2015 Photo Journal - Indy 500 Carb Day

DAN'S PHOTO JOURNALS

CARBURATION DAY
Friday May 22, 2015

Got up at 10:30 am. ET was showered and already up.
Looked like a nice day.

DR and Ron were going to travel with us. I told them we
were leaving at noon to try and catch the Indy Lights Race.

We parked at the end of the North 40 for free.

By the time we got to the North Vista, the Indy Lights race
was already over. Bummer.

We walked over to the bench and waited on a ride.
We got a ride in a courtesy van. The driver took us all the
way to the Pagoda, then under the track and dropped us off
at the Paddock! Wow, saved us a huge walk. I jokingly told
him I would call him when I was ready for a pickup.

ET wanted to be in the penthouse, so we marched up the
stairs. We sat in the top row where the most breeze was
and watched the Pit Stop competition. We were directly
across from the pagoda, which was south of the action.

Later, Michie joined us. She was nervous about climbing the
outdoor stairs so high and DR helped her. A little later,
Patrick showed up too.

After the show was over we trekked back to the car. It felt
like a long walk. I’d been drinking hi-alcohol beer all day.
D.R. had not been drinking, so he drove us all in my car.

I didn't plan a party for this year like I did last year, but I
heard people would be stopping by. I texted a band and
told them to come over and party with us.

We stopped for steaks and stuff. By the time we got home,
the band was already there waiting on us.

Soon, others showed up and everyone pitched in money for
the band.

I was starving, so I got the steaks cooking on the grill as the
band set up.

Other people who were not at the speedway started showing
up too.

The band played several sets. Some of us went hot tubbing.

It ended up being a fun party day.

Many fans kiss the bricks

Towards the end of the pit stop competition, I was trying to
get everyone to hurry up and go. I wanted to beat the crowd
that would be heading to the concert. They kept goofing
around and finally Ron followed me as I left them behind.

Through a miracle, our driver and van was just passing by as
we hit ground level. I got him to let us in and he then took us
around the outside of the track and back in on the north
side and dropped us off at the concert entrance! Wow, our
lucky day. Another big walk avoided!

It had already started – O.A.R. was performing.

Large Crowd for Pit Stop Competition

Pit Stop Competition between Graham Rahal and Helio Castronves. Castroneves would go on to win the whole thing.

Indy Girls and Firebird shoots T-shirts up to the audience

Jakes vs Bell

Hawksworth vs Tagliani

Kimball vs Sato

Andretti vs Kimball

Briscoe vs Castroneves

VIP grand stands

We didn’t have VIP passes, but we should have. The whole
front of the concert was for VIP and there was a fence
keeping everyone else further away. I saw this guy jump it.
He was seen immediately by a guy in a black "Security"
t-shirt who pointed the exit to him.

Ron and I made our way as close as we could, maybe ten
“rows” back from the fence. It was packed! I enjoyed O.A.R.

After O.A.R. ended, Ron wanted to head to the back and look
for our friends. We found them and I stood around talking to
them and didn't pay much attention to .38 Special.

The music wasn't very loud back there since they didn't have
speakers set up that far back.

I wanted to go back toward the front when Jane's Addiction
began playing. Yvonne went with me. She got us all the way
to the fence! The crowd had died out some by then.

The band had a couple girls who were swing around
suspended by hooks. Weird.

O.A.R. band

Your humble narrator

A lot of people watch from the Tower Terrace seats. From my
experience, you can't see anything from there due to people
and stuff in the way. You can see the action a lot better if you
walk outside the track and sit in the Paddock.
There were a lot of people in the paddock, but plenty of space.