Was it work?
By Kiyoshi
I know someone will ask, “What was Kiyoshi doing in
Indianapolis?” And, I would answer, “On
my way to Kokomo to see a customer.” Well, it’s true!!!
But, ya see, getting to Kokomo, Indiana from the Bay Area is
not a simple feat of getting on a plane and arriving there. Kokomo is about 1
and half hours drive north of Indianapolis. And getting to a 1pm meeting in
Kokomo can’t be done if one leaves the same morning as the appointment. I’ve
done 2pm meetings in Dallas, that means getting on a plane at 6:30 am and
arriving at DFW at 12:30pm (CST). But, getting to Kokomo… means flying out the
prior afternoon, doing a plane change in Chicago and arriving in Indianapolis
late night.
So, the story goes, what does one do in the morning? I could
have driven to Kokomo and find somewhere to hang out from 10am to 1pm. Or, I
could have stayed my hotel room until 11am – doing phone calls and email, etc.
Or, I could go to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway… Hmmm… what would you do?
Yeah, right I stayed in my hotel room!?! NOT!!!!
In 20 days the F1 circus would be showing up for the USGP. I
was a bit early, but still I absorb the Indiana air.
What so amazing about Indy is that homes and residences now
surround it. I can’t imagine this happening in the Bay Area without all the
homeowners fussing about noise and closing down the facility. Just look at the
pressure on our airports – San Francisco, San Jose and Reid-Hillview in San
Jose. The airports were there LONG before the homes were built around them, but
that doesn’t stop the new residence from complaining. But, it’s different in
Speedway, Indiana.
My colleague and I visited the Indy Museum, a very
affordable $3 admission to walk through rows of significant cars, which raced
and won at the famous track. To see how driver safety and technology evolved
was fascinating. As racing enthusiast, this was extremely enjoyable, but as a
Lotus fanatic the influence of Chapman has left an indelible mark upon the
history of Indy.
There proudly displayed was Clark’s Lotus 29, along with
photos of Clark, Graham Hill, Emerson Fittipaldi, Foyt and Chapman. Videos of
Indy history showed Clark and new rear engine cars of Cooper and Chapman. The
obvious lead that Lotus had in bring new technology to race cars can be seen in
every post 1965 race car. It is simply a thrill to stand surrounded by so much
racing history and absorb.
We still had some time to kill, so a mandatory stop in the
gift shop and then we took the bus tour of the track. There’s nothing better than
getting to see a race than from on track. I kept trying to imagine what it must
look like to a driver at 225mph with the stands completely full! The corners
seem far apart poking along in the tour bus, but at 1:20 laps, the corners must
come quickly and are tighter than they appear on TV. The rubber from the
Brickyard 400 could still be seen. I was amazed how deep the entry line was. An
early apex here would be disastrous on the corner exit. A late turn in would
mean missing the apex and ending up in the wall. The precision that is required
at this track is mind boggling.
Preparations were well underway for the USGP. The F1 pits
and garages were cleared and being scrubbed down and ready for the F1 circus to
arrive.
Anyway, it was time to get on the road to Kokomo… As I drove
away from Indy, I glance one last time at the stands, signs and track in my
rearview mirror, and felt a satisfaction that I had a chance to inhale one of
the many places where Chapman and Lotus made history.