car. We met Lisa for dinner at Big Woods. Our first visit. I had zucchini noodles with shrimp and Alfredo. The shrimp was amazing but the noodles/sauce needed some additional ingredients. Still is great to see more restaurants offering healthier options. Yeah I know the Alfredo doesn’t scream healthy. I had it on the side and just added a bit for flavor.

Matthew was too tired to walk but Zach and I did a quick walk down main street before we went to the hotel. Of course we all jumped in the pool and got in some screen time before bed.

RACE DAY!

The forecast was talking about record highs so we did not rush right out to the track. The weather ended up not being too bad thanks to cloud cover. We entered on my preferred side of the track and took our annual photo as we enter. We walked straight to the mounds where we planned to watch so we could drop off our chairs. Fortunately, I have a friend who always sets up a huge blue tarp near turn 7. He always lets us crash his party and we appreciate it so much. Thank you Mark Wilkenson for your continued hospitality.

The boys ventured off to try a flight simulator and I went to get my scanner programmed so we could listen in during the race. We all met back at the blue tarp before the green flag. Shortly before we went green more friends stopped by. Great seeing D.Z., Eric and Katie.

Green flag- I can’t get into all the race details yet. While listening in on the scanner helps so much I still watch to watch the race on TV before I give race details. I will say it was great watching Robert Wickens lead. He was my pick for the day. The boys went with a traditional route and chose Will Power. We watched Will Power win this race from the Pole before and he did again yesterday. One of these days we will attend and see someone other than Simon Pagenaud or Will Power win. This was Will Powers third win at the GP, his 33rd win overall, his 30th for Team Penske and the 200th win for Team Penske. Power will be one to watch in the 500 for sure.

Post race we thanked Mark and made our way to the champagne celebration at the victory podium. With folding chairs on our backs we stayed on the edge of the crowd but did see some of the celebration. We walked past the garage area and saw Sam Schmidt and Zach Veach before heading out on track for the track invasion. So cool to walk on the track after the race. Culver’s for dinner and once again hit the pool.

Mother’s Day- The boys and I will return to IMS and visit the museum after breakfast at Charlie Brown’s. Another tradition I love. Check back here for more on our Mother’s Day fun and hopefully a race review before I return to Indy for qualifying weekend. As always, Thanks for reading.

Side note- I’m writing this at breakfast at the hotel and the news is on. Every five minutes they mention yesterday’s race. I really need to live in Indy. I’m sure there isn’t a single mention of it back home in the Chicago area.

This Is May!

May is finally here and the countdown till the Indy 500 gets real. May is a crazy busy month for me and all I want to do is focus on the 500 and IndyCar. I don’t want to worry about all the big projects the kids have for school, planning summer trips, gardening and all the other things that fill May. I just want to focus on IndyCar, specifically the Indy 500. Somehow I will find time for all the things that need to get done and I will use every spare minute to enjoy IndyCar. Here is a look at my Month of May.

• Constant streaming of IndyCar. I might not be able to get to the Speedway much but I can listen in and enjoy the sounds of the cars.
• Trackside will be on nightly. I usually listen via the podcast so workouts and time spent in the car are a pleasure.
• The Talk of Gasoline Alley with Donald Davidson. This radio show follows Trackside. I love listening and learning more about the history of the Indianapolis 500.
• Hopefully more blog posts. My goal is to keep up on my posting.
• George Phillips Trivia Contest on his blog Oilpressure.com. This is the hardest trivia ever but I’m totally addicted. It takes up way too much of my time. I really need it to run in February when I have more free time but I do so enjoy researching and finding the answers. Last year I met Arie Luyendyk and he was stumped by the questions too so at least I’m in good company.
• May 11-13 I will be in Indy for the road course race. Matthew, Zachary and I have not missed a race on the road course. We will spend Friday and Saturday at the track and Sunday at the museum. It’s a perfect Mother’s Day weekend for me.
• May 19-20 I will be back in Indy for qualifying. We hope to visit the Foyt Vault on this trip.
• May 27 This is Steve’s birthday. He could care less about the 500 so I always feel bad that I’m so absorbed in the race. Thankfully he is a pretty good sport about it. I will be watching from home as Memorial Day weekend is a busy time at our house and traveling to Indy is not an option this year. Next year we plan to attend our second Indy 500.
• May 28- I hate the day after the 500. It will take a day or two to recover. Fortunately, we don’t have long to wait for the next race as Detroit takes place a week later. But nothing can compare to the Indianapolis 500 and knowing we have a whole year to wait is always a bit sad.

I’ve been watching the 500 since 1985. I’ve watched every race and in 2008 I took Matthew to the Speedway for his first time. He hasn’t missed a May trip. In 2010 Zach started coming with. They were both five years old on their first trip. This year they will be 15 and 13. Indy is all about family and traditions and I have to say the time spent there with my boys is one of my absolute favorite things to do. I’m so excited, THIS IS MAY!

2010

2013

2014

2015 GP of Indy

2015 Indy 500

2016 So cold that year!

2017

I can’t post this without mentioning my sweet friend Sarah. Sarah was born with heart problems. She is now in her thirties, married and raising three beautiful children. Today she is receiving the gift of a new heart and liver. Because Justin Wilson and Bryan Clausen were both organ donors I think awareness among the IndyCar community has grown immensely. I think most everyone has signed up to be a donor. If you haven’t there will be many opportunities to sign up on race weekends. Would you please consider. Your donation will save lives. I’m so excited for Sarah as she receives her gift today. Please pray for her, her doctors, her family and of course the family of the donor. What a great gift she is receiving.