The day is moving slowly as the rain still seems to fall forward bringing in the dawn of evening. Not exactly the day I had hoped for, nor a day any driver inside the walls this empire had hoped for.

With the day’s end, not even enough total laps to complete our rookie orientation, let alone reach the third required phase of speed 10 laps with average above 210 mph. The crew has been working like ants preparing for winter, yet much less of a fleet to accomplish the required task at hand.

Shortly after 9 a.m., the gates opened to pit road where only a few cars had been waiting to take on the 2.5-mile track. It is such a great experience to walk through the “Gasoline Alley” opening to a view of the stands that hold the 300,000 open-wheel fans on the majestic Race Day.

It is hard to say why this place is so special to everyone you talk to here, something about it for everyone.  I alike am learning “INDY,” what it is about that name and place which makes everyone passionate to the true form. That name brings respect and admiration to all who are racers and fans at heart.

Each day, I set my first shoe in my seat and nestle downward in this tight capsule I call my home on the track.  Strapping the belts on, cinching them down tightly, gloves slowly grasping the steering wheel, breathing steady and calm, eyes focused and the start switch activated, the thumb sign from my crew to light em up, wham…shift the paddle…first gear, let the clutch out and burn rubber. What a sound for everyone and the feeling of alone bliss for a driver.

My vision and mind are focused to the timing and instincts of my everyday ritual. Taking my car through the gears, 79 mph, 132, 150, 189, 199, 203 the car feels good, one lap goes by and the tires are feeling in, the changes we made seem be an improvement. Taking time to feel it out, average 199 first lap, second 207, feeling continues to be good, I have felt the car enough.

It’s time to pick it up. Now 211, 210, 211 mph average; that’s three laps of 10 out of the way above 210 mph. Now it’s comfortable, wide open in Turn 3 and Turn 4, top speed down the front stretch 220 mph with 211 in turn 1 and 2, happy with the car and my timing.

What? I see something down the track, flashing lights from a truck, but no lights on the track or caution lights in the car. I keep going halfway down the straightaway. I need these laps today before the weather comes in.

Yellow flashing everywhere now, inside my car, caution, my thoughts were not good ones at this point. I slow down quickly from 218 mph to make the Turn 3 entrance to pit road, the entrance we have to use in practice. I was thinking to myself, why?????

Then the answer was in-front of my face as rain sprinkles on my Bell Helmet visor swiftly went away from the fast-moving wind. Not what I needed.  The day will end with these sprinkles, turning into raindrops that continued into the evening.

For all, both fans and drivers alike, this is not what we had hoped of the official opening day of IndyCar Series practice for the Indy 500.  Now that our time was limited and we had not had enough total laps, let alone the total laps at the speeds required, we get another hour in the morning to complete the other six laps above 210 mph.  The conclusion of the day will bring another day tomorrow.

I look forward to talking to the drivers again that give me encouragement and valuable advice. Tomorrow I will have the opportunity to once again climb into my space inside a car built for speed!

Stanton