One for the Record Books--The 100th Running of the Indy 500
May 31, 2016
The Indy 500--no other automobile racing event has been more prestigious, or more treacherous. The evolution of automobile racing, and the automobile itself can be credited to the buzz that surrounds the Indy 500 and the drive to win the biggest race of them all. And to think, 40 teams entered the race in 1911, all driving cars that you may have never heard of--National, Knox, Westcott and many others. The Marmon Wasp and its driver, Ray Harroun claimed the first Indy 500 victory, and this car still resides in Speedway, Indiana. Several years ago, Corky Coker and his crew at Honest Charley built a replica of the famed Indy racer, so it has been quite a popular display piece since it was finished and debuted at the 2011 Indy 500. And though the 2011 event was technically the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500, we had to wait until 2016 to see the 100th running, due to the pause in racing caused by the World Wars (two year pause for World War I and a four year pause for World War II). The folks from Firestone invited Corky Coker and his Marmon Wasp replica for a full VIP experience of the 100th Indy 500, and it was truly a spectacular weekend of festivities. The Marmon Wasp would be on display in the Marriott hotel lobby, with Firestone signage and history on the car.
Our fun started on Saturday, with a quick pass through the garage, and where we saw Firestone racing tires everywhere! Did you know that Firestone tires were under the Marmon Wasp when it won Indy? Yeah, the Firestone crew has been around Indy for a while now. After our walk through the garage, we checked out the Hall of Fame, which was very crowded and gave us a sense of what the spectator turnout was going to be like for Sunday's race. Later in the evening, we watched a Blake Shelton concert and then headed back to rest up for the big day--Sunday, May 29th, the day of the 100th running of the Indy 500.
Wow, what a turnout, and what a race! More than 300,000 people poured into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 200-lap race. It was a true sell out crowd and everyone there was happy to see clear skies and a beautiful day for racing. When the green flag waved, 33 cars started the race and crowd went wild. With many lead changes throughout the day, and then an odd pitting sequence, the field was shaken up at the end of the race. A few cars stayed on track instead of pitting, taking a chance on running out of fuel, but it was American rookie, Alexander Rossi, taking the win, after coasting nearly the entire final lap to save fuel and retain the lead. It was an awesome way to finish the weekend, and such a great way to celebrate a major racing milestone. We're so thankful for our partners at Firestone for giving this opportunity to Corky, as well as Kindall and Will Jolly, who helped transport the Marmon Wasp. It's a once in a lifetime deal, and we wanted to share some pictures from our experience!
Our fun started on Saturday, with a quick pass through the garage, and where we saw Firestone racing tires everywhere! Did you know that Firestone tires were under the Marmon Wasp when it won Indy? Yeah, the Firestone crew has been around Indy for a while now. After our walk through the garage, we checked out the Hall of Fame, which was very crowded and gave us a sense of what the spectator turnout was going to be like for Sunday's race. Later in the evening, we watched a Blake Shelton concert and then headed back to rest up for the big day--Sunday, May 29th, the day of the 100th running of the Indy 500.
Wow, what a turnout, and what a race! More than 300,000 people poured into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 200-lap race. It was a true sell out crowd and everyone there was happy to see clear skies and a beautiful day for racing. When the green flag waved, 33 cars started the race and crowd went wild. With many lead changes throughout the day, and then an odd pitting sequence, the field was shaken up at the end of the race. A few cars stayed on track instead of pitting, taking a chance on running out of fuel, but it was American rookie, Alexander Rossi, taking the win, after coasting nearly the entire final lap to save fuel and retain the lead. It was an awesome way to finish the weekend, and such a great way to celebrate a major racing milestone. We're so thankful for our partners at Firestone for giving this opportunity to Corky, as well as Kindall and Will Jolly, who helped transport the Marmon Wasp. It's a once in a lifetime deal, and we wanted to share some pictures from our experience!