What's YOUR Indy 500 memory?

[Hoosier Carry]

My son has my Rick Mears autographed photo hanging in his room. I had an RC car that was a scale of his 4 pennzoil car which at the time was as fast as they got. Good memories of the time trials and watching for a “new track record”!

 

[daddyusmaximus]

Forgot to say. We were at the track the day Art Pollard bit it. I saw it happen.

Was sitting under the balcony about half way up right across from the timing tower. Smacked into the wall in turn 1 hard, then goes towards the short chute where he disappeared around the corner, and flipped upside down in the grass. They say the car flipped the car back over, but the damage was done. Later, when they announced he had died, the place got real quiet. Kinda weird to go to the track with your dad, and have to come home with a story of "a guy got killed in a wreck". I was almost 10.

 

[tbhausen]

Three for me.
First was several “firsts” for me in one day. My sister let me tag along when she and some of her friends skipped school to go to the track. This was ‘73 and I had just turned 14. I was hanging around the snake pit because it was the snake pit! I saw a girl of similar age jump up in the back of a pickup and strip off her top. My first real life vision of boobs! Later, my sisters and all her friends had gotten so drunk, they had me drive home. My first time driving on the road. Made it home safely as it was only 15ish miles. One of her friends gave me another “first” later that evening.
Second mid ‘90’s either during qualifications or carb day I remember very cold and flurries coming down.
Third was the year it rained for several days. Mom and dad had tickets. They went Sunday and Monday. Dad had to work on Tuesday so mom took my sister. It was also rained out so I was next in line. We got to see the race but don’t recall much else about it.

LOL only at Indy!

 

[tbhausen]

Forgot to say. We were at the track the day Art Pollard bit it. I saw it happen.

Was sitting under the balcony about half way up right across from the timing tower. Smacked into the wall in turn 1 hard, then goes towards the short chute where he disappeared around the corner, and flipped upside down in the grass. They say the car flipped the car back over, but the damage was done. Later, when they announced he had died, the place got real quiet. Kinda weird to go to the track with your dad, and have to come home with a story of "a guy got killed in a wreck". I was almost 10.

Not many people know this, but that crash was caused by a fire in the cockpit. When the cars carried fuel on each side, a 4” “crossover pipe” ran across the cockpit under the driver’s knees. The leak was there. It wasn’t the first time, either (in other words, it needn’t have happened).

 

[US1882]

Went with Dad in the 70's. He was good friends with Bobby Unser. We would sit high in what was then the paddock and I would watch the first couple of laps and the last couple of laps and the rest of the time I had Dad's binoculars watching The Snake Pit.

 

[BigRed]

WIBC is doing a series called "Heroes of the 500" this weekend.

Just finished a "rebroadcast" of the 1961 race...even with some original advertisements.

The radio announcers of that era were true talents!

Now onto a special on drivers that finished second over the years.

Good stuff.

 

[BigRed]

A personal behind the scenes tour of the museum collection not on display with Mr. Spoerle is something I much appreciate to this day.

 

[dekeshooter]

My first day at the track seeing cars run was in Pole Day 1977. I saw Tom Sneva break the 200mph and was instantly drawn in by excitement of the crowd. I was 10 years old. I only missed one pole day after that until 1996. The day I wasn't there was the day Gordon Smiley was killed. I'm happy I didn't see that.

It took 12 years from my first day until I saw a race. In 1989 I put in for race tickets and received seats in the Turn 3 Terrace. That's a fancy way of saying the bleachers on the inside of T3. They cost $20 each. The cheapest seats in the house that ended up being the best seats when on lap 198 Al Jr. and Emmo touched wheels right in front of us.

I attended every race through 1995. When the split came, I quit going. I held onto my seats for several years but sold them to a friend most years. I went in '98 because the girl I was dating wanted to go and I returned for the races between 2000 and 2003 just see the IRL regulars get beaten up on by drivers from CART. I let my tickets go after that.

When I married in 2009, my wife wanted to see the race and she was immediately hooked. We've gone to the 500 every year since. She will miss being at this year's race due to having surgery a this week and I'm taking our son's middle daughter to what will be her first race of any kind. I'll probably end up boring the poor girl to death telling her about the history of the place and about my adventures there.

We also go the Indy Gran Prix and a few other Indycar events every year. We've been to races at Mid Ohio, Gateway, Watkins Glen, Pocono and Barber. We will also be attending the inaugural Nashville GP in August.

Overall I'm very happy with what Roger Penske has done so far at IMS. I really miss the days of 40+ cars showing up and two full weekends of qualifying. I miss the real Snake Pit and the general craziness that I was a part of in the infield when I was younger. I wish that was still around for people to experience.

 

[greg]

Happy Race Day....
43 here now...been 60 years(1961)since it was this cold on Race morning, will be in the low 60ies for start of race.The tires on these cars are designed to grip the track at much higher temps... should be interesting for sure.

Go ED CARPENTER RACING !

 

[churchmouse]

Sifting through what seems to be a thousand good memory's one that stands out came to the fore when the jets went over the compound and went Military power right over us.

Standing on the rear wing of any of 18 different cars. Starter at the ready. I am waiting for the command to plug it into the gear box and spin the engine to life. Untold hours of work from several of us has put this car on the grid on this day. It is all really sinking in. We are moments away from going to war with 32 other groups that have worked as hard to get here.
I always knew when to turn around. And here they come on full AB with smoke trailing. The year one of the last in formation dropped down and skimmed what looked to be lower then the tower. Right at stand level. He streaked over our heads and went nose up and back into formation above 1st turn.
Mary said to start-em up. Spun it to life. Pushed it off and went to the pit and waited for it to come in for service.

I miss that so much.

The calm before the storm.....

 

[indyjohn]

Sifting through what seems to be a thousand good memory's one that stands out came to the fore when the jets went over the compound and went Military power right over us.

Standing on the rear wing of any of 18 different cars. Starter at the ready. I am waiting for the command to plug it into the gear box and spin the engine to life. Untold hours of work from several of us has put this car on the grid on this day. It is all really sinking in. We are moments away from going to war with 32 other groups that have worked as hard to get here.
I always knew when to turn around. And here they come on full AB with smoke trailing. The year one of the last in formation dropped down and skimmed what looked to be lower then the tower. Right at stand level. He streaked over our heads and went nose up and back into formation above 1st turn.
Mary said to start-em up. Spun it to life. Pushed it off and went to the pit and waited for it to come in for service.

I miss that so much.

The calm before the storm.....

For those of you playing the home game, that is a much younger cm on right (I had to ask, I thought it was Nigel Mansell... )

 

[BigRed]

For those of you playing the home game, that is a much younger cm on right (I had to ask, I thought it was Nigel Mansell... )

Nah...
Mansell would have Vitolo on his back.



(Couldn't resist)

 

[jfed85]

Seeing Helio join the 500 "Mt. Rushmore" by winning number 4 yesterday was pretty awesome, hope to see him get #5 before hes done. Only time Ive stayed around long enough to see the victory lap in our turn 4 seats. Been rooting for Helio in every race I've attended. Been to every one since 2011. I know thats not a lot compared to some people (a guy I go with every year attended his 50th yesterday) but I got into it in my mid 20s and was hooked after my first. Even attended the "Fanless" 2020 500 by tailgating outside the gate on Georgetown. We had food, generators, TVs airing the race, and could see the event on the video boards.

2019 flyover was amazing.

Pictures from 2020. Roger Penske even came over and thanked us for being loyal to the 500.

 

[cbhausen]

Sifting through what seems to be a thousand good memory's one that stands out came to the fore when the jets went over the compound and went Military power right over us.

Standing on the rear wing of any of 18 different cars. Starter at the ready. I am waiting for the command to plug it into the gear box and spin the engine to life. Untold hours of work from several of us has put this car on the grid on this day. It is all really sinking in. We are moments away from going to war with 32 other groups that have worked as hard to get here.
I always knew when to turn around. And here they come on full AB with smoke trailing. The year one of the last in formation dropped down and skimmed what looked to be lower then the tower. Right at stand level. He streaked over our heads and went nose up and back into formation above 1st turn.
Mary said to start-em up. Spun it to life. Pushed it off and went to the pit and waited for it to come in for service.

I miss that so much.

The calm before the storm.....

1989?

 

[churchmouse]

1989?

Yes

 

[Mark-DuCo]

Finally got to see my first 500 in person this year. It was pretty cool to see Helio win his 4th. I'm a Rossi fan and I swear he has the worst luck this year.

Seemed like there was hardly any passing this year.

The amount of annoying drunks kinda ruined it for me, hopefully they open the infield up next year so they can all hang out there.

 

[femurphy77]

My new Indy 500 memory is actually taking a break from the tree clearing we were working on to catch the last 50 or so laps. Finally found the race online at NBC Sports site (we don't have cable, antenna, etc) and sat down to watch it live for the first time in 20 years.

With 4 laps to go (Yeah, the best part of the race to that point) NBC pops up with "ARE YOU STILL WATCHING?" By the time I had satisfied it that I was in fact human and WAS still watching it was all over but the milk.

**** NBC!

 

[femurphy77]

Finally got to see my first 500 in person this year. It was pretty cool to see Helio win his 4th. I'm a Rossi fan and I swear he has the worst luck this year.

Seemed like there was hardly any passing this year.

The amount of annoying drunks kinda ruined it for me, hopefully they open the infield up next year so they can all hang out there.

Just remember that this was an abbreviated live spectatorship, just wait till they open it all the way.

 

[JAJORDAN765]

My dad and grandpa used to work security when I was a kid. They used to sneak me I'm and let me roam the track by myself oh the 80's when you could still do that.