Indy 500
News, Photography ·Sunday May 26, 2013 @ 15:41 EDT (link)
I bought a couple Indy 500 tickets from a co-worker who couldn't use them, and we went to the race today. I will say it was an experience, and I am happy I did it, taking advantage of being so close to it; but would probably not do it again.
The drive to the track was supposedly about 35 minutes, but we knew that would not be the case, and indeed we encountered the "beginning of sorrows" on the I-465 (we were routed around on the I-465 rather than, say, Binford, so ended up approaching the track from the west even though we're on the east side). There was a huge lineup at the I-465/I-865 split, taking us about 20 minutes to get through, and then again at the Crawfordville Road exit. We had left perhaps around 1000, so we had time—barely. Police were out directing traffic at the exit and along Crawfordville Road (nice to see them doing something useful).
We ended up parking just off West 22nd Street for $20; we may have been able to get closer, but it was such a mess that it didn't seem worthwhile to take the time to drive past and come back as I had originally planned. All told, the walk from there to our seats in stand C was about 1.7 miles; the "paddock" stand seemed to go on forever. First we had to get in, though; the ticket line started as a mob surrounding the gates, and wound back along the outside of the track and then forward again. That took us maybe another half hour to get through, even with only the most cursory bag checks (and I don't see why they bothered; with that level of checking, people could have easily smuggled in a suitcase nuke, the parts for a fighter jet, and enough rocket launchers to outfit a squadron). We brought backpacks and I had a small collapsible cooler; and since I had expected the event to go until 1800 (which is actually just when the track closes), I brought too much food and drink (two water bottles apiece, two soft drinks, three beers, and other assorted snacks).
We got into our seats just in time—1210—for the start, although Sandi Patti sang the US anthem while we were still outside the stands. As a few wise guys said on my Facebook status, the start and end are exciting and the middle is not so much; and the end was a bit of a let down as the cars finished the 200th lap under caution and Kanaan won sort of "by default" although certainly he had to fight for it in the previous laps.
Getting out wasn't too terrible, really. The race finished around 1415. Of course there was the long walk back, but we weren't too snarled up in traffic; I think maybe it took us only about 45 minutes to get back to Fishers. I had taken a few photos, but didn't really have a great viewing platform.
In future, I'll watch it on TV; better viewing angles, and shorter lines.
Books finished: And Thereby Hangs a Tale, Leadership, The One Minute Negotiator.
