Our Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway!

Well we have great news to share! Chrysa just found out that she will be staying on for another assignment here in Indiana. Don’t worry, we are not permanent residents. Basically we are playing the long game. Chrysa gets the guarantee of another assignment, while picking up skills for the future. This will help land other assignments in fun and exotic locations. We are really looking forward to spending the dead of winter in the southwest, and seeing spring in New England.

Personally, I am thrilled that we will get to see fall in Indiana. When we ran around the Purdue campus both Chrysa and I remarked how beautiful the campus would be when the leaves turned. Now, we will get to see it in person. Three months isn’t really enough time to see what Indiana has to offer. Now we have a better chance.

Congrats Chrysa!

The Indianapolis 500 seems to be a constant in my life. My brother and I would watch the race most years with my dad. We would spend some time learning the names of the drivers, and would try to guess who the winner would be. After all these years we still call and text each other on race day and try to guess who will go home with the trophy. Years later, I brought Chrysa in on the tradition, and she managed to guess the winner the first time she watched. We listened to the race as we drove to New York for our wedding. We even listened to the race as we moved Chrysa to Indiana.

Chrysa and I got up late last Sunday. We were really supposed to do laundry, but neither of us really felt like it. We were both in the mood to get out of the house and see something new. As Chrysa hopped in the shower she put the Indiana guidebook in front of me and said, “here you go, find something to do.” I was in one of those mood when you know you are bored but you also know that nothing will really grab you. I sighed and cracked open the magazine. I got to page 2. On page 2 there was a map, and on the map there was Speedway Indiana. That was it! That was what we were going to see! Chrysa said yes immediately when I suggested the idea. In no time we were out the door and on the way to the track.

The first stop is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and Hall of Fame. The Museum is on the infield and to get to it you have to drive under the track through a tunnel big enough for a tractor trailer. It’s really impressive. The entrance to the infield really set the tone for the rest of the trip. After a quick picture in a pace car we entered the museum. The building houses cars from all the different eras as well as pictures, trophies, and other memorabilia. We were taking the tour but even if we didn’t, the museum would be worth the trip.

We climbed aboard the bus at tour time. The first activity is a lap of the track. I couldn’t believe it. I was lapping the Indy 500 track! After the 30 Mph spin we stopped at the hallowed brick yard. We got out of the bus and were allowed to walk around a bit and kiss the bricks. I was really surprised by how much freedom to roam you get. The only rule was that you couldn’t climb the fence like Helio Castroneves.

After the yard of bricks we got to see some of the inner workings of the track. The guides were very informative and gave us a lot of history about the trackside buildings. I got to sit at the table where they give all the press conferences with the winners. We also got to see the media room. According to the guides the room is longer than a football field. Finally we got to go inside the pagoda where you can see all the way to Indianapolis. This section of the tour also takes you to the winners circle. It’s an amazing photo op that can’t be duplicated. While getting your picture taken you can actually see the milk stains from years of winners taking a swig. Drinking milk after driving in a hot, cramped, racecar for 500 miles doesn’t seem that appealing but, tradition is king.

The tour concludes on the midway and the garages and then it’s back to the museum. I really can’t say enough about this tour. I was amazed by how much you get to see and do for $25. The tour itself was amazing and the guides make it even better. Our two guides were very fun and knowledgeable. They were so welcoming that we even picked their brains for directions to Indianapolis and a place to eat. We got excellent advice and headed out on the short drive to the state capitol.

I will never forget our trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was an overwhelming and amazing experience. It really is an experience that is so big it needs to be shared. My mother is coming to visit in August. I called her from the track when I got there. She seemed excited by the prospect of seeing the track too. I hope I get to take her.