Thank you for your patience as pictures are loading.
One of Bob's buddies from Lions Club (and a former co-worker), knows what huge race fans Bob and I are, so when Steve was offered 4 tickets to the IRL's (IndyCar Racing League) Grand Prix of Sonoma, held on August 27th, he invited us along. We gladly accepted even before we realized they were all-access passes! We had an amazing day wandering the garage, the pits and the starting grid.
I'm normally not one to be awe-struck by priviledge and what perks it delivers, but I have to admit, that all went by the wayside on this day. So forgive the gushing that is about to ensue. Doubly so for those who aren't particularly race fans!
Visiting the suite
We began our morning by heading up to the 7th floor of the Start/Finish Line Suites building at Infineon Raceway to plan our race-day itinerary. The suite was solid-walled from the back of the room to about halfway, then was floor-to-ceiling glass for the remainder of the 'walls'. This allowed a full 180-degree view through the other suites on either side. Sara, Steve's daughter, made herself right at home, claiming one of the leather sitting chairs as hers.
After snacking on pastries and fruit, the four of us made our way down to the garage area.
Cruising the garage area
In the garage, we were allowed to wander outside the cordoned-off garage stalls and observe the teams readying the cars for the upcoming race. Indy cars are much different than stock cars in that the nose and wing pieces are bolted on separately to the main body, rather than being of unibody construction.
Other activities, such as the tire mounting, was in full gear. Tires are supplied and bought on race day. Firestone, the IRL's tire manufacturer, has their own crew designated for mounting tires onto the rims. Above, a row of tire technicians ready the tires for teams to pick up.
Driver sightings
In our wanderings, we ran into Will, a fellow member of the Mendocino Mustangs car club we belong to and we chatted for a while. Both Will and Steve are old hands at the garage touring and offered some helpful tips (such as: drivers will usually ride the golf carts facing backwards to attract less attention and large groups usually mean a driver or car owner is present in the vicinity).
A little while later, we came across Scott Sharp, a driver for the Delphi Fernandez racing team, signing autographs.
Their tips were confirmed again when we noticed a large crowd gathering near the Honda safety cars. Danica Patrick, one of the IRL's drivers and a media darling, was preparing to take one of the vehicles out on the course with an interview crew. Above left, Danica returns from the track. Notice how she is barely visible above the steering wheel? Most IRL drivers are between 5'0" and 5'6" as the cockpit of an Indycar does not fit anyone larger comfortably, nor safely. We were able to get multiple shots of Danica as she exited the car, but were unable to get an autograph as she hurriedly went to her seat at the back of the golfcart to continue her interview.
The haulers and Indy Pro Series race prep
The garage area is very much self-contained. Each racecar arrives in its own hauler, complete with all tools and replacement parts possibly needed by the race team, including a full backup car. Everything is immaculate, including the rigs themselves. Each is washed upon arrival and gleams as if it was just driven off the showroom floor.
It was coming up to the towards the beginning of the Indy Pro Series race, a series similar in structure to Busch vs. Nextel Cup, in which drivers continue to race and gain experience in driving Indycars before making in the 'big leagues'. The crews make final preparations to the cars prior to towing them onto the starting grid.
