DAN'S PHOTO JOURNALS
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ANGIE'S LIST GRAND PRIX
of INDIANAPOLIS
~ Qualifying ~
                   Thursday May 12, 2016

The Speedway was open yesterday - Thursday May 12.  
I was there with a film crew for a few hours working on
something unrelated to this web site, so  I did not bring a
camera.  

I did discover that Lot 2 charges $10 and the admission
was $10.  Last year it was free.  

There is nothing free anymore and every single thing went
up in price for the third or fourth year in a row.

For instance Penthouse and Deck seats have risen from
$150 to $220.  Bloody Marys used to be $5 and are now
$9.

Anyway, I did get to watch USF2000 and Indy Lights on the
track.

I was annoyed that the entire Tower Terrace was blocked off
for fans.  In fact, I could not find one stand that was open.  I
had to watch from the viewing hill at turn 1 and from a suite.
We walked by guys working on USF2000 race cars.
                          Friday May 13, 2016

My race buddy ET drove down from Michigan last
night.

The weather was great today.

I have a infield parking pass for the month of May,
called Lakeside Parking ($125).  It is a big grassy
field between the Back Straight and the Media
parking behind tower terrace.

I entered off of 16th Street.  I had hoped to get here
at 11 a.m. in time for IndyCar practice, but we just
missed it.

We walked to our suite.
View from the Hulman Club Suite
         THE HULMAN CLUB SUITES

We had tickets in the brand new Hulman Club
suites.  These are located on the outside of the
track, above Stand C.  It used to be all private
suites, but now most of it is the Hulman Club and
an individual can buy just one suite pass for
themselves for $1750.  This pass
is good for every major event at the track for the
year.

There were 36 sections making up the suite.
There are 8 rows of seats, numbered A - H
and 10 seats per section numbered 1 - 10.


Everything was brand new.  Very nice bathrooms.  
The outdoor seating was all new stadium chairs.  
Inside are dining tables with television monitors
and windows.

We discovered that you are not allowed to bring a
cooler with you when you get on the elevator to the
suites.  However no one said anything about the
drink in my hand.

Unlike all the other suites which are catered, you
must buy all food and drink here.  There are food
stations inside the suite.  One station offered
various sausages.  Another offered sliced beef
brisquet and another offered fancy nachos ($12).  

There is a long bar outside and a shorter one
inside.  All premium liquor and the cocktails cost
$9.  I had a Gentlemen Jack and also a Makers 46.

There was a race fan here today with no arms or
legs, just stubs I guess.  He was in good spirits
and just seemed like a normal guy.  He would
balance a beer between his shoulder and jaw and
drink!  I was very impressed and was going to take
a photo of him doing it, but then thought onlookers
might get the wrong idea, so I didn't.
I thought he was inspirational, brave and amazing.
We watched a USF2000 race and an Pro Mazda
race from the suite seats.

We signed up for some pit/garage passes in the
suite and took the elevator back down.

There is a courtesy golf cart to take people from the
suite to the Media Center.  We rode that and headed
for the pits.

I walked down to Gasoline Alley and began taking
photos there as the teams brought the cars out to pit
lane.
VIEWS FROM THE PIT
Here I am on the pit wall.
See this same pose in my 1992 and 2002 photo journals.  
The Yard of Bricks -
Start/Finish Line
Mikhail Aleshin drives for Schmidt Peterson
Motorsports
Max Chilton drives for Ganassi
Jack Hawksworth drives for AJ Foyt
James Hinchcliffe drives for Schmidt
Peterson Motorsports
Tim Cindric and Roger Penske
Marco Andretti
Carlos Munoz drives for Andretti.
Michael Andretti
Sebastien Bourdais drives for KV Racing
Alexander Rossi drives for Andretti.
Gabby Chaves with girlfriend Gabby Piccarreta as she .....[insert comment here]
Gabby Chaves is driving for Dale Coyne Racing in the 500.
Will Power drives for Penske
Matt Brabham's girlfriend
Kimberly Bogle
Emma and Scott Dixon
Juan Montoya preparing to qualify
HA!  Mario Andretti catches a ride with Team Target Chip Ganassi!  
Ryan Hunter-Reay drives for Andretti.
Sam Schmidt
JR Hildebrand is driving for Ed Carpenter
Racing
Alex Tagliani is driving for AJ Foyt.
Matt Brabham preparing to qualify
Corvette Pace Car for
Angie's List Grand Prix of Indianapolis
Carlos Munoz
zips by pit wall
Luca Filippi ready to qualify his Dale Coyne
Racing Honda.
Sebastien Bourdais car
Simon Pagenaud's car
Mikhail Aleshin's car
As the cars began to enter the track to qualify, we grabbed the golf cart and
went back to the suite to watch.
We left after qualifying ended with Simon Pagenaud on the pole.

We stopped at a store nearby on 10th Street called "The Famous Tomato" as they had a sign saying they had
morel mushrooms for sale - $50/lb.  This was a very cool and unique store!  They had hundreds of different
kinds of soda pop and hot sauces.  They also had some old-time hard-to-find candies.

ET splurged on some expensive mushrooms.
Sebastien Bourdais on track
Jack Hawksworth entering track
The big monitor overlooking Gasoline Alley, with the garages in the background