Tag Archives: Indianapolis 500

ATTENTION Displaced I-65 and I-70 Drivers!

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With the close of I-65 and I-70 between the North and South Splits for about two months, I have noticed are marked increase in the traffic on I-465…and so have the police departments!  So…just a few suggestions….

1.  Stop weaving in and out of traffic to get ahead of everyone…you might not make it!  Yesterday I had the pleasure of being in the center lane when a car zoomed past me on the right and cut all the way over to the left lane and flipped off the driver of the pick-up truck that was passing me on the left…who promptly flipped him back…really boys???

2.  Drive a consistent speed…I recommend 60 mph and set the cruise.  If everyone moves at a consistent speed we can avoid the speeding up and slowing down that plagues the morning and evening commutes.  Oh, and at 60…those police officers I mentioned likely won’t give you a second look.

3.  If you are going to be on the highway for a while, drive in the center lane, avoid all of those people getting on and off the highway and let the crazy people pass you on the left!

4.  Pay attention to your commute time and find alternate routes to your destination.  Let’s face it, we know that the NE corner connection to I-69 is always going to back up during the morning and evening commute times – if you don’t need it, find another way to go!  Also, the NW corner gets a little backed up during those times as well.

5.  Treat your fellow drivers with a little patience and a little respect…we are all trying to get someplace, drive courteously and pretend you are surprised when you reach your destination at little (or a lot) less stressed.

6.  Those of you driving city streets…this is not the Indy 500, that’s in May…SLOW DOWN and PAY ATTENTION…I don’t care how many points you pretend to earn for running over animals and humans, it just isn’t worth it!

Okay, so these are my tips for today, remember, the project is supposed to be over by the first week of November so before you know it, things will be back to what passes for normal traffic in Indy…just be grateful we don’t live in Atlanta!

Want more information on the project?  Visit the WTHR 13 website, links and info including a live video stream to see the progress as well as alternate routes, etc.  Want to buy a condo downtown to avoid the highway issue?  Click here and visit my website…I’ve got you covered from $2,595,000 to $59,500!  Have a great afternoon everyone…and drive safe!

Drive Safe

Vicki Reed

It’s that time of year…CARB DAY!

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Those of you who know me really well…and readers of this blog if you read the “It’s almost time” post from the beginning of the month…know that car racing is not my thing, but it is a HUGE thing for Indy and I support anything positive that brings focus to our great city!

Do you know the history of it?  Known for many years as “Carburetion Day,” and shortened only in fairly recent years simply to “Carb Day,” it refers to the day on which cars qualified for the starting field are given the opportunity to practice in “Race Day trim,” as opposed to the less-economical setups required for out-and-out speed during time trials. A major portion of this used to involve adjustment to the carburetors, but even after the introduction of fuel injection in the late 1940s, the original term “carburetion runs” continued to be used. For the record, the stock-block Ford-powered Lotus cars of Jim Clark and Dan Gurney in 1963 were the last to actually use carburetors on Carburetion Day.

So what does Carb Day mean to the fans…well, it’s an excuse to take the day off work, see the Pit Stop Challenge at 1:35, and this year…listen to one of the great “hair bands” from the 80’s…Poison!  Poison will take the Coors Light stage in the infield.  Click here for all the details!

From the IMS website, here are some Fun Facts about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway…

  • Churchill Downs, Yankee Stadium, the Rose Bowl, the Roman Colosseum and Vatican City all can fit inside the IMS oval, which covers 253 acres.
  • The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the world’s largest spectator sporting facility, with more than 250,000 permanent seats. If the seat boards from the grandstands at IMS were laid end-to-end, they would stretch 99.5 miles.
  • The first event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a helium gas-filled balloon competition on Saturday, June 5, 1909, more than two months before the oval was completed.

What about your memories of visiting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – here in Indy, we just call it “the track” – good, bad, had fun but can’t remember?  Share your memories with me!

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Vicki Reed