Back Home in Indiana
It’s the Indianapolis 500…the Old Brickyard…Gasoline Alley..Pit Row… and Jim Nabors singing ‘Back Home in Indiana’.
The 500 is about personalities and people who became the sport.
Lonestar JR and AJ…Johnny Rutherford and AJ Foyt.
The Boys from Brazil..Emerson Fittipaldi and Tony Kanaan.
It’s the Foreign Legion…Ari Luyendyk and Dario Franchitti
It’s Big Al and Little Al…the Unsers.
The Gasman and the Spiderman…Tom Sneva and Helio Castroneves.
Its Father and Son…Mario and Michael..the Andrettis’.
It’s the dudes from down under and those over there..New Zealand’s Scott Dixon to Will Power.
It’s the battle of the Brits, Jackie Stewart to Graham Hill.
It’s those who came and then went..Tony Stewart to Danica Patrick.It’s those who raced-those who died..Eddie Sachs-Swede Savage-Salt Walther-Billy Vukovich.
It’s history, the early days Ralph Harroun, Ralph DiPalma and Maury Rose.
It’s racing with an engineer on board, or doing 500-laps on cobblestone.
It’s technology, roadsters to turbines, Cosworth’s to rear-engines.
It’s the inventors…Tony Granatelli to Roger Penske to Parnelli Jones.
It’s pit stops and cut tires, fires and flashy finishes.
It’s breathtaking close finishes…the whine of engines..the horrible sound of steel on cement wall crashes.
Sunday is a slice of Americana, the greatest spectacle on earth.
It will be fast, you hope it won’t be fatal.
Green flags to checkered rings…Drinking the milk to kissing the bricks.
Memorial Day weekend. After you give thanks to all who gave in the Military…go watch them race.
The Indianapolis 500…safe run guys and gals.
