I need to add some thoughts on the event itself. I think I may go again some day, it was fun to watch them go around those curves. And it seems to be safer than I had originally thought also as we saw one bad spill when a rider lost it on turn 1 at probably well over a hundred miles an hour some say they take that curve at 140.
His bike slide down the track for maybe a quarter mile at least sliding onto the grass. He slid along behind it first on his tummy and then when he slowed a bit he flipped over onto his butt and then slid the rest of the way setting up until he hit the grass area of turn two and then just stood up and walked away over to his bike...
The leather outfits they wear must be very resilant to say the least...Of course the track was wet which would no doubt help a lot on the friction part of it...
But I enjoy it when they all take off from a standing start at the starting line and then zoom zoom for a few laps around the track...It reminds me actually of a bunch of honey bee's leaving the hive looking for honey...really does and then after a few laps they return to the pit areas kind of like a bee would do...And they kind of sound like a swarm of bees also as they move around all those turns in the quickest pace they can muster....
So I went because I wanted to see one of those races as I never had seen a motorcycle race ever...And the fact that the first races at the 500 track actually were motor cycles and not cars drew me there also...it was 99 years ago I found out at the "Indianapolis Hall of Fame Museum" that the first race was held at the track..Cars came along a couple years later but bike's were there first so I guess it is fitting they return. It is too bad it rained so much Sunday as it would have been pretty exciting with four seperate races taking place under drier conditions...
Maybe next year, one thing for sure it could not be any wetter...Wet they have had and these guys do run, rain or shine, so it does not stop them very long...A monsoon like was going on for a while did delay, but as soon as it let up they were out there and going...
The riders range in age from 14 or 15 up to 30 something...They are mostly small men of maybe 5 foot to 5 and a half feet and weight usually less than 150 pounds..it all helps with the quickness if the bike is not carrying a big guy...
We noticed that about half the spectators arrived on cycles of all types...and probably 75% were from out of state all over the nation, was fun to just walk along behind the bikes, admiring them, and looking at the plates where they were from...And the spectators also contained many who flew in from all over the world...So they do have some loyal folk who love to watch this sport...I think the stands were maybe less than 5% full so talk about starting from the bottom, they did...But I predict that this thing will grow, those loyals will all be there next year and I think curiousity will bring more and more locals as time move on...
Well that is my thoughts on bike racing, for me not as exciting as the 500 race or the brickyard 400 but maybe that is just what I am used too...I do have new respect for those men who have reached such a level of expertise as to ride on two wheels at 200 miles and hour into a curve at 140 laying it over where their knees almost hit the black top, quickly stand it back up and then lay it over to the other side to take the next curve...some duck tape a piece of steel to their knees so as they can actually let it hit the black top and make a few sparks as they make those turns....pretty darn exciting stuff all in all....
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