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04-07-2008, 08:16 PM
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 #1
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"Able was I ere I saw Elba..."
 
Join Date: 12-14-2006
Bike(s): VFR800 - CBR929 - VFR800
Posts: 3,635
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Indy in the month of....April?
It is tradition that Indy opens in the month of May, but this is a year of reviving old traditions, and that means bikes on the track in April to prepare for the inaugural MotoGP event to be held this Fall on the newly redesigned road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
IMS planned to kick the season off with a rumble by having MotoGP Champion Nicky Hayden lap the newly minted circuit aboard the same vintage Indian that blasted across the tar and gravel of the then “new” Speedway in 1909. Having been major Speedway fans for many years, we were excited to hear that the “Month of May” would come a bit early in 2008. That it would be arriving on two wheels was the icing on the cake, so we took the day off to go watch motorcycles at the Brickyard on sunny spring April morning. We took a few pics, hope you enjoy... This is one of the new billboards outside the track.  By the time we arrived, there were quite a few bikes and cars in the parking lot, and the mounds were beginning to be dotted with devoted racing fans...  This was an unofficial event, but by late morning, the crowd had grown to be several hundred people. The local news trucks were filtering in to catch the press conference.  This is Indy, so the courtesy cars are big too...  Work is still going on at a fast pace to get things ready for September, the work crews paused long enough to watch the goings on.  The new track looks great, the curbing is in, but they are still smoothing things and laying out the runoff areas. This is T1 and T2.  After a sighting lap in a BMW, Hayden came out on the track on the 1909 Indian preceded by a track rig full of photogs...  He actually looked a bit surprised to see so many fans "outside the ropes" and hollered to crowd. Luckily there were a couple of Kentuckians in our midst to translate for us reglar' Hoosiers... That old Indian sounded the bomb...it cackled, kicked and bucked as only a race motor being held at 40mph can do...   After a short break he came back out on the track aboard a tarted up CBR1000. It sounded good too, but not nearly as good as that old Speedway bike...   In T2...   ...and exiting.  Tipping it into T3...  And railing through T4...  He spent several laps out on the track, even built up a bit of speed a couple of times. We had to leave during the press conference, but I understand he went back out on the CBR to do some "survey" work for the track...  It was a great day for the Speedway, and a really great day for Indiana racing fans. It's going to be a long wait til September... The Speedway has the complete press conference, and some great pics here: 2006 MotoGP World Champ Hayden Christens New Road Circuit At IMS :: Red Bull Indianapolis GP See you in September...
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"Ten times more charming than that Arnold on Green Acres..." Last edited by Baketech; 04-07-2008 at 08:33 PM.. |
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04-07-2008, 08:54 PM
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#3 |
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Vote Sheep Or Else
Join Date: 12-18-2006
Location: Huntsville, AL
Age: 47
Bike(s): CBR1000RR, RC51, VT500FT
Posts: 10,444
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I saw a picture of him on the web and had to laugh as he was in a 1/2 mile tuck
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Find one in every car. You'll see. |
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04-07-2008, 09:22 PM
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#4 |
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2 Cylinders, 4 Valves, No Waiting
Join Date: 01-14-2007
Location: South Lyon, MI
Age: 44
Bike(s): Ducati HM
Posts: 1,437
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Between the MotoGP race and the IRL/CART folks making friends again, things are looking good for the Speedway. Back in the pre-IRL Indycar days I was a regular attendee at the 500, haven't been there since - one F1 race the single exception.
I'm looking forward to making it back there this year. |
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04-07-2008, 09:36 PM
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#5 |
Join Date: 12-13-2006
Age: 50
Bike(s): 929
Posts: 4,071
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Great writeup! I haven't been there since the 70's...can't wait for this fall.
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04-07-2008, 09:37 PM
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#6 |
 
Join Date: 12-12-2006
Location: MCADX World Headquarters
Bike(s): '99 F4, '00 VFR
Posts: 11,260
Images: 28
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Great writeup Bake! Did he fire up his GP bike by chance?
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"This is your life - are you who you want to be?" Learn all you need to know about Mac OS X The Motorcycle Addict's Magazine - MCADXmag |
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04-07-2008, 09:40 PM
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#7 | |||
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"Able was I ere I saw Elba..."
Join Date: 12-14-2006
Bike(s): VFR800 - CBR929 - VFR800
Posts: 3,635
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Quote:
 They did take it out of the museum for a photo op on the yard of bricks though... Quote:
The place has gone and gotten all civilized since then...the snake pit is long gone...  Check out Dean Adams' piece on SOUP today... Quote:
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"Ten times more charming than that Arnold on Green Acres..." Last edited by Baketech; 04-07-2008 at 09:46 PM.. |
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04-07-2008, 09:46 PM
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#8 | |
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Join Date: 12-12-2006
Location: MCADX World Headquarters
Bike(s): '99 F4, '00 VFR
Posts: 11,260
Images: 28
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Quote:
 I would've thought that thing would be the queen of his garage.
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"This is your life - are you who you want to be?" Learn all you need to know about Mac OS X The Motorcycle Addict's Magazine - MCADXmag |
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04-07-2008, 09:57 PM
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#9 | |
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Join Date: 12-13-2006
Age: 50
Bike(s): 929
Posts: 4,071
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Quote:
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04-07-2008, 10:02 PM
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#10 | ||
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"Able was I ere I saw Elba..."
Join Date: 12-14-2006
Bike(s): VFR800 - CBR929 - VFR800
Posts: 3,635
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Quote:
 Quote:
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"Ten times more charming than that Arnold on Green Acres..." |
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04-08-2008, 07:33 AM
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#11 |
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Join Date: 12-13-2006
Age: 50
Bike(s): 929
Posts: 4,071
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The Kid...
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04-08-2008, 08:17 AM
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#12 |
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Live life to the fullest and smile while doing it
Join Date: 12-17-2006
Location: Ohio
Age: 42
Bike(s): R6
Posts: 2,675
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Thanks for sharing... Can't wait to hang out with you guys and watching some awesome races... Woo Hoo...
Now, wish the weather around here would straighten up.. Was 70 yesterday and chance of snow and low 40 this weekend  PS: Hayden is a cutie |
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04-08-2008, 08:56 AM
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#13 |
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#20
Join Date: 12-13-2006
Location: Canada eh!
Age: 35
Bike(s): 07 600RR
Posts: 3,664
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Nice pics and review Bake! Thanks for sharing!
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Happy wife, happy life. |
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04-08-2008, 09:57 AM
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#14 |
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"Able was I ere I saw Elba..."
Join Date: 12-14-2006
Bike(s): VFR800 - CBR929 - VFR800
Posts: 3,635
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After seeing bikes on the track it looks like the S.W. Vista seats will be really good. You will be able to see quite a bit of action as they brake from the straight into T1, all the way into the entrance of T5. The T2,3,4 section is very tight and should be fairly action packed...
http://www.redbullindianapolisgp.com...ogp-course.pdf Fwiw, I still cannot see how they are going to get adequate run-off for T1...
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"Ten times more charming than that Arnold on Green Acres..." |
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04-08-2008, 09:23 PM
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#15 | |
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DILLIGAF
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Quote:
They did move T1 forward some, do you think they will use air fence for some added protection in T1 area?
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Amateurs practices until they get it right. A professional practices until they can't get it wrong. |
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04-08-2008, 09:38 PM
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#16 |
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"Able was I ere I saw Elba..."
Join Date: 12-14-2006
Bike(s): VFR800 - CBR929 - VFR800
Posts: 3,635
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We are in "J" which I think will be a slightly better seat...
Take a look at the T1 layout here: IMS Motorcycle Road Course Construction Virtual Reality :: Red Bull Indianapolis GP Select "V1" then use the sliders to tilt down, and pan around. Could just be the perspective, but seems like if you came off early under braking, it would be a long ride on the asphalt...
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"Ten times more charming than that Arnold on Green Acres..." |
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04-08-2008, 09:57 PM
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#17 | |
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DILLIGAF
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Quote:
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Amateurs practices until they get it right. A professional practices until they can't get it wrong. |
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04-09-2008, 07:54 AM
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#18 |
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"Able was I ere I saw Elba..."
Join Date: 12-14-2006
Bike(s): VFR800 - CBR929 - VFR800
Posts: 3,635
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You are probably right, the entrance is pretty gradual...plus if they miss it, they can jump up on the banking and run around the oval until they catch T5...
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"Ten times more charming than that Arnold on Green Acres..." |
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04-09-2008, 09:14 AM
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#19 |
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Age of bike + rider = 78 !!
 
Join Date: 12-13-2006
Age: 57
Bike(s): VFR SV TZ250 RC30
Posts: 7,922
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Great write-up! I love the picture of Nicky with the two bikes.
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04-13-2008, 08:15 PM
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#20 |
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"Able was I ere I saw Elba..."
Join Date: 12-14-2006
Bike(s): VFR800 - CBR929 - VFR800
Posts: 3,635
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__________________
"Ten times more charming than that Arnold on Green Acres..." |
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04-13-2008, 08:21 PM
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#21 |
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DILLIGAF
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I heard in some of the commentary of some of the announcers that they has sold over 40,000 tickets so far. It sounds like it will be a big event.
__________________
Amateurs practices until they get it right. A professional practices until they can't get it wrong. |
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05-07-2008, 07:11 PM
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#22 | |
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"Able was I ere I saw Elba..."
Join Date: 12-14-2006
Bike(s): VFR800 - CBR929 - VFR800
Posts: 3,635
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Quote:
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"Ten times more charming than that Arnold on Green Acres..." |
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LinkBack to this Thread: http://www.motorcycleaddicts.org/pit-lane/13123-indy-month-april.html
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| Posted By | For | Type | Date | |
| LIPTOR information. LIPTOR.US | This thread | Pingback | 05-10-2008 10:23 AM | |
| " Making History " - VFRD | This thread | Refback | 04-10-2008 08:25 PM | |
| Digg - Nicky Hayden opens Indianapolis Motor Speedway a month early | This thread | Refback | 04-08-2008 08:04 AM | |
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