Sonsio Grand Prix

This year I was able to continue my tradition of attending the road course race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Mother’s Day weekend. This has become such a fun way to spend time with my boys and do exactly what I want on my special day. Unfortunately, Matthew was unable to join Zach and I. How dare these kids grow up.

I drove down to Indy on Friday morning so I could attend qualifying but Zach had a flight lesson (he is working on getting his private pilot license) so he drove up Friday evening. On Friday, I walked through the garage a couple times before finding seats up in turn one of the oval for qualifying. I saw Conor Daly and was able to get a picture. As I left the garages I made my way to the Indy NXT garages to find Scott on the HDM team. It’s always fun to catch up with him at the races.

I love sitting high in the paddock boxes for qualifying. If i could afford those seats I would attend the 500 every year. I enjoyed a snack, the beautiful day and cars on track. Alex Palou won the Pole and he is Zach’s favorite so that was fun. After qualifying I walked back to Pagoda Plaza in hopes of seeing James Hinchcliffe but no luck. I watched the start of the Indy NXT race and then left to get settled at my friend, Lisa’s for the week plus I am in town. Zach arrived around 8:00.

Race Day

I let Zach sleep in sine we had plenty of time before the 3:30 green flag. We arrived at the track and set up our chairs in our usual spot near turn 7. We watched the end of the Indy NXT race and made our way to Pagoda Plaza to grab some lunch for Zach. We checked out the gift shop and the fan village and walked by the corvette parking to take in all the sights before the race.

It was a beautiful day. The sun was warm but plenty of cloud coverage to keep you cool. Zach chose Alex Palou and I chose Will Power for the win. It wasn’t an overly exciting race but the day was still very enjoyable. Palou won and Power was second. Christian Lundgaard continues to impress on the Rahal team and finished third. I owe Zach a Starbucks for his win with Palou.

We made our way back to Pagoda Plaza in hopes of seeing Hinch but missed him again. We did see Allen Bestwick and friends, Jeff and Maggie. They love Will Power so were there to celebrate the podium finish. Zach and I made the long trek back to the car and enjoyed dinner at home while watching Survivor (something we always do together). We also took a late night drive in hopes of seeing the Northern Lights but had no luck.

Mother’s Day

I woke Zach up around 10:00 so we could go to breakfast at Charlie Brown’s in Speedway. There were open seats at the bar so we didn’t have to wait for a table. Zach asked as we sat down if any famous drivers were there. I started to respond that i didn’t see any but as I turned to tell Zach, I noticed he was sitting next to Bryan Herta. Bryan won a handful of races in Cart and IndyCar before starting his own team. He was won the Indianapolis 500 twice as an owner with drivers, Don Wheldon and Alexander Rossi. Bryan did not even make eye contact when I said his name so we did not bother him at breakfast. I couldn’t resist taking a sly picture though. Per my usual, I started a conversation with the men sitting on my side asking if they were race fans. Turns out they both work for Team Penske and offered a bit of insight in the Push to Pass drama. Of course they were very vague but did say it was a mistake and the one who made the mistake is just distraught over it. Maybe one day we will truly know the whole story but for now I am ready to move on and trust that it was the end of any wrong doing, intentional or not. As we were finishing our breakfast we saw good friends, George and Susan Phillips. I chatted with them and hope to see more of them next weekend.

Zach and I then went to IMS to get my Mother’s Day gift. The gift shop is smaller and I didn’t really need anything so I told Zach I would see what I might be able to find during the week. We ran into Bob, who often helps with my trivia contest every year and I told him how I have a piece of the museum at my house now.

One last stop across the street at the photo shop but it was closed.

Bryan Herta

Penske Team

Bob

Also a stop at Crown Hill cemetery

Carl Fisher- founder of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Zach got on the rode for home around 2:00 and I enjoyed a quiet afternoon, talking to my sis and taking a walk. Lisa arrived home from a weekend with her family around 10:00 pm.

It was a wonderful weekend and now it’s time for practice for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing! I can’t wait!

Lee Wallard wins the 1951 Indianapolis 500

Currently, in my life I lost a good friend. Currently, in the IndyCar world there is a huge scandal about Team Penske illegally using push to pass. All of this makes it the perfect time for a little escape to look back at the 1951 Indianapolis 500 and learn more about Lee Wallard. I could use the distraction, how about you?

Even among Indy 500 fans, Lee Wallard is not a name you often hear. I wonder what is the first thing that comes to mind as you hear his name. For me, I wouldn’t even be able to say for sure that he was a 500 winner. So let’s dive in and learn more about Lee Wallard.

There were 12 rookies in the 1951 race, 4 of them finished in the top 10.

Lee Wallard is the driver known for discovering “the groove” at the speedway. Wallard was the first ever to complete the race in under 4 hours, he was a popular winner and was dubbed by the press “The Cinderella Man” ( I have heard the term, Cinderella Man, but would not have been able to tell you who that was). I’m already learning a lot.

Tony Bettenhausen was driving for Murrell Belanger. Bettenhausen wanted to drive for the Meyer and Drake team on the dirt tracks but wished to drive for Lou Moore at Indianapolis. Bettenhausen suggested Lee Wallard for the car in 1951- bet he has regretted that over the years. Bettenhausen’s car spun out late in the race so he definitely made a bad decision.

Lee Wallard was born in Schenectady, New York in 1935. He started his racing career at dirt tracks. His first championship event was in 1941.

At age 40, Wallard won the Indianapolis 500 in a car that Bettenhausen decided not to drive, Bettenhausen opted for the newer front-wheeled drive cars. Walllard led 159 of the 200 laps. Wallard took the checkered flag a full three minutes before second place Mike Nazaruk finished. Only eight cars finished the race, Mauri Rose was among those who retired early.

While Wallard led 159 laps, the race win was not easy. The car bumped around tremendously due to the right rear shock mounting breaking during the race. Next, the exhaust pipe broke and eventually even the brakes gave out with about 12 laps to go. Wallard pushed on though, his discomfort was made even greater from the race suit he wore. It was not mandatory to wear a flame retardant suit but Wallard chose to wear one. However, the process for making a flame retardant suit was to mix boric acid, borax and water and soak the suits in the solution. The pounding he took in the car, especially over the bricks, coupled with the choice to not wear an undershirt proved to be a bad combination. Wallard suffered severe skin chaffing and after the award ceremony he was treated in the infield hospital. While there he also learned that he lost approximately 15 pounds since breakfast.

Four days after the race Wallard was severely burned in a racing accident in Pennsylvania. Wallard required 27 skin grafts. He attempted to qualify for the Indy 500 again in 1954 but was unable to compete due to loss of muscle tissue from his burns, making it impossible for him to handle the car.

Wallard retired and moved to Florida. He died of a heart attack in 1963.

Addition notes from the 1951 Indianapolis 500-

– It was Bill Vukovich’s rookie year. He finished 29th.

– Actress, Loretta Young, gave Wallard the celebratory kiss.

– Duke Nalon won the pole in a Novi.

In the modern day IndyCar world we learned today that David Malukas was released from his contract with the Arrow McLaren team. Malukas was injured in a biking accident and has been unable to drive. Since no date is given for his recovery the team decided to release David. I hate this news as David is one of my favorite drivers. I was looking forward to seeing how he did on the Arrow team. Such a disappointment. I hope he has a complete recovery and is picked up by a team so he can prove what a skilled driver he is.

George Robson 1946 Indianapolis 500 Winner

By now everyone knows how much I love my timeline piece from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. After nearly three months it is officially mounted on my basement wall and I am trying to put together a fun IndyCar area in my basement. As I’ve worked on this I realize how little I know about the men who won the Indy 500 between 1946-1956. I’ve decided to do my own countdown to the 500 where each week I showcase a different winner on my timeline. Since both Mauri Rose and Bill Vukovich have back to back wins I will combine 1947/48 and 1953/54 allowing for a post a week until race day. The posts won’t be extremely detailed but hopefully are a fun way to learn more about the drivers from the era.

George Robson, winner of the 1946 Indianapolis 500, is probably the driver I know the least about and one of the reasons I came up with this blog series. Even his name is not familiar to me.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was closed during World War II. The Indianapolis 500 was not run but the track was also not in use as it had been during the First World War. The use of the Speedway was offered to the government but due to increases in airplane technology the facility was too small to serve as a base for the military aircraft as it had in World War I. The entire Speedway was in shambles. Weeds and trees were growing up through the track and owner Eddie Rickenbacker was open to selling the facility. Former winner, Wilbur Shaw, set out to find a buyer for the Speedway and met with Anton “Tony” Hulman. Rickenbacker sold the Speedway to Tony Hulman and Wilbur Shaw became president and general manager of the Speedway.

The task of repairing the Speedway was a huge one. Grass and weeds were waist high and bleachers were falling down. The work was done, including new bleachers and even a new Pagoda, and fans flocked to the Speedway eager to see cars back on track. The cars were all prewar models and at the end of the 1946 race only 9 cars were still running. George Robson took the checkered flag.

George was born in England in 1909. In 1911 his family moved to Canada and then moved to the United States in 1924, settling in Huntington Park, California. He married Marjorie June in 1933 and had a son the following year named George William. George began his racing career in the mid 1930s and his first experience at the Indianapolis 500 was as a relief driver. Robson would qualify for both the 1940 and the 1941 Indianapolis 500, finishing in 23rd and 25th place.

In 1946 Robson qualified on the fourth day of qualifying but with the fifth fastest time. He started in 15th position and took the lead on lap 56. With the exception of pit stops he held onto the lead the rest of the race. After the race there was a bit of controversy as Robson was accused of not following the rules by staying in his car during the pit stops but it was determined that he was the winner.

The Indianapolis 500 win must have given Robson a boost of confidence because he went on to win 6 races (these were non points races) and was second in the points standings among championship races. Unfortunately, George Robson would lose his life at a race at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta. It was a track know for being dusty and visibility was poor. George tried to avoid hitting Billy DeVore and was hit by George Barriner. Robson was not able to avoid DeVore. DeVore’s car went over a stone wall and he landed upside down in a creek. People from the crowd rescued him. Barringer had massive internal injuries and died a few hours later. George Robson’s car rolled and he was thrown to his death.

I guess I am not surprised to learn that George died shortly after his Indianapolis 500 win, it was often the case in these early days of racing. I do wish though that this first driver profile had ended on a happier note. While sad and tragic, I do hope you enjoyed learning a bit more about the 1946 winner and I look forward to posting each week about the men who won the Indianapolis 500.

This is my 200th blog post.

Keeping the Memories of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum Alive

George Phillips of oilpressure.com is known for saying “change is bad”. Often I agree with him, but in one area we disagree. He is excited for the changes coming to the museum at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and I am not. It’s the one time George wants change. When it was announced that the museum was going to be getting a makeover I was hoping they would leave a lot of the old just the way it was and add on a new wing. However, that is not the case and it will be getting a complete renovation. All the things that make it special and nostalgic will be gone. I was crushed hearing the news.

I immediately made plans to get one last trip in to see the museum. When I suggested the idea to some girlfriends that had never been, they decided that would be a blast and we planned girls weekend in September. Six of us made the drive to Indy and stayed at an AirBNB within view of the Speedway. We could sit on the patio and see the Pagoda. I loved it. Saturday, we took a golf cart tour of the museum and saw areas I had never seen. We were on several floors of the Pagoda, Victory Circle and even the Media Center. We were able to go on both the oval and road course. We kissed, or pretended to kiss, the bricks and once the tour was done we went to the museum. I showed the girls my favorite cars and displays and we watched the movie in the museum theater. We sat in a car, tried on yellow shirts and danced in the Snake Pit. I pointed out the Timeline on the long wall with every winner of the Indianapolis 500 and thought that the timeline display would be what I would miss the most. I love standing at the beginning and look all the way down. Then I move up to 1970, the year I was born and sadly see how far away the current winner still is. Next I move on to 1985 and test myself by holding up a hand to block the next winner and make sure I still know the winners of each year from the first 500 I watched till the present. I love the history of the Speedway condensed down to a single wall and walk from the past to the present and look ahead and wonder about the future and who will be next on the wall and of course the Borg Warner Trophy.

I take several pictures when I am at the museum but there are only a few I take every time I am there. The Marmon Wasp, Dan Wheldon’s car, the Borg Warner Trophy and the timeline. Of all of those I’m sure the timeline pictures outnumber the others. So we made our final trip to the Museum and I took it all in one last time. Those who know me will not be surprised that I teared up as I walked out of the building the last time. The first time I walked in was with my dad. Even though I was only there with him once I still think of him every time.

Fast forward to about a week ago and I saw a post on Facebook for Earl’s Auctions in Indianapolis. I’ve seen their auctions before as they often have items from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Usually what I see are signs for concessions or the bathroom or maps of the Speedway. I clicked on the link and saw some golf carts and pictures and quickly realized I recognized them from the museum. As I scrolled through the list I saw the 10 foot by 5 foot metal signs that made up the timeline. Each section was being auctioned off individually. Current bids were quite low and I made a note to keep an eye on them but assumed they would be out of my price range within a few days.

I talked myself out of bidding several times because of the size of the boards. I have a wall large enough to hang one, even two, but transporting them would be a different story. The bids closed on a Saturday night and then pick up was the following day. Shipping wasn’t an option and failure to pick up during the pick up window would result in forfeiting the board and a permanent ban for future auctions. Then I realized the first and last boards of the timeline were only 6 feet long. The price was low on all the boards and the more I thought on it the more excited I got. Friday I put my first bids on the smaller boards and was the highest bidder. I knew that the bidding would increase as the auction drew to an end but I remained hopeful.

Saturday evening I upped my bids because now I was really excited to own them but the first board quickly went above a price I was comfortable with and eventually sold at $510.00. I quickly made the decision to bid on the larger boards and put a bid of $100.00 on the board covering 1946-1956. I still was winning the last board so I didn’t place a bid on any other boards. We were at a friends house for dinner so I could not watch as intently as I wanted. The last board also rose above my max bid, but I won the 1946 board for a mere $41.00. Several of the boards went for under $100.00 and a part of me wishes I had bid on them. Since I already had to travel to get one board it would have been easy to pick up a couple more. I don’t have room in my house but the garage wall could house them too. However, I promise you that my husband is thankful we only have one.

I never could have even considered bidding on the boards if not for my cousin, Randy. He promised he would help pick them up and provided both the truck and trailer we needed to get them. I met him at his house at 6:30 a.m. and we drove to his friends where the trailer was stored. We drove back to his house thinking we would need to unload the trailer but decided that we would be able to leave the materials in it and still have room for the board. It was a windy and drizzly day but traffic was light and we had no problems on our drive to Indy.

Pick up at Earl’s Auctions was super easy and within minutes after arriving I was the proud owner of a piece from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. So what did we do? We drove to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I had really wanted to take the board out of the trailer and stand with it by the fountain and take a picture with the museum in the back but the winds were too strong and we decided against it. I did open the trailer and attempt to get a picture but its not what I had wanted. We went into the gift shop and bought a couple things before heading to Main Street. We had planned to have a glass of wine at the Foyt Vault but it was closed for a private party so we went to Daredevil and met our friend, Lisa, there. We chatted and caught up and the decided on dinner at Big Woods. After dinner we drove home.

Once we reached home and Steve saw in person how large the board was he regretted telling me I should get it. Steve and Zach carried the board into the basement and set it against the couch. In a few days we will permanently mount in on the wall. I love it and it makes me smile every time I see it.

I had wanted the first board because of Ray Harroun. I wanted the last board because it was missing the 2023 winners and I planned to get pictures of the winners with me and Randy and fill in the board. I wanted the board with 1985 because that was my first Indy 500. However, the more I look at my board the more I love it. It has the years the Speedway was closed due to World War 2. It shows the condition the Speedway was in from the years of neglect. There is a great picture of Tony Hulman and Wilbur Shaw. The winners include back to back winners Mauri Rose and Bill Vuchovich. It was when the first museum opened and the medical center was built. It covers a lot of history and it brings up all the nostalgic feelings I have for the museum when I see it and read about that era. It’s a perfect piece for me to keep my memories of the old museum alive.

Once the board is up I hope to also put up some shelves and display some souvenirs I have collected over the years and make an IndyCar section in my basement. Steve might not agree but I’m hopeful.

Before wrapping up this post I have to thank Randy for all he did to make this possible. There is no way I could have done this without him and I am so grateful. Randy, I think this officially puts you in the “Super Fan“ category. It was a blast picking it up. Thank you so much!

A much smaller piece that I also won.

Will the Rain Stop My Fun?

It’s Tuesday, opening day for the Indianapolis 500 and there is a threat for rain. It’s so unfair because today Bronze Badge holders get access to the pit area, but this is Indianapolis in May and rain always plays a part. It is unfortunate though because last year the Speedway made a late decision to not allow Bronze badge holders into the pit area so I was looking forward to the opportunity this year. Fingers crossed the rain doesn’t completely wash out the day. There are advantages to the rain though if you are wanting to meet drivers, I was able to have a nice conversation with Stefan Wilson and Don Cusick last year during the rain so I will still be in the garage area and hopefully see some drivers and friends.

After a warm race day on Saturday and a bit too much sun, I am grateful for the cooler day and cloud cover. Wednesday and Thursday both look fantastic so far so I’m do too discouraged by todays rain.

I spent Sunday, Mother’s Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. The museum guides all came up to me to try and help with my trivia contest. They are great. They all have such confidence that they will know the answers that a coworker did not and then I read the ridiculously hard questions and stump them every time. They often can give me a name or a team owner though that can set me on the right path to finding the answer.

After I’ve seen all the museum I head to the gift shop. I bought two pairs of earrings, a wine glass and some stickers. I chatted with Brenda, she has helped the boys in the past with my Mother’s Day gift and was disappointed the boys weren’t with me. Then I walked over to the fountain and texted the boys a picture and told them how much they owe me for my gifts. I have never been a fan of Mother’s Day, too many expectations that turn to disappointment. However, since I’ve started taking control of my day it’s become a highlight of my year. I missed the boys this year and would have preferred they were here to purchase the gifts and spend time with me but we will get back to that tradition again. Matthew is serving his two weeks with the Air National Guard and Zach has graduation. They both spent Mother’s Day with Steve at the air show at Scott Air Force Base. Zach was able to be at the race on Saturday though.

The small boys that started coming to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at age 5 have grown up but they are still fans and look forward to attending again. After the race on Saturday we were able to get a great picture of Zach with James Hinchcliffe and I love the side by side comparison.

Monday, I drove to see the resting place of the Chevrolet brothers. It was only about 15 minutes from where I am staying. Then I went to Founders coffee shop and worked on my trivia contest. While sitting there a couple walked in and when I looked up I realized the woman had been sitting under the same tree as us before the race on Saturday. We both laughed at that, what are the chances. The coffee shop was closing but I was still deep into my trivia so I walked to Big Woods and spent another hour or more working on it there. If anyone knows who the first wife/significant other to wear street clothes made from Nomex is please get in touch with me.

I loved the race weekend, my lazy days working on trivia and spending time with Lisa but now it’s time for the start of Indianapolis 500 practice. It is wet outside but doesn’t seem to be raining. I know it will be a cool, wet day but hopefully the rain will stop and the track will dry and we will see cars on track. Even if we don’t, I will be at my happy place at the Speedway and will enjoy every minute.

Pole Day and the Burger Bash

The Sunday before the race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway had been bump day for many years. Recently, in an effort to make the two day qualifying more exciting or when there may or may not be bumping, Pole Day has been moved to Sunday. The last few years saw some bumping on Saturday and then every car would once again go out on Sunday. The previous times would be erased and the drivers would set a new time and determine their place in the field. The slower 24 cars would go out first, in inverted order for one shot to improve their position. After the fast 9 would be given one more shot to make the Pole. The risk was fairly equal for all drivers.

This year the format was again changed and the fast 9 became the fast 12. Position 13-33 would be determined solely on Saturday and because of weather we only saw two cars for out for a second attempt. Sadly, Stefan Wilson did not have his car ready due to an engine change. Stefan qualified 33rd.

The fast 12 went out to determine the fast 6. Then the fast six were given one last shot to win the pole. Rinus VeeKay had the fastest time on Saturday and traditionally would have been the Pole winner. Under the new rules, Scott Dixon was able to beat VeeKay’s time and won the Pole. Scott Dixon also had the fastest time ever for a Pole position at a speed of 234.046. Alex Palou is second and Rinus VeeKay is third.

While the format was exciting and seeing some of the fastest speeds we’ve seen in years helped add to the excitement, I’m not sure this is the best format. To gain that top step you have to give everything you have, every driver will tell you it is one of the hardest things they do in racing. Asking them to go out again and again adds a lot more pressure. The pressure should be on those in the back of the field trying to make it in or improving their position. I know there isn’t a perfect answer and I’m sure the format will continue to be tweaked each year but I guess I’m old school and would prefer Pole Day be on Saturday. Until we have several drivers trying to bump their way in that won’t happen.

Since, the qualifying didn’t start until 2:00 and since I’d been at the track everyday of the week we chose to arrive before qualifying and skip the morning practice. I attended church with Lisa, we grabbed a coffee at the Spark in Speedway and then we prepared to go to the track.

We walked through the garage area first and then made our way to seats along the front stretch but near turn one. We had a great view of the cars as the waited for turn as well as the track. We all had our favorites among the top 12 and 6. Scott Dixon was not anyone’s favorite but we all cheered for him as he set the new pole record and did was Scott Dixon, the Iceman, always does. This was his second Pole in a row and his fifth overall. Rick Mears holds the record at 6 Poles.

We stayed in our seats and celebrated before exiting the Speedway. On our way out we decided to accept a ride from a pedicab. I was telling Randy about the Rickshaw races at the Milwaukee Mile and how great Big Steve was and our driver said that he came in fourth in that race. He also said that Big Steve was diagnosed with brain cancer shortly after that and lost the battle about 15 months later. He had a mini license plate that read #BigSteveStrong.

Randy and I then met his sister and brother-in-law for dinner at Big Woods. I had only met them once before, many years ago at a reunion. It was a fun night catching up.

Mark, Randy and Jenny

Burger Bash

Monday afternoon there was a two hour practice that we attended. The weather was beautiful but warm in the sun. We watched a bit, walked to the museum, ran into Simon Pagenaud and his sweet pup, Norman, saw Conor Daly’s hot tub and did a final pass through the garage. Monday concluded a streak of 7 consecutive days at the track for me and I was feeling it. I was tired. However, we still had one more think to do that night- attend the Burger Bash.

For many years I have been so disappointed that I was never able to attend Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee’s Carb Night Burger Bash. Then a couple years ago they were too busy to have it. Of course it did not happen in 2020 and was also not done in 2021. This year they brought it back but changed a few things. The first change was the day. It was now held on the last practice day- Monday. The location was also great, the USAC Headquarters parking lot right off the roundabout in Speedway. It was high on my list to be in attendance no matter how tired I was.

We arrived right at 6:00 but didn’t bring our chairs in so I ran back to the car to get them while Randy enjoyed a burger. Our chairs were low beach chairs but we found a place where we could still see all that was going on. Kevin was interviewing some of the doctors that work for the IU Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, including Dr. Hanna and Dr. Lee. When Dr. Nasser Hanna left the stage he walked past where I was sitting and tapped my shoulder saying hello and nice to see me. I thought that was kind but just thought he was trying to greet and thank the people that were attending. I smiled and greeted him back. However, when he returned and told me he should probably introduce himself because while he knew me I probably didn’t know him. He then made my jaw drop by telling me he reads my blog. I believe my response was one of total shock asking if he truly did read it. He said he had been reading for years and have watch my boys grow up through my blog. Wow! That made my day! Later that night we talked again and took a picture together by Jackson Lee’s car. Dr. Hanna (Nasser) then told me he had seen me before at races but hadn’t wanted to be that “crazy” person that said hello (not sure if crazy was his word or mine) and I laughed and said I am always that crazy person stopping people I only know from social media or bloggers. He then asked if I knew George Phillips. I laughed and said of course, George is the real deal in the blogging world posting three times a week. It was so nice meeting Nasser and I look forward to seeing him at more races in the future.

Longtime reader- Dr. Nasser Hanna

During the radio portion of the Burger Bash several drivers showed up but I was happiest to see Stefan Wilson. I have a picture in my head of Justin at the Burger Bash drinking a shake and talking with Curt and Kevin. It was great seeing Stefan in that role- minus the shake. Marcus Ericsson, James Hinchcliffe, Kyle Kirkwood, Rinus VeeKay, Dalton Kellett and several drivers in the ladder series were all in attendance. I would have loved to grab a picture with a few of the drivers I hadn’t yet seen this month I chose to just enjoy the show. I also would have loved a chance to say hello to Curt and Kevin but wasn’t able to say hello. Hopefully, I will still get a chance to say hello before the month is over.

I am staying in Indy this week and enjoying some other activities around town. I should have another post up in a day or two detailing all the off track fun I’m having this week. Thanks for reading and a big thank you to Nasser Hanna for being a longtime reader and taking the time to say hello, it meant a lot to me.

Keeping up Traditions

Sunday morning after the IndyCar road course race often is Mother’s Day. I take advantage of that and do all the things around Indy I want to do. Last year and now this year, Mother’s Day was the previous week so I’ve just told my boys not to worry about Mother’s Day until we get to Indy. I much rather celebrate there.

This year only Zachary could join me for the AMR Grand Prix. Matthew serves in the Air National Guard and had a drill weekend. I’ve also been afforded the luxury of staying in Indy through the 500, so Zach would fly home on Sunday night. Love the perks of being married to a pilot. However, the downside is we always fly space available. The flights for Sunday weren’t looking great so Zach and I made the decision to try the early flight on Sunday morning. Zach got the last seat available. By 6:30 am I was leaving the airport and had the whole day ahead of me, my Mother’s Day, without Zach or Matthew. As I left the airport I decided I would follow through with our regular traditions and set the GPS to Charlie Browns. We usually don’t arrive until 10 or 11 so arriving before 7 was a first for me. No line! Breakfast was delicious!

We usually go straight to the IMS museum after but it wasn’t open yet so I drove back to Lisa’s. Honestly, at this point I wasn’t sure if I would continue with our regular traditions or just hit the museum at a different time but as the morning progressed I felt the pull to stick with tradition.

I was glad I did. I just did the museum admission as I had recently done the “Kiss the Bricks” tour. I found an answer to one on my trivia contest questions, or so I thought, turned out to be wrong but I continue to learn as I stroll the museum and ask questions. After about half an hour I received a text from a friend and met him in the gift shop. We talked for about an hour and it was fun to catch up and talk IndyCar with someone who really gets it. George had to head home to Nashville and I returned to the museum. I continued exploring and working on my trivia. At one point I had four of the museum workers attempting to help me. It’s an extremely hard contest and usually they don’t know the answers but they usually know enough to give me a name to google or some background information. The trivia contest is really more of a research project. I enjoy doing it every year.

After I made my way through the museum, I went upstairs to the photo room. I found a few treasures in the $1 room and talked with Kendra about a picture I would like and then about the contest. She helped me find an answer to my trivia contest by pulling up old archived pictures. She enjoys helping every year.

As the day went one I could feel my early morning catching up with me. I had stayed at the museum much longer than I had planned and was ready to get off my feet and prepare for the full week ahead of me. I was glad I continued my traditions. I missed my boys but I know days are coming where they won’t be able to join me as college and careers keep them from attending for a few years. Hopefully I’ve instilled a love of the Speedway in them and they are eager to return and continue the traditions with me and their families. After all, isn’t that what it is all about?

Side note- I finished this post from B Penthouse, Box 20. I had inquired about media credentials but was denied. I’m thinking my “office” is way cooler than the media center. I was jealous on Saturday while I watched in the rain of my fellow bloggers in the media center but today I’m exactly where I want to be.

What a Crazy Ride!

You might thing I’m talking about the race but I’m also talking about my weekend. Seems nothing went quite as I had planned it. Nothing to dramatic for our weekend but when you are tired and rain soaked even small things seem larger.

As I’ve mentioned before I have the unique opportunity to spend over two weeks in Indianapolis, allowing me to spend every day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Trying to prepare everything at home for the family during my absence and packing all my needs was more work than I imagined. I was exhausted before the trip even started.

Zach and I left on Friday and made the drive down to Indy. We arrived shortly before qualifying and I picked up my bronze badge. We found seats up in the penthouse seats and enjoyed the breeze and shade while we waited for qualifying. Zach was rooting for Alex Palou to be on the pole and thought he got it but Will Power did what he does best and won it in the end. It was such a nice day we stayed right where we were and watched the Indy lights race. Linus Lundqvist and Christian Rasmussen came together early in the race and fell to the back but worked their way through the field and earned respectable finishes and made it very entertaining to watch.

We would usually make our way to Pagoda Plaza and the garage area after the race but decided we would just get settled in at Lisa’s and that we’d have plenty of time on Saturday to explore.

Our gracious host, Lisa, is a dear friend that we met back in 2016 at Road America. We have become close friends and she has been sweet enough to host us in Indy on several occasions. This time she has gone above and beyond and is allowing me to stay through the 500. I’m thrilled to be experiencing all Indy has to offer during the Month of May.

Race Day

The race started a bit later than previous years which was just fine with Zach, he enjoyed sleeping in. We made our way to IMS around 1:00 but as we entered everyone was headed back to their cars due to lightning in the area. We continued to the mounds and then we’re going to go to Pagoda Plaza. Zach was going to wait on the mounds. Even though my youngest son is 17, I didn’t feel I should leave him if severe weather was on its way. The radar looked like it might break up before it hit us but I’m not a weatherman. Zach and I eventually decided to go back to the car and wait it out there so we wouldn’t be soaked for the race. We enjoyed “tailgating” in the minivan with the back door open while the rain fell. We returned to our seats on the mounds just before the command to start engines. We quickly realized what we thought would be a great video screen was just the back of one for the oval. We waited for the start but switched our seats during the first yellow. Everyone always says how great the GA ticket is because you can enjoy many vantage points but the facility is so large that moving during the race means you miss out on some of the action. We worked our way to mounds at turns 7,8 and 9 where we could also see a video screen. I had also pulled up the race on Peacock and we could watch on our phone.

The rain increased and the clouds looked ominous and we questioned being so far from our car. We decided to view the race from the plaza in case the rain really picked up. It grew to a steady rain but never got scary. So we watched the large screens in the Pagoda Plaza but then didn’t actually see the cars on track. Definitely, a new way to watch at the speedway. I prefer seeing the cars on track and of course we missed some more of the action as we again switched seats. The race became very interesting as the drivers navigated the rainy road course. We learned after the race that visibility was awful and definitely something to try and fix before the next rain race. This was the first time the new areoscreens were exposed to a true rain race and the drivers said the rain just stayed on the screen and that a wiper might be needed for the future. Eventually, it was Colton Herta that saw the checkered flag and won the race. Simon Pagenaud followed in second after starting in 20th position. Very impressive drive by Simon. Will Power completed the podium.

We watched some of the victory celebration and then did a quick pass of the garage area. We were able to see Larry Foyt, Tatiana Calderon and Kyle Kirkwood. No AJ sightings that day. The rain had mostly passed but by this time we were cold and wet so heading home sounded better than watching the second half of the Lights race which had to be stopped earlier due to lightning.

Back at Lisa’s we watched The Club featuring the four four time winners. I will rewatch that. Loved hearing the storied the Speedway legends had to share. What a special piece of history to have all four of them together as we lost Al Unser in December of 2021.

Sunday and my Mother’s Day

I prefer to celebrate Mother’s Day in Indy so on years the GMR Grand Prix doesn’t fall on Mother’s Day weekend I just postpone our Mother’s Day. Matthew had a drill weekend with the Air National Guard so he couldn’t join us and Zach planned to fly home on Sunday. As always happens when you fly space available, the seats filled up quickly and flights weren’t looking good. Zach and I made the decision to try the first flight of the morning and woke up at 4:00 am to attempt to get him on a flight home. It paid off and Zach got the last seat on the plane. They pushed back and I began to leave the airport when Zach texted saying they were pulling back in for a maintenance problem. Fortunately, it was resolved in about half an hour.

Zach texted me the news as I enjoyed a delicious breakfast at Charlie Browns. I figured just because Zach couldn’t join me didn’t mean I should miss out on our traditions. It was early enough I was seated right away and Zach was nearly half way home before I finished my breakfast. So today I will continue with our usual traditions and enjoy the museum at IMS and work on Oilpressure.com trivia contest. Things might not have gone as planned but it was a great weekend. Now I have the next two weeks to enjoy all the fun and traditions Indy has to offer in May and I look forward to every minute.

Race Day in May- GMR Grand Prix

Matthew is glad to be done with High School.

We arrived in Indianapolis on Friday afternoon just in time for qualifying for the GMR Grand Prix. It was Matthew’s last day of High School so we did not leave as early as we would have liked. He couldn’t miss his last day. Of course traffic around Chicago didn’t help and we were even rerouted around Lafayette. It was all worth it to be at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We met up with Lisa and made our way to the box seats near turn one of the oval. It was a perfect day to be watching cars on track. Such a fun qualifying day. Not the usual suspects in the fast six and eventually it was Romain Grosjean on the pole. Josef Newgarden, Jack Harvey, Alex Palou, Scott McLaughlin and Conor Daly were the top six. So fun.

We then left the track and enjoyed a glass of wine at the Foyt Vault before dinner at the pizza place in the building that had been the 1911 grill. The pizza was great.

Back to Lisa’s house where we met her sweet pup, Spike. Lots of catching up and then getting ready for race day.

Saturday- race day

Arrived at track around noon and made our way to the Pagoda Plaza. Spent time there talking with friends, old and new. Caught up with Mike Silver and took plenty of photos. As we neared the time for the green flag we made our way to our seats. We sat in the Northwest Vista. The seats were great.

So as we settled in for the start of the race the boys grabbed a Mountain Dew and cherry pepsi. Lisa had some cinnamon whiskey and I was the classy one with a box (small) of wine. Makes me laugh every time but I do enjoy it.

Green flag dropped and no big surprise that we had an accident in the first turn. Sadly, Conor Daly was involved as his step dad, Doug Boles, watched from nearby. Conor seems to have the worst luck. Grosjean was not involved and was able to maintain the lead. I haven’t watched the race on TV yet but believe that after Grosjean’s first pit stop he came out in front of Rinus VeeKay but Veekay was on warmer tires and made it passed Grosjean.

The race continued without any more yellow flags. As I was watching I realized I could see way down to the seats in turn one of the oval where I sat with Matthew for his first trip to the speedway. I let me eyes wander to the main straight where I sat with my dad on my first trip. We watched AJ Foyt retire and take his final lap on the track. I teared up thinking of those special times and looked to my boys thankful that we were back home again in Indiana enjoying our May traditions.

After some time reflecting I turned my attention back to the race. I love listening in on my scanner and I have to say listening to the Television broadcast team during their commercial breaks is great. You never know what you might hear. This time it was Paul Tracy singing Milli Vanilli Blame it on the Rain. A couple sprinkles fell but not enough to change the race outcome. I usually love a rain race but with Rinus leading I didn’t want anything to mess that up. The racing itself wasn’t edge of your seat racing but it was for me as I cheered for Rinus. I have quickly become a fan of this young driver and was even wearing my VeeKay shirt. I was just counting down the laps and hoping he would win. After 85 laps Rinus VeeKay did take the checkered flag and won his first IndyCar race. I’m guessing he heard my cheers from the other end of the track. I was thrilled.

Five races and five winners. Just another thing I love about IndyCar. My boys enjoyed the race and we all hung out a bit after watching the interviews on the video boards. Eventually though it was time to leave and we headed out. I’m not sure when Matthew will return with us to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway but I know he will. It’s a tradition they enjoy and while college and the Air National Guard might not allow visits in the next few years we will be trying our best every year to return.

We enjoyed a lazy night and prepared for our usual Mother’s Day traditions a week late.

Sunday- My Mother’s Day

We always celebrate Mother’s Day in Indy so this year we just postponed our day. We went to Charlie Browns for breakfast where we stuffed ourselves. We then went to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum and happened to walk in right behind Ryan Hunter-Reay. I recognized his voice before I saw him and said hello. He didn’t respond so I called to him twice more- he was less than two feet from me. He didn’t even turn around. I just rolled my eyes and the boys and I laughed. We have never had a kind response from RHR. We even met him in the back of a grocery store when he was doing an autograph session. I thought he’d be thrilled that someone sought him out. We had our 500 tickets with his picture. He barely acknowledged us. As much as I brag about the IndyCar drivers to others and how accessible they are. Hunter-Reay does not belong in that category. He was there with Becky and the kids and the kids were fun to watch as they found their dads picture on the winners wall but Ryan continued to be Ryan. Needless to say our impression of him did not change. I understand wanting to be with your family and not be interrupted by fans but Ryan doesn’t do himself any favors by being so aloof.

I’ve been watching since 1985.

After enjoying the exhibits I talked with many of the workers to try and get some help on George Phillips Trivia contest. Then the boys went to buy my Mother’s Day gift. We decided on Paul Page’s new book and then went to the clearance shop to look there. On our way in we ran into George and Susan Phillips. We talked, took pictures and I even had George take a look at my answers so far. He just told me a few I needed to double check and said he heard them talking in the museum about the questions. He told two of the answers to them so I ventured back in to also learn those answers later. I’m afraid I kept George and Susan talking too long and hope I didn’t delay their drive home by too much. I am grateful to run into them though. Susan has been battling (and winning) pancreatic cancer and it was good to see her and even pray with her and George. Their story and positive outlook is inspiring. Today they actually are celebrating their wedding anniversary and that is a fun story too. Check out their blog at Oilpressure.com.

Matthew, Zachary and I grabbed a few more pictures and our traditional whatchamacallit candy bars for the drive home. We laughed and joked about past trips, favorite racers and our silly traditions. It was exactly as Mother’s Day should be.

First Trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

For some their first introduction to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is on a qualifying or race day and they are immediately in aww of the sounds and speed. My introduction was a bit slower – pun intended. I was reading a book, an AJ Foyt biography to be specific and my very first trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was to visit the museum and take a track tour. Well today for the very first time my husband Steve visited the Speedway. Not sure he enjoyed it as much as me but he did have a fun time.

I’ve been a fan of AJ and the Indianapolis 500 since 1985. I first visited the Speedway with my dad in 1992 for a museum and track tour and followed that up in 1993 with a trip to time trials. In 2008 I returned with my son Matthew for qualifying and have returned every year for either qualifying, the GP of Indy or the Indianapolis 500. In 2010 my son Zach joined us and 2015 was our first Indy 500.

My husband, Steve, has never been a fan but we can usually get him to watch the start of a race at home on tv or listen to our stories. Today I finally got him to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the very first time. November 6th I turned 50 and we planned a trip to the Smokey Mountains to celebrate. I decided we would take our time driving down and spend the night in Indy so we could visit the track and experience some of my favorite things. Steve agreed.

We arrived in Indianapolis around 1:30 pm. We drove straight to the Speedway and went into the museum to purchase tickets. We did both the museum and the track tour. Similar to what my dad and I had done 28 years ago. We went on the track tour first.

I had a hard time not telling Steve all the facts before the tape of Bob Jenkins did so. I knew exactly what would be said but I just mouthed the words and with masks on no one noticed. I love getting out on the track and feeling the banking. The bus goes so stinking slow, I don’t need to go fast but I’d love to be able to do at least 60. Then I feel the bus goes too fast. I want to take in every sight and sound. If I had my way you would walk it, drive around slow and then drive around fast(ish) but no one asks me how the tour should go. The bus stops at the yard of bricks and you can get out and kiss the bricks if you like. I told Steve we could pretend to kiss the bricks but that right is reserved for winners and we wouldn’t be kissing them. That was fine by Steve he didn’t even want to get down on the ground after having torn his hamstring off the bone this summer.

Is this good enough?

I was willing to pretend letting my lips hover just above the bricks.

We finished our bus tour and went into the museum. Currently the museum is running an Andy Granatelli exhibit. I have read Andy’s biography years ago and he is from Chicago so I was glad to be able to catch this exhibit while we were in town. We learned some fun facts and Steve really appreciated hearing how Andy and his brothers got their start by helping neighbors on city streets whose cars wouldn’t start on a cold morning. These were guys with a passion and Steve could appreciate that. I think it’s safe to say that Andy Granatelli was a very passionate guy, from his flamboyant suits sporting his STP sponsor to his slobbery kiss to Mario Andretti after his 1969 win. The Granatelli story is a good one of the little guy finding his American dream.

I loved showing Steve some of my museum favorites, the Marmon Wasp, the pictures of all the winners and even Clark Gable enjoying the race from turn one. We watched the movie, took pictures and looked for our favorite drivers on the Borg-Warner trophy. It was a good visit.

Even though we drove in I had to snap the traditional picture we take as we walk through the tunnel and into the Speedway.

Steve refused to stand in the sun ☀️

After our trip to IMS we went onto Main Street so we could stop at the Foyt Vault. Steve does not enjoy wine but I do and since AJ is my favorite I especially enjoy a Foyt wine. Steve had a coke and we loved the bread basket with dipping sauces. I retold several of our AJ and Larry stories and even the time we met Dave Furst at the Vault. Steve has heard them all a thousand times but he patiently listened as I told them again.

We then went to my dear friend Lisa’s house where we are spending the night. Lisa is always so gracious to let us spend time here even when she is out of town. It is so appreciated.

After a short rest we headed back to Main Street for dinner at Dawson’s on Main. I love calamari steak and of course we had to get a tenderloin sandwich. After dinner we walked over to see the Speedway at night before heading back to Lisa’s. A wonderful way to celebrate my 50th birthday.

I wonder how you were introduced to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? With all the sights and sounds of cars on track or a quieter version like Steve and I?