US nationals at Indy

[dragnut]

Anyone going? We are thinking about it. found flights, hotel, just trying to book stand seats now. Anyone recomend anywhere, or is it ok to sit anywhere?

[Barry B]

I went to Indy in '99, sat in the seats that backed onto the midway looking at the track running from right to left. The sun shone on the seats on the other side of the track, if you get my drift.We stayed at the Country Hearth in West 38th st. (along with John Medlen and all the Pegregon syntec crew and Scott Kallitta's crew). We didn't bother to rent a car, we retained a local cab driver who picked us up in the morning, took us to the track (10 minutes drive) and picked us up at the end of the day. We went for the whole 5 days and were stunned that we had the place practically to ourselves on the Thursday, $10 each admission, sit where you like. Top Alcohol qualifying in dragster and Funny car seemed to go on for hours, there were over 90 alky teams there and nearly 60 nitro teams altogether. The pro pits were behind the stands on the far side of the track and the huge cloud of nitro fumes as the teams readied the motors, billowed over the stands like there was a fire over there. Friday night qualifying in TF & AA/FC was in the programme to start at 7pm, at roughly 5 minutes past the first pair of funny cars fired up under the lights, one was TJ Jnr driving the Joe Gibbs Interstate Batteries car just after Cruz Pedregon was given the early bath from the team. TJ ran 4.88 at 300 some odd miles per hour and parked it til raceday with #1 qualifier, the first time we'd seen a funny car go that fast and that quick ! Happy days.

Edited by Barry B on Thursday 14th June 16:39

Edited by Barry B on Thursday 14th June 16:42

[dragnut]

Wow, thanks! I know this is quite a big thing to ask, but do you remember what block/row were you in. Any recomendations? thanks.

[Barry B]

I'm sure I have the ticket stubs but it was sort of half way up and about 100 fet out from the tree, pretty much where we go when we spectate at the pod 'cept by the left lane, if that makes any sense. You'll get a cracking view wherever you sit mate. I'll get back there one of these days, my wife and I have a dream to go to Bristol the weekend before Labor Day for two nights of half mile oval NASCAR night racing mayhem at the Sharpie's Nextel Cup & Busch races, then a road trip up through Kentucky to Indiana for the US Nats the weekend after. Do the O'Reilly's motor accessory shop chain own Indianapolis Raceway Park now.. anyone know ?

Just to clarify a point dragnut, that $10 admission was for the Thursday qualifying day only, the other 4 days we had reserved seats, around $175 each for the 4 days I think.. mind you this was nearly 8 years !

Edited by Barry B on Friday 15th June 10:31