This weekend is the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500. Many of you know it. Many of you have been to it. Many of you have watched it. Many of you have seen it through the good and the bad of the last 40+ years. At least one of you has worked it. It’s an American Memorial Day tradition. For me, it’s an annual tradition filled with magic.
I actually don’t remember what year was my first 500. I know my parents took me before they gave up their seats. I know my first time going to qualifications was when I was 1 year old, and I went every year until high school. But I do know that excluding the COVID year, I haven’t missed one since 1999, when I skipped school and went to the rain delayed running on a Tuesday. I also know that I’ve been in my current seats since 2001 (my dad’s best friend had them before that).
It was really hard to find any photos in camp that weren’t incriminating.
There are lots of traditions at the track itself. In pre-race you get things like Back Home Again in Indiana, God Bless America, the invocation, Military members being celebrated around the track, Taps, the flyover, the command, the 11 rows of three for the start. And just as many traditions have gone as are still there. It’s sad to see some that left, others are hardly noticed. There have been substantial changes with the cars, the series, the ownership, the “Month of May” (as they call it here in Indianapolis) and many other things. It’s driven many away. But not me.
Why? Because of my traditions. We start well in advance. The year before the tickets are renewed. Camping pass is acquired. Grocery store run for copious amounts of cheap beer and grillables. Packing the truck to make sure we have everything. Then, the day before the race, arriving at our campground outside the track as a group. The group has changed many times, but several core members are always there. We party. We party hard. We partied like we were twenty until our late 30’s. Now as the average age of the group is in its early 40’s, so we party like we’re in our 30’s. We watch the kid’s party like we used to. It’s never a bad time.
I also know that I’ve been in my current seats since 2001 (my dad’s best friend had them before that).
🙂
I toured the museum when I went on my FreedomFest 2021 road trip. There’s some pretty cool stuff in that museum.
I’ve attended the actual race only once – back in college (courtesy of a dorm-mate’s brother, who attended Butler) when I had never really watched the race on TV and thus knew almost nothing about the sport. We were in the infield, so we didn’t really see much of the race. I mainly recall the stark contrast between the cars’ speed as they passed during the pace laps and shortly afterward when they zipped past at blink-and-you’ll-miss-’em speed and sounding like angry bees.
Many years later (10+ years ago,) I had the good fortune to get tickets and almost-anywhere-in-the-Brickyard passes to Pole Day courtesy of my employer’s 401(k) firm. Had a great time wandering around the garage area and watching qualifying laps down near Turn 1. (Also caught P-Funk playing! Bonus!)
I hope the predicted thunderstorms somehow don’t come to pass tomorrow! If the race is delayed, it will be interesting to see how NASCAR driver Kyle Larson deals with that complication in his plan to do the double (Indy AND the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte.) For one thing, if there’s weather severe enough to stop the 500, will he be safe trying to fly down to the other race? 😳⛈⛈⛈
That suggests a question for either or both of you – bang and/or Brooksie: How many drivers have done the double? I know Tony Stewart did, multiple times, IIRC. Kurt Busch too, I think? Did Juan Pablo ever do it? Who else?
You got to see P-Funk. I am. So jealous. Damn, girl. Hope you and Clinton funked out hard! (I’m not editing that. I properly restrained myself.) I like the Funk more than the Parliament, but I’ve also been exposed to more of the former. Heavily biased. Bootsy Collins is saintly. George…George is George. Bless him.
Bootsy with The Funk Brothers
Nice. Lots of changes, not all good. “Three attempts and you’re done” qualifying was better, in my opinion.
Best flyover was the B2 in ’97 (I think). I was rolling my toolbox out to the pit, and suddenly all 100,000 people or so in the grandstands on the outside of the track turned their heads at the same time. So I did, too. The B2 coasted over turn 4, very low, above the front straight, down to about the Allison Transmission plant, where the pilot pulled the nose up and hit the gas. You could hear the roar for a surprisingly long time.
It’s an all Penske front row. I’ll be planted in front of the teevee, rooting for Kyle Larson, or pretty much anybody who hasn’t been a permanent fixture in the series for twenty years.
Great memories with great friends. That’s what life is for, good that you have a chance doing what you like. Thanks for reminding us.
Who else?
I think I saw something the other night that said john Andretti did it. Maybe Robbie Gordon.
Ah! Those make sense.
I’m sure you’ve mentioned this at some point, but please refresh my alleged memory – for whom did you pit?
John Andretti several times
I worked for multiple teams. Small, underfunded teams, mostly. My “favorite” driver was probably John Paul jr.
Fittipaldi is the one I liked. Villeneuve is next.
In other motoring news, last week I changed the oil in the (inherited) Tracker Testarossa using Royal Purple. With a single data set (n=1), my mileage on my commute to Cleveland and back (including a site visit to the other side of the state) increased from 22.3 mpg to 26.6.
I’ve had 4 baseline trips on the “old” oil. Im looking forward to see if it stays consistent.
The old Pope? I, for one, did not know he was an Indy driver.
John Paul was the one that did Vatican II, which diluted Catholicism down to near Lutheran-levels.
He was a betrayal to the Church- a modern day social-media apologist.
Nope. Started by John XXIII, who died part of the way through, and concluded by Paul VI.
Swede Savage, never forget Indy, it will kill you
Nope. Started by John XXIII, who died part of the way through, and concluded by Paul VI.
Lousy internal server errors….
Nope. Started by John XXIII, who died part of the way through, and concluded by Paul VI.
OK Ted’S. We get it.
For real?
Jeep’s Wrangler 4xe has been America’s top-selling PHEV for two years now
I liked my JK, but the last thing I want is cutting edge tech from Chrysler.
I think you mean FIAT.
Dunno. This is a Jeep heavy area, and I almost never see any blue hooks on the road.
Thanks, bangin’.
Nice to see something that you enjoy so very much.
Required music link: https://youtu.be/SQUeQOIlcDM
Jerry?
Required music link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_HoMkkRHv8
I don’t have anything in my life with that kind of continuity/consistency, Banging. I envy you for that. Enjoy!
This is appropriate,
https://youtu.be/LBQ2305fLeA?si=Waxj-7zXKerl-gX2
I’ll just leave this here.
I’ll try again
You are lame, and you fail forever. Look for more abuse, and a request, in your inbox one day soon.
Oh, so now they come begging for my assistance, I tried to give this site a perfectly good logo and you went with the love child of Mr. Peanut and Milburn Pennybags, as far as I’m concerned you people can go pound sand!Sure whatever just let me know. Happy to help.
“the love child of Mr. Peanut and Milburn Pennybags”
I laughed.
More appropriate
Mojeaux, I’m catching up and reading last night’s chapter. I kinda like Gio and Albright too. And Gio needs to learn how to dance.
Thanks!
I’m not sure everybody can turn over a new leaf after they’ve done heinous things, but I like to think they can, hence, Gio.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RMYCzzCztA
Dad and I went to qualifying last week. It was fun. I’ve never been nor wanted to go the 500, cuz I much prefer the smaller-scale stuff. Haubstadt, IN has a track and Dad would take me there for sprint car racing and other funnery. I REALLY want to go to a Demo Derby. Been at least 20 years since I’ve been. Just so much stupidity, wrapped in a blanket of pure joy.
Truck-a-saurus at the War Memorial is about as close as I’ve been to a car event.
The IEEE Power Modulator Conference is in Indianapolis this coming week.
I sent my terrific young Malaysian employee to attend. (He lived in Lubbock for years getting his BSc and MSc in pulsed power, so he is Americanized).
His first night in the hotel costs $350 because it overlaps the Indy 500. Then it’s $90 per night. He was in disbelief. I encouraged him to soak up as much Indy Americana as possible.
God bless America!!
God bless you HE. You are an outstanding boss and good on you for encouraging them in big and small ways.
I feel for your young engineer too. That first time with an out of whack expense is a bit of a pucker. If it isn’t, either there aren’t enough case stories of misused cards and terminated employees or the employee is a good candidate for a future episode.
Trump actually showed up to speak at LP convention. You can catch it live right now on CSPAN. A minority is booing him instead of respectfully listening to the overstatements of his achievements and the overstatement of his promises. LP will eventually nominate a non-entity who will get less than 400,000 votes and be roundly ignored in the election circus.
Articles are floating around about RFK Jr speaking there too. Got standing O for promising to pardon Assange and Snowden.
If RFK Jr hands Biden another 4 years, I will be sad.
Rest assured it won’t be on the backs of libertarians that RFK Jr does anything.
Grrrr. Mr. “I will put ‘climate deniers’ in prison”.
Asshole.
The brainworm’s damage goes deep.
He’s also a gungrabber and picked a terrible VP
Sounds about right.
Right turns are cool too!
The other day I realized that I live now in a city where right-on-red is legal.
In NYC where I lived for 25 years it is not allowed.
That’s crazy talk. Not that it’s legal where you are now, but that it was not legal before.
What?!?! I visited NYC several years ago and made a lot of right-on-red turns. As did most of the natives.
/When in Phucket, do what the Phuckers do.
What?!?! I visited NYC several years ago and made a lot of right-on-red turns. As did most of the natives.
Yep.
Illegal in NYC unless posted otherwise.
However… when did something being illegal prevent anything?
Left on red is legal here too. (On a one way street)
Left turns are American racing, try to keep up
Who (or what) is Rabbit?
Does Robert Gu reconcile with Lena?
With his grandaughter?
Does he make amends with Alice?
WHAT IS RABBIT??
Are we meant to suppose that Rabbit is an AI?
Is all this vaguely related to the Zones of Thought novels?
The clear winner for non-sequitur of the day.
Rabbit is a wild-grown AI. I get that much.
Is the whole thing attributable to A Fire Upon the Deep?
What happens to the intelligence community cabal?? It’s hinted they’re just wsacrificed, but nobody seems to suffer any consequences??
Everyone complains about the ending of Neal Stephenson’s novels, and I’ve never gotten that. How could he end them? They’re bound to be disappointing,you’re so wrapped up around the axel of his stories, you can’t help but be upset when they end.
Vernor Vinge legitimately pisses me off, though. His books just stop. Like he got bored and quit.
Try it with A Deepness. Try to feel resolved. You won’t.
I’ve heard that criticism and I understand why, but your point is a good one. I’ve actually thought about one could end them better and can’t come up with an answer.
does YT hook up with her nuke bro??
She ends up in Diamond Age as a kinda throwaway character. Blink or you miss her.
More importantly: the ameristan chapters in Reamde.
What people want isn’t an ending, it’s an epilogue.
Hiro and YT meet up for tacos, Hiro says he and whatshername are dating again, YT says Enzo’s fully recovered and her mom has a new job.
After Vagina Dentata I’d steer clear.
Deepness put me into a depression. I was so hurt about the ending, it’s such a terrific book
Nice! That sounds awesome, Banging. I’d love to go see it live one year. Tomorrow will be a great racing (morning here) day. F1 Monaco is on at 6am and right after is Indy. I was happy to see the Monagasque take pole this morning in Monaco.
Except…
I love the history of Monaco, but it’s a boring race 99.5% of the time – pole sitter wins.
Intended that for Moj above.
Um, I think the reply functionality is fucked.
/what’s happening down on pistoffnick’s farm
Drove 45 minutes to Floodwood to get chicken feed.
Ate a fine fish sandwich (the tartar sauce was the selling point) at a bar in Floodwood. Girlfriend had a brisket dip. Fries were passable. Coleslaw was good-not too sweet. That tartar sauce is worth a return.
Farm store. Grocery store. Another grocery store. Liquor store.
Mowed the lawn. Trimmed with the new Makita 18v trimmer. Trimmed with the new Stihl Gas weed trimmer. Limed the chicken coop. Raked the mown grass. Bedded the coop with the mown grass.
Currently watching an Amazon Prime series about UK longboats.
Just found out that my sister is pregnant. I will teach her spawn how to: shoot guns, grow vegetables, drive a manual transmission, tie a bowline knot, cook an omelet, start a war, finish a war…
/what’s happening down on pistoffnick’s farm
Well, now I’m tired just reading that …
Yeah, my day wasn’t as busy as I thought.
Add in how to tie a trucker’s hitch and how to break down a whole chicken and you’ll have a pretty good start,
Excellent advise.
You can always invite hype over to teach them how to be a cunt.
Also duct tape and baili ng wire, conquer the world!
Shine shoes and iron a shirt.
I can never remember the truckers hitch. Cut up a chicken? Yeah, I have a blender.
…change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly.
thank you moj I’ll shoot some heroine and fuck with the stars
we’re fated to pretend
Their first album is fantastic. Being a junior in HS w my own car didn’t hurt. But legit great musicianship. They’re doing a certain thing and they nail it. Attached to many memories. Mr. Flowers is…uh. I don’t stand a chance in the bar if he’s in the room.
Son of a Bitch! Get me a drink!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iAYhQsQhSY
Y’allins crazy,
Cheers!
We all need more JP.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVhA01J0Zsg
We all need more JC, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKQULTTnaI8
Son of a gun, son a bitch, gettin’ paid, gettin’ rich
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OrfAP-56Ew
Love you, Mom. I miss you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLJNwM20dms
Good morning all!
After the above, some Talking Heads seems appropriate, with
Drugs.
Share and enjoy!
I’m celebrating by climbing a mountain, so i won’t be back until the afternoon.
Everyone enjoy the day!
I’m here!
Morning everybody. 🌞👀👍
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ2t4jfVTiU
🎶🎶