2017 Indy 500 Photo Journal - Pole Day

DAN'S PHOTO JOURNALS

101st INDY 500
2nd Day of Qualifying
Sunday, May 21st, 2017

D.R. and I headed to the track very late - at 3:30pm.

I parked in same spot as yesterday, but the price had doubled to $20.

We went to the Hulman Terrace Suites and immediately got our Pit
passes.

There were more people here today than yesterday.

We went to the far south end of the pits, where there were only a couple
qualifiers left to go (of the slowest 24 drivers).

We then hung out by the Alley Cats in Gasoline Alley.

We saw these drivers go past - Fernando Alonso, Will Power, Helio
Castroneves, Alexander Rossi, and Simon Pagenaud.

I decided to return to the suites to watch qualifying of the Fast Nine
instead of watching from the pits. That was probably a dumb idea, but I
feared the pits might be packed and I wouldn't get to see much from
ground level.

Drivers were hitting 231 mph!

For a moment, Fernando Alonso was on pole!

Scott Dixon came out and ran 232 mph!!!

He won the day!

We left and headed homeward, stopping at Roscoe’s Tacos for carry-out.
They have good tacos.

Later I learned that Scott Dixon (and his wife and Tony Kanaan) made a
run to Taco Bell, where they were robbed at gunpoint while sitting in the
drive-thru! I'm glad they were ok.

I wished I would have brought them some tacos from Roscoes!

6845 Bluff Rd, Indianapolis
(317) 886-7914

Back in the old days, say the 1930s to 1960s, track workers wore pith helmets,
most adorned with a gold bear and a symbol we probably haven't seen since
the 70's - BEAR Safety Service.

I decided to try and duplicate that look this year. First I bought a white pith
helment. Then using Photoshop and old photos, I recreated the stickers that
were on the hats back then. I also found a T-shirt on eBay with the "Bear 500
Safety Service".

I wore it today and forgot to
get my picture taken in it before
the stickers all blew off.

I expected a lot of people to
recognize and comment on it.
I thought the memory of it would
make a few old men happy.

Not a single person mentioned
it to me today.

Oh well, I did learn that pith
helmets do a great job protecting
you from the sun.

Here are some photos from
long ago...