Carb Day

May 28, 2008

Robert Earl Keen



Carb Day

Pat & Vitor Meira

After a couple of weeks, it was back to Indianapolis to attend what is my 35th consecutive Indianapolis 500. I’ve actually been going to the track for 41 years as my first official visit was in 1968, with my grandfather & father, but as far as attending the race itself, that didn’t start until 1974. Anyway, I return each year and for the first time in some years there is an excitement about the event not felt since before the split in open wheel racing.



Kevin & Pat

The Indy 500 is actually the culmination of a month of events and activities that take over the city each May. I made sure to arrive in time for the beloved Carb Day. Carb Day is the final practice for the Indy cars, but it has also developed into a huge celebration that includes the practice, pit stop competition, Indy Pro series race and a massive concert in the infield, which featured the reunited Stone Temple Pilots this year.

Stone Temple Pilots at Carb Day

I was up and at the track early, to beat the massive crowds that turn out and to meet my friend Pat Davis, who has made the drive up from Evansville for the past few years to meet me and Kevin Love and enjoy the day. The forecast was ominous, but the rain held off through at least part of the practice and we got to enjoy at least part of the day. The rain arrived and washed out the IPS race and the pit stop competition, the concert went on as scheduled as thousands of drunken STP fans wallowed in the mud during the show.

Mike Greenberg of Mike & Mike in the Morning

Former Driver Jerry Grant



After the track, I headed over to the Memorabilia show at the Indiana State fairgrounds where I perused the old racing related junk before heading over to a cook-out at the Micheli homestead in advance of the annual Carb Day Calcutta at the K of C. The annual event involves bidding on the starting drivers and then splitting up the pot based on the top finishers and the last place team. Our syndicate, The Fisher Farts, was able to afford two middle of the road drivers, Buddy Rice & Justin Wilson.

Memorablia Show

To top off Carb Day night, Tim Micheli & I headed over to the Music Mill for a Robert Earl Keen concert. Having seen him early this month in Key West, I now got the chance to check out a full show with his band. It was amazingly good; he played for over two hours to a delighted crowd and covered all his best stuff. It was the perfect caper for Carb Day.

Robert Earl Keen

On Saturday morning, I was back at the Speedway, this time to take in the postponed Indy Pro Series race. The IPS is the minor league of Indy Car racing, but the racing is just as exciting and interesting and the race was really good, as was the weather, which had turned sunny and breezy after all the rain had passed.

IPS Driver Cyndie Allemann