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I
love testing, it affords me access to the teams and drivers I
can't get on a busy race weekend. Last year at this time there
was an open test scheduled in conjunction with ROP, it would be
a first look at the new aero add-on's and 3.0 liter engines.
Because of that I scrubbed my plan to fly in for the first week
of practice and opted for the test instead, here is the story of
a flight I will always remember, a flight that circled IMS in
reverse at "lap speed," below 4,000 feet. Here are excerpts
from my OWR column of that day, I still get emotional reading
it...
I
am aboard UAL #740, eastbound out of
Denver
for Indy, looking down at the concrete compass that is
I-70. If we continue on course we will pass just to north of the
Kansas Speedway, quite a sight from 33,000 feet. I am heading for
Indy for the first open test with the new three liter engines. In
an earlier life I was a pilot for a while, so I love to navigate.
Back in the mid-‘70s, when I was in flight training and
struggling, my instructor was more impressed with my navigation
skills than my flying. He always said “if I bought the farm
(crashed), at least I would know where the farm was!”
Because of work considerations, I don’t do many races, my forte
is testing and what I can learn from it. This will be the third
open test of the season; so far I have perfect attendance. I will
go to the Indy 500, if you can do only one… The 2004 Indy 500
will be the first race on the new 3.0 liter engine. With the
exception of an engine test session on a cold and windy Saturday a
month ago, there is little known about how the engines will
perform or how the cars and drivers will react to aero changes;
that, in addition to keeping the cars on the ground in a spin,
will further reduce downforce. When the engines were last tested
at the
Speedway
, the best
speeds were in the 217 mph range, quite a bit under the target
speed of 223 mph. While I blame some of that on weather
conditions, I didn’t expect T, H &C to show their hand
anyway. While I don’t expect “pole day” speeds this week,
with the weather being just a little cooler than perfect, I do
expect speeds above 220.
Well, I’ve set the scene, time for another flyin’ story. For years
I have stood around IMS and watched the airliners make their
approach to the Indy airport and fly over the south end of IMS,
always wondering why that never happens while I am onboard. Today
I felt that I would have a great fly-over opportunity, finally!
From a computer terminal at the
Denver
airport, I learned
that the wind at Indy was out of the west.
Armed with that information, I changed my seat to a window
on the right side of the plane. I was flying on UAL, and they
provide headphones and a link to Air Traffic Control, so
throughout the flight I listened to our progress. First I was
elated to learn we would arrive ahead of schedule, after all; the
sooner I arrived at the track the better. Then, as our pilot
contacted Indy Approach Control, I learned we were going to circle
around and approach from the east, yes, finally, after all these
years I was going to see Indy from the air! It gets better folks,
there was a Biz Jet on approach as well, and he couldn’t hold
the minimum speed it would take to slot him in ahead us…
“United seven-four-zero, turn left to a heading of
zero-five-zero degrees, you will be number two to land after a
Lear.” Great I thought, now we will be late! Then I looked down,
and there it was, IMS off of the right wingtip, and we were
banking around the Speedway from the north, we
were doing a reverse lap, coming in above the S/F line. It was
all I could do to keep from singin’ “The Song,” but I’m
sure over 120 passengers getting a bumpy ride on a 737; weren’t
ready for BACK HOME AGAIN IN INDIANA! So I quietly mouthed the
words and hoped the two people sitting next to me didn’t see the
moisture in my eyes. If that wasn’t enough, there were cars on the track as well, ROP was winding down! Needless
to say, I couldn’t pick up my luggage fast enough. I rushed
through the rental car process and dashed through Indy traffic to
the
Speedway
. I made the big left turn into the tunnel entrance and by the time I
had the Museum in sight, it
started to rain! What’s new, the story of my life? Well, the
sprinkles abated and I saw Kosuke Matsuura serve notice that he
would be a speed factor all through practice and then I saw Jeff
Simmons breeze through his rookie test in a Foyt car. I was
“BACK HOME
AGAIN IN
INDIANA,
” and for me, “back home” is being at IMS.
If the Lord chose to take me home that day, the undertaker
wouldn’t have been able to get that smile off my face.
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