Indy 500

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wtf - buddy just sent this to me
 
I have never been to an IndyCar race but was at the 2007 Cart race at the Cleveland airport (small airport by the lake). Been to several NASCAR races though. But started following IndyCar a little more when my son was racing carts and we were pitting with Mark Dismore. Before they were 'famous' I talked to Sage Karams dad several times. Sage was only about 10 at the time so I never talked to him and my son was about 13 or 14 so he didn't hang out with him. Another was Santino Ferrucci. Never talked to him and not sure if we were ver at the same events but he had a reputation and it wasn't a good one. He had a really bad attitude. Newgarden is a favorite too. My son was in talks to drive with Dismore Jr and Dan Wheldon in 2012 at the Robopong 200 at Dismores track but Wheldon was killed a week before. We never met Wheldon but hung out with Dismore Jr alot. So anyway, Dismore Jr dropped out of the race since his best friend was just killed so Dismore Sr and Newgarden took their spot and won the event. They now call it the Wheldon Memorial Cup
 
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Watch for me during the National Anthem. The picture on the TV was a few years ago. We are on TV for 11 seconds that year.

The picture of us in the infield was two weeks ago at the Indianapolis Grand Prix. They showed us for four seconds.

I just bought a new American flag. 12’ x 18’
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I wonder if Herta will go to F1 and replace Riccardo?
 
Never been, but my Dad raced there in his 20's, which would be sometime in the '40s. It was open cockpit/front end, real long looking. I swear he said it had a V12, or maybe inline in it, but not 100%. Don't think he made the grade as it was only a few times.
We use to frequent Daytona and Sebring when I was a kid. Dad (FHP) would work side gigs for pit security at the races, I got to go. We had good times, he loved racing of all types. I've got a Sebring pennant he signed for me from '74 on my office wall.
I'm partial to straight line drag racing myself... nice topic, brought back some good memories.

Best to everyone this weekend as we honor those that have paid the highest price for our freedom.
 
My step-fathers step-father raced the very first Daytona 500 on the beach. His name was Jim something. I'll think of his last name but can't right now...lol. My daughter has his old lawn tractor. It's a 1980's model, I think Honda but not sure. Anyway, it has flames painted on it and has the name 'Original Outlaw' painted on it. Oddly, it's fuel injected and water cooled and about 40 years old....lol
 
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We did not make it on TV. But this was us.

And the winner. Not a Gannasi fan at all.
 
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Went with 3 friends from St Louis for 7 years in a row. Almost always staying in the Coca Cola field. Can't really tell you who won any of those years though. Got thrown out of a bar in downtown Indy by the nicest bouncers ever. Great times although I'm pretty sure I cut a year or two off my life expectancy.
 
Golfman25 said:
Years ago, early 1980s my parents went to the race where Danny Sullivan spun out and won. The next year they packed us up in an RV and we drove down and stayed in a budget Car Rental lot close to the speedway. Adults got the class A RV. Kids got an airstream trailer. Sat right above the pits. Was really cool for us kids. They lost me with the split and it just wasn’t the same race.
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That was 1988, I lucked into an amazing job later that year and got assigned to work on the SW moving the engines to EFI. In 1988 almost all races were a mechanical FI system, Chevy and Delco started on an EFI system. I went to the CART banquet in 88 and chatted with Danny while taking a piss (the things we remember). I was 26ish, single, and the off season became full time doing SW and test support to get the system ready for 1989. I could write paragraphs of cool stuff, but one of the best was standing behind the front row of Chevys when they said "gentleman, start your engines" two years in a row. 1989 was the first EFI win at the Indy 500, my SW. The controller is in the museum with a plexyglass top, my writing on the PROMS! Great 2.5s of my life... great experiences. AJ foint (1990), crazy stories about the old days and cheating. Racing rental cars against Al Jr.. Having Mario Andretti buy me a beer after drawing driections to the test track in Big Springs Tx....
 
kevin27 said:
Myself, the wife, and my dad went to the 102nd running of the Indy 500. Never forget it. Just walking around pre race and seeing the place and all the history was epic. The fly over for the anthem was the B2 stealth bomber.
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This was my attitude as well. Had an Indy 500 coloring book in the 70' as a kid, coloring the tower, and I was in awe to see it live. Did my 1st book report in grade school on AJ Foyt. All of it was surreal to me.
 
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