Indianapolis, Indiana:
Circle City Gets In The Groove
by Carrie Miner
 Let’s face it—deep down, every pilot since Chuck Yeager has longed to push his or her flying machine as fast as it can go. So it’s only natural that pilots annually touch down in Indiana to satisfy a need for speed—the Indianapolis 500.
If you’ve ever attended the annual Indy event, you know racing fans are among the most loyal spectator groups in the world. Although the green flag won’t come out to signal the start of the 87th running of the Indy 500 until May 25 (11 a.m), the city’s excitement builds steadily throughout the month.
The extended countdown to the checkered flag begins with opening day practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 4. Qualifying for the race begins the following weekend, with Pole qualifying on May 10—the day the fastest cars claim their spots at the front of the 11-row, 33-car field—and second-day qualifying on May 11. The final qualifying event happens on May 18—known as “Bump Day”—when the slowest cars in the field sweat out attempts by other drivers to squeeze into the final rows by topping their speeds.
On May 22, the spotlight shines on the 33 qualifying drivers’ race teams, who compete in a pit-stop contest, while the drivers put the pedal to the metal with a final practice run. The track shuts down the Friday and Saturday before the race for last-minute preparations, giving visitors 48 hours to explore Indianapolis’s best.
On the Town
Indianapolis life revolves—literally—around its recently renovated downtown district. The focal point of downtown is the historic Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument - a 284-foot spire dedicated in 1902 as the nation’s first standing tribute honoring the common soldier. Located at the intersection of Market and Meridian, it dictates a circular street pattern, which gives Indianapolis its nickname, Circle City. If you ever get lost, just look for the spire to reset your bearings.
Tradition and history hold a revered place in Indianapolis—only Washington, D.C. has more memorials. If you’ve come to town for the race, learning about its past at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum is a natural, but it’s hardly the only cultural institution in town. Indianapolis is home to the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, the Indianapolis Museum of Art and the Indiana Medical History Museum.
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is not only the largest children’s museum in the world, but it was ranked by Child magazine as the best children’s museum in the United States. The five-story center features interactive exhibits in 10 galleries.  It’s also home to the largest water clock in North America, which stands 26.5 feet tall and contains 70 gallons of water. If all that water gets you in the mood, leave the museum and take a pedal boat out for a spin on Central Canal or take a stroll along the historic waterway.
Shoppers should check out the antiques in the Fountain Square historic district or the eclectic boutiques and art galleries in Broad Ripple Village and along Massachusetts Ave., where locals congregate for a Hoosier-style happy hour. Nightlife centers around downtown, which features trendy restaurants and rip-roaring nightclubs.
Marching Toward Race Day
The excitement climbs toward its peak on May 24 with the 500 Festival Parade. More than 90 floats, brassy marching bands and the 33 qualifying drivers take to Indianapolis’ streets for a two-mile parade, which follows a circuitous route through town, running south along Pennsylvania to Washington, west to Meridian, then north to 11th Street.
This year’s procession, the 46th, will be led by Grammy award-winning singer Wynonna. Joining her will be kids’ favorites SpongeBob SquarePants and his best friend Patrick the Starfish, Barbie, Madeline and Strawberry Shortcake.
It’s all fun and games on the parade blacktop, but the next day is serious business for the drivers at the recently renovated Speedway, which opened for business as an automobile proving ground in 1909. Oddly enough, the first competitive course completed at this icon of American motormania wasn’t for cars—it was for a gas-filled balloon race. It wasn’t until 1911 that the first 500-mile classic sped around the oval track. Average speeds: A then-blistering 74.602 m.p.h.
Of course, progressively faster times have been clocked ever since—the first 200-m.p.h. laps were recorded at the Speedway in 1977. For the first time since 1992, this year’s lineup will feature an Unser, Foyt and Andretti—three of the standout names of Indy 500 lore. A.J. Foyt IV, grandson of four-time winner A.J. Foyt, will add a new chapter to his family’s glorious history at the oval, competing alongside two-time Indy 500 winner Al Unser Jr. (whose father, Al, and uncle, Bobby, both won the race) and the racing great Michael Andretti (son of 1969 Indy 500 winner Mario Andretti), who will be taking his last spin around the track before retiring this season.
Helio Castroneves, back-to-back winner of the 2001 and ‘02 Indy 500 races, is one of only five drivers ever to win the race in consecutive years.
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Want to know more about this memorable getaway, visit our AG Concierge for more information.
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If he pulls off the “three-peat” by winning again this year, he will be the first driver ever to accomplish the feat. Watch out for 22-year-old Sarah Fisher, who just might throw a wrench in the male-dominated mix. She is only the third woman to qualify to compete in the history of the Indy 500.
There are more than 250,000 seats surrounding the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval—if you’re lucky enough to claim one, don’t forget your sunscreen, hat and a set of earplugs. Once you’ve heard the roar of tires, felt the hot rush of compressed air blasted against your face and discovered that you can’t hear yourself screaming encouragement at the top of your lungs, you’ll realize there’s no feeling quite like it. After all, in what other earthbound sport can a pilot discuss cockpits, wings and clean air? Grab a lucky new 2002 Indiana quarter (stamped with the image of a modern Indy Racing car), kick your cares to the curb and relish the golden words every Indy 500 fan waits 364 long days to hear—“Gentlemen, start your engines.” 
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Plan your route to Circle City with FlightPrep.com
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The Best of Indianapolis
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Best Season: Except for maybe the coldest months of winter, all seasons in Indianapolis herald welcome weather, but May and June are some of Indy’s brightest months with average temperatures in the low 70s. Keep in mind that timing is everything in Indiana. Most of the state stays on Eastern Standard Time including Indianapolis, but if you decide to take a jaunt to some of the counties in the northwest and southwest portions of the state, be advised that 11 of those counties observe Daylight Savings Time and are running ahead of Indianapolis by an hour during the summer months.
Best Landing: There are plenty of places to land near Indianapolis. The most-centrally located airport is Indianapolis International Airport (IND), which offers all of the amenities (and congestion) of a big airport. Other options include Eagle Creek Airport (EYE) 10 minutes west of downtown, Indy Aero (MQJ) in the suburb of Mount Comfort, and Indianapolis Terry Airpark (TYQ) in the suburb of Zionsville. The FAA has established special traffic management programs for IND and EYE from Friday, May 23 through Sunday, May 25, so reservations will be required.
Best Hoosier Hospitality: So what is a Hoosier anyway? No one really seems to know. According to locals there are more than 30 explanations of why Indiana residents are called Hoosiers – and although the origin of the word is unclear, folks claim Hoosiers and hospitality go hand in hand. The downtown district offers more than 5,000 hotel rooms within walking distance of most of Indianapolis’ finest attractions and another 16,000 rooms within city limits. Some favorites include the 1928 Canterbury Hotel, which offers European elegance and direct access to the upscale shops and restaurants in the Circle Centre mall, and the Romanesque Revival-style Crowne Plaza Hotel, which is housed in America’s first union station built in 1888 and is known for its 26 authentic Pullman train car sleeping rooms.
Best Downtown Dining: With more than 200 restaurants in the downtown district, there are plenty of dining options. For Mediterranean delights, spend an evening at The Villa Inn – named Indianapolis’s Most Elegant Restaurant by the Indianapolis Monthly Magazine. For a more eclectic approach to fine dining, try the The Scholars Inn Gourmet Café and Wine Bar located in the heart of the Arts District. Other local favorites include the Old World German delights at the Rathskeller Restaurant, the Irish stew and pints at the Claddagh Irish Pub, and the Chicken Velvet Soup and children’s Hobo Lunch at the L.S. Ayres Tea Room located in the Indiana State Museum.
Best Way To Get Around: Known as the Crossroads of America, Indianapolis is easily accessible due to the many interstate highways that bisect the town. The town itself is a breeze to navigate and is laid out in a mile-square grid with Monument Circle at the center. A fun way to familiarize yourself with the surroundings in the month of May is to pick up a map of the Art in Motion (www.500festival.com, or call 317.927.FEST, a program of 33 artistically rendered 4”X11” race cars placed in key locations around the city.
Best Track Attack: Experience racing by racing at Indiana Sports Corp. 317.237.5000, www.indiana
sportscorp.com), a premier racing school offering a chance for beginning racers to speed around the track in real race cars. So if you have “six speeding tickets, 12 points on your license, two defensive driving courses…isn’t it time to put all that training to use?”
Best Planning Resources: TIndianapolis Convention & Visitors Association, 317.639.4282, www.indy.org; Indianapolis Downtown, Inc., 317.237.2222, www.indydt.com; Indy Festivals, Inc., 317.927.3378, 800.638.4296, www.500festival.com; Indiana Division of Tourism, 800.289.6646, www.enjoy
indiana.com; Indy Racing League, 317.492.6526, www.brickyard.com. |
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