As Long As No One Steals Your Tent Indy is Okay

The Allstate 400 at the Brickyard is a race worth attending…once. Jenn will disagree with me on this one, but in my opinion tracks that are this big just aren’t worth it. You need binoculars to see the other end of the track and those handy Sprint Vision screens aren’t big enough to see from the stands.

Kyle Busch leads the 2008 running of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

Maybe it was the 100 degree weather or the fact that Jimmie Johnson won the race last year that spoiled it for me…I take that back…it was the ridiculous tire issues… Still, it was worth the trip, though I doubt I will be heading back to Indy anytime in the near future…unless we luck into some free tickets again.

Katy and Jenn at Practice for the 2008 Brickyard. Don't forget to take your Miller Lite!

Indy isn’t all bad. In past years they have hosted Chevy Day at the Brickyard where the Team Chevy drivers show up and sign autographs and participate in Q and A sessions. This year’s events are a bit different, but do include a few autograph signings, Guitar Hero Challenge, and free concerts. All the information you need can be found here.

In case this is your first trip here are a few tips:

• Get there early. Whether you are going to practice and qualifying or the actual race get to the track as early as possible. The earlier you get there the better your chances of being able to park in the infield. Trust me…you want to park in the infield if you can. It’s a lot closer to your seats than parking outside the track…plus it’s free

Map of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The giant red lot is where our tent was stolen from! You want to park in that big yellow section in the infield if you can. They offer shuttles to the Pagoda Plaza from the infield parking area but it's usually quicker to just walk it...unless you are lazy like me.

• Don’t leave your tent or anything in your tent unattended. Obviously this is only important if you are camping. 2 years ago Jenn had her camera and one of her favorite Harvick shirts stolen and last year we got back to our tent after the race only to find that someone had stolen it. Beware, things like this might happen so don’t take and expensive tent or anything else you can’t live without.

• Wear comfortable shoes. Leave the stilettos and the flip flops at home and wear some tennis shoes.

Proper attire for the race track.

• Wear a hat and some sunscreen… even if it’s not sunny. This seems obvious I know but it took me 2 weeks to get over the sunburn I got last year.

Have you been to Indy? Is it a place you want to go back to? Share your story! Check back later in the week for information on the Nationwide Race which is held at a different track.