Indy 500-- Part 14: Race Preliminaries

We hung out under the bleachers for awhile before commencing that real long and hard walk up the stairs.  That walk really wears me out.  I thought I was going to get sick as we neared the top.  To avoid unnecessary trips up and down the stairs, I don't have my first beer until there are only about 70-80 laps left.

I heard that David Letterman, a native of Indiana, was there.  We then were welcomed to the race, which they loudly proclaimed to be "The 99th Running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

Colletti was a rookie and there were two women drivers, neither one was Danica Patrick.  Scott Dixon won the pole position in the qualifying races.

And, this being Memorial Day Weekend, it was announced the race was to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice and our dwindling number of World War II veterans.

Danielle Cranberry sand "America the Beautiful."  Then we had a Spirit of '45 where those veterans from 70 years ago turned over the "Spirit" to veterans of more recent wars.

Parachuters then dropped down from the sky.  Florence Henderson sand "God Bless America."