2008 RedBull Indy GP - Friday

In a word. Ick. Here I refer to the weather, not the on-track action which was amazing. I never did make it to a Formula One race when the the USGP was at IMS, so this was my first time seeing the Speedway in its road course configuration. Looking at the track, the flow of the curves, and the transitions from infield to the oval sections, I thought it was the absolute best possible layout. Many who had never experienced the Speedway before were extremely skeptical of the IMS road course being like to many other 'rovals', thinking that infield section would be tight and twisty with few if any passing zones, and the transition onto the front stretch would be from a flat track to a severe banking. Those of us who know the Speedway knew better.

The initial forecast was for an 80% chance of rain all three days as the remnants of Gustov continued to pelt Indiana, and Ike was on its way. For Friday, that prediction wasn't wrong, and our first signs of what the day was going to be like were splattered all over our windshield as we drove in from our stay at Effingham, IL. We outpaced the rain and when we arrived at the track, the weather was grey and overcast, but dry.

We parked in the infield inside of Turn 3 of the oval and started making the long trek around the track. Our first contact with the course and the MotoGP bikes was at the back stretch at the entrance to Turn 10. Much like with seeing the IndyCars at speed live versus on TV, you don't truly appreciate the speed these riders carry until you see them whip by you at 160-180 mph. Seeing them ride at those speeds on a wet track was even more astounding! We slowly walked our way down the back stretch to see Turns 6, 7, 8, and 9. This was a neat viewing area, but also a low-action area. It offered a great view of the bikes and the pagoda, though.


After touring the Museum (3rd time this year for me, and 1st for my brother and his friend), we met up with a fellow member of the F1Weekly forum, Apexslide. He invited us up to the Stand B Penthouse boxes which was excellent since it had started to rain in earnest and the awning was greatly appreciated! The view of the front stretch, the pits, and the Turns 1 through 4 complex was great, it was at the same time a very bleak view. The rain never let up all afternoon long, completely drenching the track causing some puddling in places including the entrance to Turn 1. Bad place for a puddle as Tony Elias found out. Its really amazing how these riders can fall off the bike at 150+ mph, slide across asphalt, turf, and gravel and then standup, pick their bike up, and ride away. Elias ended up being just fine and did quite well for the remainder of the day. The rain never did stop, and continued to fall well into the evening promising for a wet start to Saturday morning.

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