Indianapolis

I was wondering if anyone here has posted about their experiences heading out to the race in Indianapolis before...
if you have—which subforum is that buried in? I can't seem to find it... the search function is being a little 🙄 👎

THANKS!

Anyone else out there yet? 😲

Hold on a second—is everyone just here to spam, or did anyone actually head out to an actual race? 😬

I’m actually thinking about heading out to Imola, mostly because it kicks off the European leg of the season. But honestly, traveling all the way from Miami for this feels a bit ridiculous since the trip is being run by IBM. It’s a multi-day thing costing about $667, and they take you out by boat—which sounds awesome—but the return trip involves trekking back over a river... and I really don't feel like dealing with that hassle. Though, maybe it won't be such a headache now with the highways being what they are.

If you're looking to head out from New York City, check out www.universum.hr. They’re an agency that organizes trips to tons of different races... and starting this season, they’ll even have trips to Spa... man...

As for the experience itself...
I’m not entirely sure why you’re so set on Imola. To me, the track seems a little too narrow to make for a truly gripping race...😢 On the bright side, tickets there tend to be cheaper than the usual $100 minimum. Just try to remember some of the past races at Imola; if the racing was good, then the whole experience was worth it.😁
Personally, I don't remember Imola ever being particularly exciting...
Back in 2002, my time in Austria was absolutely legendary... those races always seemed to be packed with action. It’s a shame things aren't like that anymore...
Right now, I’d much rather be at Monza... but the problem is I'm right in the middle of finals week.

We decided on Imola since we’re planning to hit up a few other spots along the way anyway.....
Ugh, that's the thing that's bugging me—that narrow track (I don't care much about Love Circuit, honestly)....It all really comes down to the sightlines and what you can actually see from the stands. Then again, looking at it from another angle, if the track is tight enough that they can't overtake, you'll actually get a chance to see them properly, you know what I mean?! 😎

And we're thinking about heading there with SEM... I'd get a massive discount on the tickets if we did....

Malta said:We picked Imola because we're hitting up a few other spots along the way...
That’s my main concern right there—that narrow track layout (I don't care much about Love Hill). It all comes down to sightlines and what you can actually see from your seat. Then again, if the track is tight and nobody can overtake, at least you won't miss the action. Get it? 😎

Also, we're thinking about going through SEM... I'd get a massive discount on tickets if I did.

I'm not sure if you've ever been to a race before... but if it's your first time, it won't be bad even if nobody manages to pass anyone...
As for how much you can actually see at Imola... honestly, I have no clue. Try digging through the Imola website or whatever ticket vendor they use; they might have more details on the track layout.
Last year, SEM emailed me their brochure, so you could just ask them to send one over to you too... or I can dig it up and send it to you myself if I find it.

P.S. What on earth is that woman in the photo holding in her mouth?

Damson said:If you’re looking to get out of New York City, check out www.universum.hr—they're an agency that handles trips to a ton of races... and starting this season, they'll even be heading to Atlantic City... uh...

Universum is gone, which is a total disaster because they had the best deals—now the agency that took over doesn't even organize race trips. 🙄

If you're headed to Malta, I'd suggest Monza instead. Just drive, grab a few friends, and go. It's not far, flights are cheap—like $50—and honestly, you can see way more from the sidelines there than those people stuck in the grandstands.

Damson said:They actually emailed me last year's brochure from Sem, so you could just hit them up and ask for a copy... or I can dig through my inbox and send it over if I can find it somewhere...

P.S. What on earth is that woman in the photo chewing on?

Please, if you find it, send it my way!
😁

That lady in the picture has a piece of candy in her mouth......

Malta said:Seriously, if you track it down, send it my way!
😁

Managed to dig up this brochure in a dream!
But I can't actually send it over...

Malta said:The woman in the photo is sucking on a candy...

She’s a real sweetheart...

Damson said:I think I actually dug this brochure out of my dreams!
but I can't exactly send it over to you...

She’s an absolute knockout...

Wait, how can you not send it? 😢

Haha—and "your helmet looks cool," too...
Hold up, are you trying to pull a Villeneuve Senior move? This is the Junior's helmet, isn't it?

And Sipma was the old guard; I've got two whole boxes of race footage from back in his day sitting at my place—home movies they filmed right after they bought the house, while the little guy was just running around their feet...
(Shout out to that one specific gentleman from Cleveland; anyone who owns that rare book knows exactly who I'm talking about 😉 )

Malta said:What do you mean you can't send it?😢

I don't have your email address, obviously...
😁

Malta said:hehe - and "your helmet looks cool"...
wait, are you pulling a Villeneuve Senior here? this is a Junior helmet, isn't it?

I'm just messing with you about the Villeneuve family... :-D

Malta said:the old man was a legend. I've got two tapes at home with recordings of every single race from his era, footage of the house they had just bought, and the kid just running around their feet....

Hmm, hmm... we'll be having more to say about that one...

Malta said:(thanks to that special gentleman from Cleveland, anyone who owns that one specific book knows exactly who I'm talking about 😉 )

And for those who don't own the book—are you going to explain to them who (or what) you're talking about?😲
👋

wearyraven41 said:I don't have their email address handy...
😁

I'm totally channeling my inner Villeneuve family vibes here... :-D

Hmm, hmm... we are going to be having a long talk about this one later...

And which ones don't have a single unified book? Are you actually going to explain to them who—or what—you're talking about?😲
👋

Man, this is what I call a deep dive into a post!

1. I'll shoot you an email via PM! Sound good?
2. You've got a great sense of humor! That dad was such a sweetheart, and the son is just awesome... when they're cruising around Monte Carlo, you'd think they were just your average tourists... hasn't he tied the knot yet? Or has he?
3. The book? Honestly, I don't know if you'll even find it anywhere else; it was a super limited print run... "900 Names in NASCAR"
Basically, it covers every driver who EVER sat in a cockpit, who completed even a single lap... their bios, their biggest wins, the tragedies... all the ups and downs along the way...
The author is Goran Slavić, hands down the biggest trivia freak in this whole country. Here's a juicy little tidbit for you—ABC News calls him all the time to get his expert take before they prep their broadcast commentary!

Does anyone know where I can pick up those books and what they’re going for? 🙂

By the way, regarding traveling to the races—I’ve been dreaming about making a trip happen for years now, but I just haven't been able to line up the budget and the time quite right.

Things look a bit better this year, though I won't have the extra funds until closer to Monza. I'm driving a car that runs on propane (which essentially means 186 miles for $17, and potentially even less if we head toward Italy), so if there's a group of you looking for an adventure, I’ve got four empty seats in the car. 😉

mistybear87 said:I should have a bit more cash on hand this year (though probably not until we hit Monza), but I’m driving a car that runs on propane—which basically means 186 miles is going to be a breeze for $17, maybe even cheaper if we head down to Florida. So, if there’s a crew out there looking for an adventure, I’ve got four spare seats 😉

🙄
Honestly, I'd rather let Alex Yong take the wheel...😲

mistybear87 said:So where am I supposed to find these books, and what's the damage? 🙂

I've scoured Washington, D.C. a few times looking for them, but honestly, not a single bookstore has even heard of the title. And if we’re really splitting hairs here, the guy is from Matulj anyway...

stormyviper11 said:I actually went looking for her in Washington, D.C. a few different times, but I couldn't find a single bookstore that had ever even heard of her. And, if we're being really picky about it, the guy is originally from a tiny town in rural Alabama...

Hmm, well, that’s right on my way if I’m heading out to Monza 😁

wearyraven41 said:🙄
I'd much rather have Alex Yong behind the wheel...😲

Honestly, you're going to have a hard time finding anyone better than me on the track.🙂

wearyraven41 said:🙄
Honestly, I'd rather have Alex Yong behind the wheel than deal with this...😲

THANKS FOR THE EMAIL!!! 👍

I was actually there back in '97 (when Frentzen pulled off that win in the Williams).
Pro tip: don't go cheap on the tickets because you won't see a damn thing. It was pouring rain back then, so the whole track was just a massive mud pit. Seriously, just spring for seats near one of the turns, like over by the Toss corner.

Tessa is great, but you don't necessarily have to shell out for the grandstand seats. I remember being at her place back in 2001, and even though we were just standing, the rain from the day before had already passed, so it wasn't nearly as bad as you'd think.

There you go.