2010 Indy 500 Recap

I have been an Indy Racing fan since my very first Indy 500 back in 2000. Many people will remember that day for the effect weather had on its running. The 2000 Indy 500 was famous for its three hour delay entirely caused by rain alone. While the 2000 Indy 500 was historical for its weather, it compared nothing to yesterday's race.

If you haven't already heard, this year's Indy 500 was the hottest on record. Race officials announced that the temperature in Speedway, Indiana, reached as high as 96 degrees Fahrenheit, an extremely high temperature for any day in May in central Indiana. Track temperatures were reported to be as high as 130 degrees.

Sitting in the second turn, I easily felt the heat. I intentionally wore as little as possible when I went to the track. I wore one of the lightest, thinnest shirts I own, and I am glad I did. I also made sure to drink lots of water to avoid being overcome by heat exhaustion. At one point, we actually drank all the water in our cooler, meaning I had to make the trek to the concession stand so I could buy two three dollar bottle of Dasani. Normally, I dislike Dasani's distinct flavor, but I was so thirsty and borderline dehydrated I didn't even notice it. When we got home, I noticed just how good a shower can feel. Taking a shower was the best feeling in the world after the pounds of sweat that soaked into my clothes.

The one thing that made me laugh were all the people literally asking for a heat stroke. For one, my uncle wore a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans. One top of that, he drank beer. Somehow, he did not get heat exhaustion. I don't even think he was dehydrated. The rest of the public wasn't so lucky. Immediately when we showed up to the track we sat under a stand in turn two. When we were under the stands, a man was carried away on a stretcher and had apparently been overcome with heat stroke. Another story on the news said that a sixty year old woman was taken to the infield hospital due to excessive exposure to the heat.

Other than the ridiculous heat, the race was very entertaining. While Dario Franchitti dominated the race, the last couple minutes were very intense, considering the number of different driver that led the race. I was rooting for Ed Carpenter, Graham Rahal, and Marco Andretti. I was satisfied with their performances other than the fact Rahal seemed a bit clueless at times with his track violations. I'm already looking forward to next year, praying that the weather will be a little more favorable.