Indy 500 the greatest motor race on earth.

Indianapolis Indiana USA

Home of the brickyard and the fastest race in the world the Indy 500.

History of the track is interesting.

Indianapolis was the car manufacturing capitol of America and in the closing stages of the 19th century 1890s the car industry was flourishing BUT they had nowhere to test the cars.

Yes you guessed it a track was laid in the shape of an oval to test speed and endurance.

The track is 2.5 miles long a convenient length to measure endurance and mile per gallon etc.

It was an earth track for testing but as boys and their toys are.

Q.Two cars on the track what have you got?

A. A race

Why 500?

Q. Easy 200 laps sounds cool today but imagine at the old speeds of 60 mph - 100 mph in the 20-30s. 9-10 hours [one would need a big esky].

As the speeds increased something needed to be done to the surface. It was at first oiled. Then it was laid with tar. But nothing could stop the terrible dust and dirt which played hell with the cars. So the whole 2.5 mile track was laid with Bricks. So the track became known as "the Brickyard" and that name is the same today.

The track is still Oval and 2.5 length.

All that remains of the bricks is 1 yard strip denoting the start and finish line.

The cars today are high technology machines that qualify for the raceat 227 MPH which is close to 372 KPH. Just about the speed of air planes.

Today they are built and powered by similar engines, it is a Honda. This is to give standard racing. But this is not what car racing is about. The Indy track was built for research and development. The official word is. It is about to be reconverted to factory developed cars with aerodynamic innovations. Greater speeds.

For the ladies: 4 ladies drivers lined up in 2010. Danica Fisher came in 5. A great result for her. The other 3 fell out with mechanical problems.

Our Australian men; Will Power after starting on front of grid came in 8th which is not bad considering he had a drive through penalty. Briscoe did not finish.

the image. Will Powers car #12.

The track is close to centre of town and like all great races it creates Carnival and so it is with the Indy 500.

This race in 2010 drew 500,000 spectators the spectacle is one of awe. The sound of 30 high powered racers in full throttle is awesome. If that does not light up your buttons then you are not a pair of petrol heads like us!

This ends our road trip.

We fly from here to New York via Winsconsin to catch a plane to Australia.

Thank you for traveling with us from Las Vegas where we renewed our vows in front of Elvis then traversing America on old Route 66 finishing in Chicago. We motored 2240 miles on one of the worlds greatest road trips. Then out of magic Chicago on the Mega-bus to Indianapolis.

It was all exciting and fun.

"Take a tip and take the trip on route 66".

God bless America, We do love the place and the people.

"it is one of those places you are glad you are not poor".

Welcome to Route 66

Traveling is about seeing new places, pointing a camera at strange objects and photographing scenes that turn out to be too far away

Traveling is about getting away and buying things you willl never use and stuff that means nothing to any body else but you and you wonder why! But it expands your knowledge of people and places putting things into perspective. The songs you hear somehow mean more. The images you see in magazines and TV jump out at you.

I think it makes life exciting and adds spice. Do you agree?

And so it was for Pam and I when we stumbled quite accidentally on the idea of going on an American road trip, just cross that great continent on old Route 66.

It goes from Chicago to Santa Monica in California.

Traverses 8 states, rivers, plains, mountains, canyons, deserts. Crossing Indian reservations National forests, Tribal Parks and wheat fields before it ends a distance of 2448 miles.

You may ask why not take the 2 lane fast expressways with no lights, no towns, you can have fast food on all exits, hotels/motels with hot coffee, air conditioning, cable TV and take one with you now sir. After the first few hours it becomes ordinary rather like the test pattern on your old TV, Or watching a dull film on free to air.

For us there must be people in the picture. We want to meet and see people in their every day life. We want to see the kids going to school, waiting for the big yellow buses by the side of the road. Then figuring out which school they were going to.

We can count churches and check out the amazing names they call their faith or the places the houses of worship are built.

America is an amazing country with her natural beauty and amazing scenery! With fertile lands full of crops.

Throughout our journey we marveled at the people. They are so proud of their homes, so proud of their children. We had long conversations with truly wonderful people who are hurting with indignation about wars, banks, environmental degradation and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

We travelled from West to East. The traditional way is from East to West through the mighty Jefferson Memorial arch in St Louis Missouri. It makes no difference which way you travel, old Route 66 is a road cut by its big brother freeways. It is littered with stop signs, cross roads, rail crossings sometimes seemingly going the wrong way. It is easy to know when you are on 66 buildings beside the road are out of the 50s.

66 can be running as a frontage road or a lonely road that wonders around in the country but invariably 66 ends up smack in the middle of each town. 66 wound through the towns and the towns needed 66.

The towns are bereft of funds as 66 has left them and the buildings and signs are left as they were.

66 is slow and laborious. It is not unusual to get lost and to have to back track to find 66 again. But given all this 66 is America. Traveling the highway is marvelous.

We loved the challenge of old 66. The people we met were hospitable and honest. Thye were all so interested in our country Australia and our views on their problems.

Pam and I encourage anyone who has romance, sense of adventure, enjoys great scenery and just loves meeting characters to

"If you get hip to this kindly tip, and decide to take that California trip, get your kicks on Route 66".

Oh and the food is bloody good too. I for one am going on a diet exercise regime pronto.

Image 1. Mural Pontiac ILL

Image 2. the Old Road Illinois

Image 3. El Rancho Hotel and Bar Gallup New Mexico (Hollywood hangout in the 40s)

Image 4. Jefferson Memorial Arch Road to the West St Louis Missouri

Image 5. Pam with Chicken Taco shell in New Mexico

Image 6. Cadillac Farm Amarillo Texas

Image 7. Our Convertible Sebring on the road Illinois

Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial Visit

At 09.02 19 April 1995

Alfred P Murrah Federal Building

NW 6th Street and Robinson Avenue

Oklahoma City Oklahoma USA

The building was used as a Federal government agency building, housing agencies, child minding service and the YMCA.

A truck was driven beneath the building loaded with explosives and detonated. The perpetrators were Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols.

McVeigh was convicted and executed.

Nichols was convicted and lives in jail for life.

The result was 168 dead including children. 150 injured. This does not include the psychological terror or trauma.

We visited the site and came away with a changed attitude to the whole security thing.

The question is: "Why carry out these horrific acts to innocent people?"

Images

1. Pam and Cindy the helpful guard who wanted to know all about Australia and told us all about the monument and the city of Oklahoma and Route 66.

3. The memorial waters

4. Chairs for the people who will never return. The chairs are suspended on glass. (I felt the bird on the chair was a soul).

On Route 66 in Oklahoma City.