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“The Indy 500-Memories”
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They sing ‘Back Home in Indiana’ on Sunday.
Gentlemen start your engines will be replaced by the roar of engines
The Green flag will see guys leading the pack who posted 234mph laps.
The Greatest Spectacle in Sports will be run before 350,000-fans this weekend.
The storylines are amazing this weekend, just like the history of years and decades gone by.
But this Indy 500 has delivered surprises.
Start with the pole sitter, a Russian refugee, from Israel, who came from Formula 1-Robert Schwartzman, who has never raced on an oval. He is on a 1-race contract, and goes (232) to take the pole. An F-1 test driver on the pole. Who could imagine that.
Marquee names you would remember are in big trouble and the race has not started. Defending champ Josef Newgarden starts 32nd and teammate Will Power goes off 33rd on the grid, in the aftermath of an illegal equipment that led them to being DQ’ from qualifying upfront.
Upfront in the 2nd row are the likes of the legend from New Zealand Scott Dixon, and budding superstar Alex Palou, who has won 4-races this year already.
Pato O’Ward, the Mexican star, has run upfront but has not won the Indy, but he will be at the head of pack when the green flag drops too.
The leadup week has been marred by the Team Penske cheating scandal, that led Roger Penske to fire the top three execs of his legendary team, as a show of force about the integrity of the sport and this Sunday’s race too.
The Indy 500 has become a global event. The field is so international, it has a different feel and flavor now than a decade ago, than 100-years ago, than when Ray Harroun running in an old roadster won the first ever.
There is so much tradition come Sunday. It is a slice of Americana as they run for the 109th time.
It’s a race now just of speed and guts and luck and craft, it is a race of personalities.
AJ (Foyt) and Lone Star JR (Rutherford).
The Gas Man (Sneva)
Big Al and L’il Al (Unser)
Mario and Michael (Andretti)
The Boys from Brazil (Castroneves-Kanaan)
Vukie and Tony (Vukovich-Granitelli)
Spin and Win (Danny Sullivan)
It’s the brilliance of owners and visionaries like Roger Penske
It’s a race of heartache, late race crashes, blown engines and ever changing track conditions.
It’s daring last lap passes and brutal 1st lap crashes.
It’s airborne cars and terrible fires from back in the day with Swede Savage and Salt Walther..
It is everything you would ever want in the race, and we get it on Sunday.
The Indy 500…speed, speed and more speed. Safe run guys.
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