A smaller view: Indy 500 Bump Day

A Smaller View returns this year for the Indianapolis 500 and chronicles the adventures of a ten-year-old girl as she takes advantage of the junior credential program at IMS. Our junior blogger will submit reports on her experiences throughout the Month of May. We’re pleased to have the opportunity to present a view of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway through the eyes of the next generation!

I’m very excited to be back to blogging from the Indy 500 garages. James Hinchcliffe is my new favorite race car driver.  Ever since I heard that Danica left I was really sad because she is the first driver I ever met.  But then I heard that James Hinchcliffe took Danica’s spot and I saw some of his YouTube videos and he seemed nice, funny, and like a good person.  JR Hildebrand used to be my favorite race car driver, but he’s still in my top ten.

I’m really sad that Dan Wheldon died; he was very nice to me when I met him last year.  He’s going to be missed.

Today at the track I saw Charlie Kimble run into the wall.  I could see where he hit the wall because there was a big black spot left behind. I was in the E Stand Penthouse when the crash happened and I got scared and jumped up. When I jumped up I saw smoke in the air, and I hoped he was okay.  The penthouse had an amazing view of everything! The spotters go to the roof over E stand because they have a better view of the track.  Charlie’s spotter came down from the roof with his radio and binoculars, and we could see Charlie was okay.

When I passed by the Firestone garage I could smell the scent of new tires. Those tires are huge, and there were stacks and stacks of them.  This year the engines changed, and when they change the engineers start all over to make the cars go faster.  Even though the engines got smaller, they still go faster. The tires are big because that makes it easier to turn when you’re going so fast.  The wings on the race cars help the car stay down on the tires.

The museum is really cool, and in the museum they have all different models of cars from history.  You can see how they have changed.  They have the first winning car next to Dan Wheldon’s car from last year.  The first car has skinny tires, a huge engine, and no wings. Dan’s car has huge tires, a small engine, and it has wings.

I got to go into the Social Media Garage.  It was really cool to see some other bloggers.  I also saw The Stig — he is a character from the TV show Top Gear.  I want to know who he really is. It was so cool.  Pippa Mann was there, too.  She is really cool and she has a really nice personality.

I also got Ana Beatriz’s autograph, then right after that she was out on the track practicing.  When she was practicing I saw that when the cars start the turn they would be against the outside wall, then they go farther from the wall to the inside of the track in the middle of the turn, and then they would gain speed and go closer to the wall again coming into the short chute.

I also saw a creek that went under the stands and racetrack at the first turn. Next, I went to a place that is normally closed off — it was the middle of the south chute.  When the race cars would pass I would jump because they were loud and they were about 10 feet away from where I was standing.  I could see the drivers’ heads in the cars as they drove past me, it was awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnCxzQ1sqA8&feature=youtu.be

I probably walked about five miles today.  It was really hot outside but I was all over the track and I experienced a lot of really cool things, and it was so worth being in the heat.  When I got home from a great day at the racetrack I could still hear the race cars racing, even though I always use earplugs.

I hope to write more after the race!