Carb Day 2012

Gentlemen and ladies start your engines. If you know anything about Indianapolis, that phrase should be familiar. Its a little known race called the Indianapolis 500. Yeah right... its a huge known race, like internationally known. Cant count the many times I have been overseas and folks ask me about it. They ask whether I have been or not and are astonished when I say no. Nope I have never gone to a race. Yes, I have been here 28 years and have never gone. Don't get me wrong, I am very aware of the 500. I know famous drivers... Buddy Lazier, Arie Luyendyk, Dan Wheldon and Tony Kanaan are a few of my favorites.

This experience doesn't just start and end with race day. There are many activities to do pretty much everyday leading up to the race and it draws folks from all over the world. Lets see there is Festival Kids day, Legends day, tons of qualification days and Carb day. What the mess is Carb day?

My friends would always talk about going and I really had no idea. Could they be talking about pasta of some sort? lol In actuality Carb day is short Carburetion Day. In previous years it was used as the last day for teams to "tune their carburetors to practice for the race. Since then no teams really practice, but there is a Freedom race (congrats Esteban Guerriari) and pit stop challenges. There is also a concert held in the infield. This year we dances to the sounds of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Here's is what Carb day really is. A bunch of "free-spirited" folks, that wake up at the crack of dawn, pack up a cooler filled with beer and head to the track. Its hot. Its sticky. Its dirty. But hey its a good freakin time. The roaring of engines around the track may not be from the big race car drivers, but something about it makes you dang proud to be a Hoosier. So pass me a Miller lite and a brat and sunscreen.

Lets get the party started. Happy Carb day!