leejacksonaudio Posted May 30, 2021 Today is the big day! The 105th running of the Indianapolis 500! This is the fastest field in the history of the event, with most of the 33 drivers separated by less than 3 mph. Television coverage in the States (scroll down) gets under way on NBCSN at 9am EDT, then race coverage begins on NBC at 11am and runs until the race is over. You can access an interactive Spotter Guide here, or you can download a PDF of one from this link. And before you say anything, these guys (and gals - see Simona de Silvestro and her team) are the real deal. There's no "Digger Cam" to make a cartoon out of the Big Show. They're not just turning left for 500 miles. No, they're just a SAFER barrier away from losing life or limb. They'll each be hitting over 240 mph down the straights going into turns 1 and 3, with 32 of their closest friends vying for the same real estate. People have died at this track, although thankfully not since the 90s. However, the cool weather will make the racing closer than ever, putting extra pressure on an already tense field, which could result in an incident like the one that almost killed James Hinchcliffe a few years ago when he crashed out during practice. Like I said, this is the real deal - "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." So, let's discuss. Who are your favorite drivers? Who were your favorite drivers in previous years? Who do you think is going to win (consult the Spotter Guide if necessary)? Have you ever been to the track before? To the Indy 500 before? Let's talk it up, before, during, and after the race! 2 Share this post Link to post
leejacksonaudio Posted May 30, 2021 (edited) I'll get things going. My favorite drivers are usually anyone who drives for A.J. Foyt Racing, since my favorite driver from the past is A.J. Foyt. I grew up in Houston, where A.J. was practically worshiped as a demigod, thanks to him being the first racer to ever win the Indy 500 four times. So, for today's race, I will be backing A.J.'s three drivers - J.R. Hildebrand, Sebastian Bourdais, and Dalton Kellett. However, I also like Takuma Sato, who formerly drove for A.J., but now drives for Rahal-Letterman-Lanigan. He's a two-time winner and the defending champion from last year's race. Who do I think will win? I think Scott Dixon has a damned good chance. He's been fast all month long. I'd like to see Tony Kanaan come out and kick ass (another former A.J. Foyt driver, and my wife's favorite). Could this be the year that Helio Castroneves joins Foyt, Unser, and Mears as a four-time winner? He's got a good car, so I'm not going to count him out. Have I ever been to the track before? Yes, to the disaster that was the 2005 United States Grand Prix (read the link for the story - we got our money back). We have not been to the Indy 500, but I personally would like to some day - it's a bucket list item. Simply going to the track should be on everyone's bucket lists. That place is huge. It makes the Texas Motor Speedway look like a go-kart track. The sheer immense size of it is mind-boggling. It's a must see. Edited May 30, 2021 by leejacksonaudio 0 Share this post Link to post
Redneckerz Posted May 30, 2021 After Dutch hero Rinus Veekay won his first Indycar and the fact Indy500 is finally aired here tonight, ofcourse ill watch it. I watch Indy/NAScar from time to time (in the Netherlands) and i enjoy the sport alot. So here is to a great Indy 500. Ed Carpenter Racing obviously aint a leading team, but who knows! Veekay did get into the top qualifying, so lets see how that goes. 1 Share this post Link to post
leejacksonaudio Posted May 30, 2021 4 minutes ago, Redneckerz said: Ed Carpenter Racing obviously aint a leading team, but who knows! Veekay did get into the top qualifying, so lets see how that goes. ECR always seems to pull a rabbit out of their helmet at the Brickyard somehow. They managed to tune up their Chevy engines better than anyone else in the field this year, so count them out at your peril. ;) Personally, I'd love to see a Dutch contingent at the track. The thought of a group of orange-clad crazies wearing huge, floppy, foam cowboy hats and cheering on Rinus Veekay every time he goes by would be quite the sight to watch. Almost as much fun as watching the aftermath of Verstappen's win at Monaco this year. 0 Share this post Link to post
Redneckerz Posted May 30, 2021 2 hours ago, leejacksonaudio said: ECR always seems to pull a rabbit out of their helmet at the Brickyard somehow. They managed to tune up their Chevy engines better than anyone else in the field this year, so count them out at your peril. ;) Personally, I'd love to see a Dutch contingent at the track. The thought of a group of orange-clad crazies wearing huge, floppy, foam cowboy hats and cheering on Rinus Veekay every time he goes by would be quite the sight to watch. Almost as much fun as watching the aftermath of Verstappen's win at Monaco this year. Rinus's carreer seems to mimic that of Max's. Ill be tuning in, although id love to see an oldbie like Castroneves hitting it big one more time. Sato can always surprise. And what about Grosjean? I feel other known names like Newgarden, Will Power (Still the best name combination of any driver out there) and Hunter-Reay will disappoint. 0 Share this post Link to post
leejacksonaudio Posted May 30, 2021 26 minutes ago, Redneckerz said: And what about Grosjean? He's not running - he's only doing the road and street courses. Pietro Fittipaldi is running the ovals in his place. 0 Share this post Link to post
Redneckerz Posted May 30, 2021 12 minutes ago, leejacksonaudio said: He's not running - he's only doing the road and street courses. Pietro Fittipaldi is running the ovals in his place. That's odd, - I swear the Wikipedia page had him listed as a driver. Oh well. In 20 mins it all starts! 0 Share this post Link to post
leejacksonaudio Posted May 31, 2021 It turns out that yesterday was quite the momentous day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The running of the 105th Indianapolis 500 not only produced the fastest race of all time and the fewest caution flags of all time, it saw the induction of another member into the Four-Time Winner Club. Helio Castroneves of Sao Paolo, Brazil joined A.J. Foyt, Jr., Al Unser, Sr., and Rick Mears as the only people who have won the Greatest Spectacle in Racing four times. After a fierce battle for the lead of the race in the final 15 laps, Helio pulled off a pass with 2 laps remaining to take the lead and made it stick. The pandemic-limited capacity crowd of 135,000 erupted as he crossed the finish line first. The 46-year-old Castroneves, nicknamed "Spider-Man" for his post-victory fence-climbing antics, did not disappoint, parking his Honda-powered machine near the Yard of Bricks on the track and scaling the safety fence in short order after his win. 1 Share this post Link to post
leejacksonaudio Posted June 3, 2021 As it turns out, twelve new records were set during the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500. Check out the link for the list. 2 Share this post Link to post