It’s Race Day at Road America
Good morning from a crowded and sultry Road America. Unfortunately, it will be slightly hotter than it was yesterday. The saving grace yesterday was the stiff wind that kept things reasonably comfortable. Hopefully, that breeze will continue today. If not, it could be very uncomfortable for fans, as well as drivers, crew members and even equipment. Today will be an interesting test for the hybrid component.
Despite the heat, there is a definite buzz on the grounds this morning. From what we saw driving in, the place will be packed today. I think the secret is now out about Road America.
Speaking of a buzz, the internet is still buzzing over rookie Louis Foster claiming the pole yesterday. Some are expecting his inexperience to show as he leads the field to the green flag. I don’t. I think he has shown maturity through most of this season, despite crashing out of the last two races. The broken suspension he suffered at Detroit was certainly not his fault. The crash at Gateway last week, that also took out Josef Newgarden? OK, you can pin that in him. But even the best make mistakes. I think he has proven he is ready for the big time, and not just an Indy NXT flash in the pan.
There is a good mix of youth and contending veterans interspersed throughout the grid. That and an uncertain tire strategy could really make for one of those races that no one really has a clue who will win, until the last couple of laps. This 4.048-mile oval can sometimes be tough to navigate and strategize around. I’m really expecting a fascinating race today.
Last night, we went to dinner at PJ Campbell’s at the Depot in Plymouth, just south of the track. They were certainly on their game. Susan had the Bengali Shrimp, which looked like small lobster tails, and I had the prime rib. We split an appetizer and I had a bowl of French Onion Soup. All were delicious. If you ever come here, include that spot in your plans.
We missed the morning warmup, but that was my fault. I thought it was 10:00, but that was Eastern time. We arrived at 9:30, so we just missed it. Oops! I’ve never been able to get much out of who does what in any morning warmup, anyway. We will stay in the media center and enjoy the air-conditioning and watch the Indy NXT race, before heading out to the grid. Then we will find a cool shady spot and watch race cars go by in a wooded setting, as they race for real this afternoon (1:30 pm EDT on FOX). I will be back with a Sunday afternoon edition of Random Thoughts. From here we are headed north to stay in Sturgeon Bay for a few days. There will be no posts for the remainder of this week, as we will be vacationing and relaxing. Just stay tuned after next week to see when I post next here. Enjoy the race, and check back later today.
George Phillips
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