Brickyard 400

This here post is a short bit about my Brickyard experience.  Lucky lady here had another amazing opportunity!  Incredible, I tell you.  INCREDIBLE!  Thanks to my big bro, stud engineer, I had a backstage pass (or inside track perhaps?) to one of NASCAR’s biggest events.  I loved every minute of it, and me and my camera went wild.  I often see this stuff from the television, and it’s so cool to be right in the thick of things.

Me & Tom.

Throughout this post, we’ll be rooting for the “go tommy dot com team,” ok?!

Some things I learned and/or was reminded of…

That right here in our backyard (of Indianapolis), we have one of the most magnificent sporting venues in the world.  It doesn’t matter if it’s your first or fiftieth time to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS)…it’s awe-striking every time.

…That it’s really fun to walk the tunnels while the cars thunder ’round the track.  Then, when they’ve passed, you let out a big “whoooop!” or a “get ‘er done!” and enjoy the thundering echo of your own voice.

…That the IMS has sweet garages.  And it’s fun to be on the inside of that fence surrounding them.

…That precision and preparation both at the shop and at the track are non-negotiable.  Every detail counts.  Scales are positioned, leveled and zeroed-in below.

…That it’s a dirty, hot job and requires lots of note-taking.

…That Jack Johnson and NASCAR do mix!  Here’s the Johnson boys, Jimmie and Jack…I assume they’re Cali buddies.

…That track food is really something to look forward to!  I did not have Clabber Girl’s biscuits & berries on this day.  Rather, I enjoyed biscuits & gravy on raceday morning

…That there’s a lotta rubber.  At 3Gs a set!  For four tires!

…That raceday is buzzing with energy, and heading out to the start line is pretty spectacular.

…And that walking down pit lane just before the start is surreal.  I made several 360 spins to make sure I could catch everything.

…That our “scoreboard” beats all others.

…That the #5 car’s pit box was in the best possible spot for viewing purposes!  Pagoda.  Start-Finish Line.  Bingo!

…That while superstars were found all around us, the only one I cared about was this one!

…That the pit crew dudes are big time.

…That I love the posting of colors and fly-overs.  Gives me chills every time.

…That the pit boxes are transformers.  And they’re stocked with everything imaginable.

…That you don’t get to see much of the action from the pits.  So, you watch on the big screen opposite, or poke your head behind one of those transformers just shown.

…That rubber buildup on the tires must be removed in order to get accurate tire-wear measurements.

…That pit stops are intense.

…And at the end of the race, the victorious team gets the biggest thrill ever.

…That Jamie McMurray became only the third driver in NASCAR history to win both the Daytona 500 AND the Brickyard 400, the two top events in the sport, in the same year.

…That it’s a good idea to be far enough away from victory circle to avoid being showered in sticky beverages.

…And most impressive?  That car owner Chip Ganassi (far right) won the big three – The Daytona 500, The Indy 500 and The Brickyard 400 – all in the same year!  That’s huge.  HUGE!

So proud of our Speedway.  And so proud of my big brother.