Indy 500

[johnevans3]

Hey Chris, I will try to get some driver's cards for you.  I do want to get there early Sunday to go to the museum.  I won't be able to make the Sat. afternoon/night deal though.  I'll save that for Le Mans.  
and
FAX,  I will be coming in on Interstate 74, I believe, and around the loop west of downtown.  I would suppose the proper exit off the loop would be well marked to go to the "raceoval".  
It's so hard to think about going to a race where you sit on your a*s, watch cars go counter clockwise, and in a circle with no right turns, no passing in the turns, no downshifts.  What a crock!!!  and they have the gall to call this a race.  Oh well, it will be a good warmup for a real race in June.  See you there!!!

[Fax]

Hey John,
If your flying into Indy you'll just jump on I-465 and head north a couple of miles, the speedway exit is clearly marked for the Crawfordville Road exit, just north of the airport, but I usually go one more exit up to 38th street and jump off there, the traffic at the Crawfordville exit will get very backed up early on race morning, usually all the way back to 465.  I-74 runs between Cincinnati and Indianapolis (I live in Cincy).  Have fun!  I've seen some amazing races there, the 1982 & 85 500's are still the two most exciting motor races I've ever seen.
Fax

[johnevans3]

Fax, I will be flying into Cincinnati and driving up.  Will get in to Cin about 3:30 on Sat. afternoon.  I want to get a cheap motel room somewhere between Cin and Indianapolis.  Any ideas?  I noticed a couple of towns between them so there should be something there.  I just didn't know if you knew of anything in particular.  There will be at least 3 of us and possibly 4.  We will get up early Sunday and drive on in to the track.
Thanks for your advice on this.
John

[Fax]

John,
Fying into CVG, smart man.  Pretty straightforward to get to I-74 from CVG, just jump on I-275 west (the beltway around Cincy) which runs right past the airport. Stay on that until you junction with 74 and head west young man.  Shelbyville, Greensburg and Rushville (home of Tony Stewart) are both right off 74.  Maybe some rooms available there but you may end up in Cincy, its about a two hour chug from Cincy to IMS.  I'd meet you guys for a brew Saturday but my niece graduates from high school that afternoon.
My advice is just drive to the track, park in the Coca-Cola lot outside the north end of the track, or the north forty and party your faces off till morning.
Good luck,
Fax

[Dave H]

Hi John:

Haven't been lurking on CA lately - sulking about the fact that my 05 plans went up in smoke 7 months ago when I gave my wife the best 30 seconds she's ever had.

Anyway, I'm not too sure if I'm going to head to the track this year - I sometimes rent a suite and take clients which has always been fun as we get on the grid at the start - meet some of the owners etc.

As Fax has mentioned, it's definitely not the race of the 80s, but still a great time.  The Speedway is really quite shocking when you first go - it's vast.  Weather is typically good (except for the Tornado lock-down last year - but it was a good 2 miles south of the track and moved East quite quickly).

You indicated you were looking to stay in a hotel somewhere between Indy and Cinci.  Other than Batesville and Shelbyville, there's nowt between the two cities.  You're better off trying to get a place on the Northside of Indy that day.  There's always something.  I'll have a look for you if you'd like.  Send me a PM from my profile if you need any specific advice.  And of course, consider a trip to the Brass Flamingo.  As the old saying goes; "If they're covered in skin, they're as good as real!"

Dave

[Chris24]

John,

Don't forget that if you are driving to Indy fron Cinci, you will cross a time zone. It will take you two hours driving time but only an hour on the clock. So if you set off at say 8am, you would get to the speedway at approx 9am.

Regards
Chris

[johnevans3]

Some good advice coming thru guys.  Chris, I will remember the time deal and will check that because don't want to be late for return flight.  

Dave, as to motels, I will look at those towns for possibilities and if I don't see anything will look at Indy for accomodations.  BUT what about south of Indy rather than the north side???  But I do want to know....if that 30 seconds was really only 15 and if she gave you the best 15 seconds of your life?    Anyway, congrats, I'm happy for both of you.  P.S. If you do go and need a foursome to complete your group on the grid, please let me know.  One other thing.  We are thinking about Park and Ride and I see there is a location at the airport but I'm fearful of a traffic jam if a large group of people park there.  Any other ideas other than take our chances and park in the Indy parking lots.  We will be entering at gate 6, the Paddock Box seat area.

Fax, thanks for the driving instructions.  I don't have a good local map so wasn't sure if Hwy 275 wrapped around to connect to I-74 or not.  Good to know I don't have to thread throught the bridge and downtown.  It's been awhile since I have been up that way.  It is a beautiful drive as I recall coming from the airport upon the city....the river and all.
John

[Fax]

Hi John,
Glad you got a few pointers here.  Yes, the drive through the cut in the hill down into Cincy is lovely but with Interstates 71 & 75 combined at that point, traffic on the Bren Spence bridge crossing the river is hairy to say the least.  Also if there's a pile-up anywhere on 71 or 75 traffic can stop for hours.  If you take 275 west to 74 you'll catch 74 not far from the Indiana border.  As Chris mentioned as soon as you cross out of Ohio into Indiana you roll back an hour.  As for the park and ride, the buses get a escorted, straight shot into the speedway and WIBC radio always encourages spectators to use it.  We've always parked in the Lyons/Coca-Cola camping field outside the north-west end of the speedway.  Its about ten bucks and its a easy straight run back out onto 465 after the show.  To find the Coke lot take 465 to 38th street and head down school house road and wind your way through the residential area...plenty of parking in there too.  As Dave said, the scale of the place and the sea of humanity there is really something.  Just a shame Tony George is such a dickhead.
Fax

[Chris24]

My dad went to the 500 in 1993 in its hey day before IRL. He was staying at a hotel in I think Bloomington about 50 miles from the track and was back at his hotel in approx an hour after getting in the car on the Indy parking lot. So they are geared up to deal with traffic after the race so you should have no problems there.

When i went to the first Brickyard 400. We parked on the infield near the museum. The race finished at about 3.15pm, and we wanted to go out the track to the merchandise trucks across the street, so we asked what time they closed the gates. They said 5pm. I said you are kidding right , but no, he was serious, they closed the gates at 5pm. We returned at 4.45pm and there was only 5 cars left in the place ! I was stunned !

[Fax]

Chris,
One big reason they emptied the place so quickly for the Brickyard (and still do) is because for the Brickyard 400 they don't allow general admission to the infield, you have to have a grandstand or bleacher seat for infield admission. For the 500 people are still trying to get out of the infield well into the evening.  For the Indy 500 they still allow open seating from the infield, however its very restricted these days, the GP infield circut and golf course having eaten alot of the old infield areas, especially at the north end of the circut (inside turns three & four)  In the glory days of the 500 (pre 92-93) the infield crowd made up probably half of the crowd (500,000!) on raceday and equally as much of the spectacle.  The speedway has permanent seating for about 250,000 and they don't get much more than 300,000 for the 500 now.  The infield crowd is now mostly a bunch of pissed up Purdue and Butler University kids.
The legendary Snake Pit inside turn 1 and other such Indy icons are long gone, lamented memories now.  Its all very "family friendly" and sanitized now.
Fax