Frank Bullitt

The circuit may have not been the best but all the tradition of the venue, and the good people of Indiana made it awesome.

Chime in muchachos!

multi21

Was there 3 times for the USGP (Thankfully not the year of the Michelin tire fiasco) and I found the circuit to be fine especially the fact that there was passing on the long straight. The venue was fine too.

The people of Indianapolis were pretty much indifferent or hated the fact that F1 was there. Even the track workers in the stands were not particularly hospitable.

The problem was there was not much to do once away from the track. Typically one is there from Thursday to Monday morning and there is only so many times you can see the circular monument and the indoor mall.....

It's time for another venue.

mj951

Sure do, drove down 6 years in a row.

My buddy and I met and became friends with one of three cheif mechanics on the Toyota F1 Team and hung out with them throughout the weekends. Great group of guys very down to earth, brings back good memories. The last year of the race we got an exclusive tour of the Toyota padock on the Thursday morning pit walk about. Two hours plus walking through Toyota's complete set up. Saw the car up close, garage, back of garage, six computer racks that managed the cars over the race weekend, one rack for each of the three cars with an identical back up. At the time 287 sensors were on each car and down loaded on every lap. Held Ralphs steering wheel and fliped through the gears, saw the oil diagnosis machine that is used to sample oil everytime the car gets started, looked down the butterfly valves of the intake on a spare engine, held and fired the starter motor, interupted a meeting in the engineering trailer, and walked through the food court. One of the coolest life experiences ever. On our way back out they were just about to start Jarno's car for the first time that weekend so we hung out for a few more minutes. Standing three feet from the car while on stands in the garage as the computer runs it through a set series of revs and gear changes...man, I still get chills thinking about it.

I'm looking forward to Austin but with Toyota out of the series it will not be the same. The racing at Indy was fine, Austin will be better but the weekends we had at Indy were unforgetable, look forward to them all year long.

Nizer

Other than watching Ralf's constant attempts to get up close and friendly with the wall, not one bit.

Can't wait for Austin, although what I'd really like is for F1 to man-up and take it back to The Glen.

87944turbo

Yes, mostly because it was in my backyard. Nothing like hoping in the car and arriving at the F1 circus 20 minutes later. Watching Mika Hakkinen take his last win and beat Schumacher was something I will never forget, miss those battles.

GT3 Techno

Was there once and the F1 racing wasn't well served with the infield slow turns. I was very impressed by the size of the place and all the logistic to manage 200,000 people getting in and out. I can't imagine how it is when it is at full capacity (400,000 ?).

AutoAtlanta

I went in 2007, and I LOVED the experience. The drivers were very accessible. The track is very gorgeous, and you feel the significance of the history weighing down on you.

GuyIncognito

when I lived in STL I loved it...I could go to a grand prix without having to fly anywhere or stay in a hotel. wake up early on race day, drive over, park at the airport, bus to the track, watch race; removal the reverse of installation. loved it!

and yes, I love the history of the speedway, and good ol' midwestern open wheel fans can't be beat.

Tedster

The Central Indiana PCA was a great host. I went with my son three times, also glad to have missed the Michelin debacle. We toured West Racing one year and met Patrick Long. The Cup Cars and BMW open wheel car races were fun to watch. PCA discounted grandstand seats were great, by turn one. Being three hours from home was great. Not sure I will make it to Texas.

DWS964

And we miss the police escort from downtown Indy to the track on race day - with parking on the back stretch of the track. Very cool.
I still don't think that most racing "fans" in the US get the whole idea of F1, and thus can't appreciate F1 fans.
I wish the USGP would return. It seems a shame to waste a track with both left turns AND right turns.
But I agree with Nizer - the ultimate would be a return to The Glen.

Frank Bullitt

Attended this race every year with one exception and I never ran out of crap to do. The good folk of Indianapolis were always unversally outfreakingstanding. Gracious to a fault. was admiring an original GT-40 in the parking lot of the 3-story suite complex and this old boy comes out and starts to describe his car to us in great detail. We tell him we're guests of a good amigo of mine down on the bottom level. He invites us "upstairs'... to the freaking Colt's Suite to watch the race from a better angle.

Could be the crew you've been running with.



Pretty sure a race in the Texas summer out there on a prairie would be an improvement.

Frank Bullitt

The freaking history of the place. So many years and so many types of racing. The way the entire grandstand section vibrates like a **** when the field chimes through @ 18,000 rpm. One year a compadre of mine happened to stay in that little motel right there on Speedway property. Hotel manager sees him a day after check-in and says... "That's the same room Paul Newman" was filmed in during the shooting of 'Winning'.

Good stuff all around and you can NOT beat mid-western hospitality. I'll always have great memories of these races at the Speedway.

M758

I went a bunch of times. I had tickets every year and I think I missed just 2 of those years. I sat at turn 1 of the road course for races and did the mounds in infield during practice. I even was in the background of photo of Alonso wrecked that was in F1 racing magazine. It was fun to go, but I really don't miss it either. Interestingly Indy was much farther than Austin and I have no plans to go to Austin to see F1. Not so much to do with Indy vs Austin, but I am not that into F1 any more. Rather not spend the money right now. Plus it is sort of "been there done, that".

I do recommend people go and see F1 cars live in person. The experience is unreal. You don't get as good view of the actual racing, but sounds is just something special. F1 cars even the slow ones are simply amazing.

ilko

Never went, so I can't say I miss it. I go to Montreal instead, and that's a world-class facility in a city that goes nuts for F1. I doubt there is any other city on the F1 calendar that gets more excited about the race, Monaco included. The atmosphere in Montreal is amazing. And I plan on going there in the future. Just hopping into the car and 6 hours later you're in a foreign country with a different vibe is priceless. Not sure if I'll go to Austin anytime soon. I've been to Austin in the summer before. Enough said.

Frank Bullitt

However you pay out the wazoo for tickets to the event there in Canada.

Indianapolis made F1 accessible to the masses. Great seats for $85 the entire time it was held there. Simple crap such as $2 hotdogs and $4 Big Azz Coors cans. You could bring a cooler in with all your own sweet, sweet, booze if that was your thing. Friendly atmosphere. Sturdy looking Indiana girls. What the Hell was not to love?