An Indy 500 Experience
An Indy 500 Experience
By: Nick D.
Eagle Patrol
I get out of the car and yell back to my mom “see ya Monday,” and I hear “have a good trip,” Then I meet my friends Kevin, Timmy and Jordan inside Ms. Bells house. I ask for a To-Go cup and grab some coffee before we pile into the car. Kevin tosses me a blanket and pillow, I catch them and being the smallest I cram myself into the back seat. And we are off.
This was the beginning of an exceedingly special Boy Scout trip. We were going to Indianapolis to see the Indy 500, one of the most renowned racing events in the world! As if getting to watch the Indy 500 wasn’t cool enough, we got to carry American flags on this Memorial Day weekend event and march in the parade before the race -On the same track where the race is held! We were positioned behind the Purdue marching band!
The car ride was much longer than it usually is for most outings. Eleven hours. However it was worth it for sure. Our adult leaders, Ms. Bell and Mr. Devlin, did the driving and didn’t seem to have any issue with it. Once we arrived and set up camp we ate dinner in downtown Indianapolis. While walking to dinner we saw a plethora of cool cars and sport bikes. As well as, to my dismay, several horses.
It’s the Day of the race now. We woke up at four AM! The sound of morning at boy scouts was all around us. For those of you who haven’t heard it, it is in essence a symphony of groans, ground pads deflating tents unzipping, and incoherent mumbling about how its early or someone needs to get out of their tent. We filed into the mess hall and got donuts and coffee, which helped to mute the symphony a bit. At this point we waited for the busses to arrive. Once everyone had shuffled on the busses we drove to meet our police escorts. I know! How cool is that!
The Sun is up now and we are standing outside the bleachers at the racetrack. We are standing in a formation that was as straight as Beach mill road, with ravines running through it like a piece of split wood from 7th grade Shop class. We stood waiting as the temperature is rising for close to an hour and a half. Then we get word that we will start marching to the track now and immediately shape up. Next thing you know we’re marching on the 2.5 mile track carrying flags and the sound of the haphazard boy scout band and then the fainter sound from farther ahead of the perfectly in-step, and in-tune Purdue marching band.
After marching we sat down to watch the race. After of course participating in a two hundred and fifty thousand person “Amen!” in the benediction. The race starts and they are already zooming by at speeds unimaginable. At the 8th lap around the track at speeds close to two hundred miles per hour.
We watched the race for around 45 minutes then head into the tunnel that goes under the track. The vibrations from the tunnel were insane. And we wandered around the infield for a while making all sorts of friends. We met several guys in the army and an Olympic runner or so he said he was. Once the Race ended we piled back into the busses. This time without a police escort it takes us a few hours to get back to camp instead of the previous forty-five minutes.
Once we get back we explore Indianapolis for a while. We ate dinner downtown again and took pictures of the city’s tall monuments and fast cars. Back at camp that night everyone showered up before bed as to not stink up the car on the ride home. This time the sounds of a scouting morning fill the air again but at a much later seven thirty AM wake up time. Thank goodness! And we depart, saying goodbye to Indianapolis, and holding a makeshift campfire–esque story time in the car. The next eleven hours were spent marveling at the speed of the cars, Indianapolis’ large short population, and finally sleeping.
