100 Years at Indy

It truly is the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing," and maybe the Entire Sporting World

I have relatives in Louisville who swear the Kentucky Derby is "the most exciting 2 minutes in sports." They tell me every year, and every year I scoff. I tell them over half the crowd never sees a horse. I tell them nobody outside the track has ever heard of any of the competitors. And I tell them simply that until they've seen the opening laps of the Indianapolis 500, they ain't seen nothin' yet. You don't know "goose bumps" until you hear "Back Home Again in Indiana" and sit through the next 10 minutes. Before you die, you owe it to yourself to go see the Indy 500 once. Buy good seats, go early, and just soak up the day. There are few sporting venues in the world that have a feel (and I'll grant Churchill Downs is one of those places), but Indy has a feeling so palatable it starts before you ever walk in the gates and it's there whether there are cars on the track or not.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is legendary. Some of the names who are past champions there are etched into Americana just as deeply as some of Hollywood's brightest stars. Mario Andretti. AJ Foyt. Al and Bobby Unser. Travel the world over, and mention "Indianapolis." I've done it, and I can tell you those names and others come up with the mere mention of the city. Indianapolis is synonymous with the annual 500 mile race; and for 100 years legends have been born, nurtured, and celebrated at the largest single-day sporting event in the world.

This year's race was run by the deepest and most talented field in years. It featured 5 former winners responsible for 8 past victories. It featured a "Dancing with the Stars" champion in 3-time race winner Helio Castroneves. It featured among its record tying 4 women Danica Patrick, the racing world's most prominent lightning rod. It featured 2 generations of Andrettis (John and Marco), racing's royal family. And the pre-race festivities featured names like Richard Petty, Seal, Kelly Clarkson, Paul Newman, Marshall Faulk, and as always, Gomer Pyle himself, Jim Nabors. The stars come out for Indy, and this year was no different.

The race itself was terrific and came down to the last turn of the last lap. I could hi-light the entire race; but after a few crashes, a few pit mishaps, a few daring moves and terrifying re-starts; all that really mattered was a split second decision made by a rookie, J.R. Hildebrand. My two oldest sons went to their first race this year, and what they saw - right in front of them - will live in their memory and in Indy legend for as long as they live. Panther Racing has been at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for years, and finished 2nd every year from 2008-2010 with drivers Dan Wheldon and Vitor Meira. It's a solid team, sponsored by the United States National Guard. Hildebrand is a rookie in name only, as he's an incredibly talented driver destined for greatness in IndyCar; but on lap 200, on his 800th turn; he faced a decision which will haunt him forever. Because of fuel strategy, many of the "regular" names weren't in direct contention for a win. Hildebrand found himself in the lead, 4 seconds ahead of Dan Wheldon going into the 3rd turn of the final lap. When he came through the corner cleanly, ahead of him was fellow rookie Charlie Kimball (a hero himself, as he is the first diabetic to qualify and race at Indy), himself on a fuel strategy just to finish. Hildebrand was cruising at a quick pace of 220 MPH and didn't know Kimball, a few hundred yards ahead, had backed out of the throttle to conserve fuel and was going just 180 MPH. A few hundred yards closes in a big hurry with a 40 MPH difference, and by the time Kimball turned down into turn 4, Hildebrand was right on his bumper. Was Kimball a little too high on entry into the corner? Did Hildebrand's spotters fail to let J.R. know to slow down just a tick? Whatever the case, Hildebrand caught Kimball at exactly the wrong time in exactly the wrong place. Nowhere to go but the high side, where it's slick and it's unforgiving. In what will be remembered for decades if not centuries as the biggest blunder in motorsports history, J.R. Hildebrand slid up the track and hit the wall, less than a quarter mile from immortality. At Indy, it's win or be forgotten. As unfair as it is, J.R. Hildebrand will be akin to Bill Buckner or Scott Norwood. He handled it with an incredible amount of grace, class, and maturity and I personally hope he has a long and propsperous career as a racer. But no matter who shoulders the blame; spotters, driver, or Kimball, this moment will be seen on sports television shows until all of us are long gone.

With due congratulations to a wonderful champion in Dan Wheldon, the 2011 Indianapolis 500 will be most remembered for the guy who lost it rather than the guy who won it. Tradition is alive and well in Indianapolis; and in one man's opinion, it's the coolest thing on the planet.