Will spring ever come?
Being a motorcyclist this time of year in central Indiana can be a very frustrating experience. It has been three or four months of snow, sleet, rain, bone-chilling weather and short, sunless days. When March rolls around with April just around the corner, the glimmer of spring is in the air, and the siren song of two wheels begins to tempt the senses for the first ride of a new season.
One of the rituals of the impending new season is the annual Dealer News Powersports Expo at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. This is one of the largest gatherings of all things motorcycles in North America. If you are lucky enough to get an entry pass to this powersports dealer-only industry event, there are treats to tempt every facet of the motorcyclist experience.
Last week I shared with you my experience visiting the Hayden family compound in Owensboro, Ky., to pick up Nicky’s 2006 MotoGP championship-winning motorcycle. This very special machine spent the following weekend in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s exhibit at the Dealer News Powersports Expo, along with a KTM 125 GP bike from the Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup and a very special Indian from the IMS historic vehicle collection. Motorsports legend Army Armstrong shared some of his life experiences with up-and-coming Red Bull Rookie rider Jacob Cunningham while visiting the exhibit.
This event provided a great forum to share the plans for the September 2008 Red Bull Indianapolis GP with North American motorcycle and powersports dealers. Over the course of three days, thousands of Expo guests visited and experienced the IMS and Red Bull plans for this very special event kicking off the 
celebration of 100 years of racing in Speedway, Ind. One of the more notable motorcycle racing legends to visit the exhibit was 1993 World Champion Kevin Schwantz.
Now if only the spring weather would make its way to Indianapolis with some 50-degree-plus days, I will finally be able to get out of my four-wheel cage and back to the ride.
See you all next week on redbullindianapolisgp.com
Greg
When only the best will do …
A Kentucky tradition since 1963, the Moonlite Bar-B-Q in Owensboro, Ky., has been voted the Best Barbecue in Kentucky by Kentucky Monthly and Kentucky Living readers. Now ask anybody from Kansas City or Dallas or maybe Memphis, and they will all solidly refute that claim, boldly claiming their local barbecue to be the finest in all the land!
Where am I going with all of this? Another fine Kentucky tradition is Earl’s Racing Team in Owensboro, Ky. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit the home of Earl’s Racing Team with Mel Harder from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Hayden’s had graciously agreed to loan a very special motorcycle to the IMS to exhibit in their booth at the Dealer News Powersports Expo in Indianapolis.
On a brisk but sunny Sunday morning, Mel and I drove down to the “OWB” to meet up with Earl Hayden at the family compound. Nestled in the back of garage complex was a Hayden racing fan’s NIRVANA of racing memorabilia! Proudly sitting next to a collection of Nicky, Tommy and Roger Lee championship motorcycles, leathers, helmets and trophies was the 2006 Honda RC211V motorcycle that carried Nicky over the finish line at the Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana in Valencia, Spain, in November 2006, winning the 2006 MotoGP World Championship.
Earl Hayden is one proud father, and we spent the better part of an hour talking about all his kids’ accomplishments and touring the Earl’s Racing Team compound before loading up Nicky’s 2006 MotoGP championship motorcycle in the trailer for the trip back to Indianapolis.
Now back to the Moonlite Bar-B-Q. If you’re ever in the “OWB” and have the chance to ask Earl Hayden where a good place is for lunch, you better be ready to experience the Best Barbecue in Kentucky, if not the best in the land! And, oh by the way, it is just across the street from the Hayden family compound, ready to serve an outstanding gastronomic experience in the finest Kentucky tradition.
See you all next week on redbullindianapolisgp.com.
Greg
Gathering Before the Green Flag
Just in case you didn’t know, racing in Indiana is serious business! We Hoosiers take our racing seriously, and our passion for motorsports is historic. This was evident the weekend of Jan. 19-20, 2008 as the Indiana State Museum in the White River State Park located in Indianapolis opened its doors to the Indiana racing community to help kick off the 2008 racing season.
The “Racing in Indiana: Gathering Before the Green Flag” was a great opportunity to bring all forms of racing in Indiana together for the local community to share and experience.
Here’s an excerpt from the Indiana State Museum’s press release: (click here to see it all)
Hosted by Mike King, chief announcer for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network, “Gathering Before the Green Flag” invites fans to sit behind the wheel of a variety of racing vehicles, from IndyCars to go-karts and dragsters, and see other great racing vehicles such as motorcycles, boats and vintage race cars. They’ll meet racing insiders Derek Daly, Donald Davidson and some of their favorite drivers, and be able to take part in a rare symposium of experts.
“It’s every race fan’s dream and an opportunity for newcomers to see what racing is all about,” said Mike King of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network. “Hoosiers are the greatest racing fans in the world, so holding this event at the Indiana State Museum is very fitting, especially since the IMAX® is here.”
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway brings a century of racing history to the Hoosier experience. It was only fitting for the IMS exhibit to highlight the upcoming celebration of this historic milestone with the running of the Red Bull Indianapolis GP in September 2008. Since this time of the year in central Indiana is not ideal riding weather, my Honda CBR1000RR Repsol was enlisted out of winter hibernation for show duty in the museum gallery for the weekend.
Wow, for a couple days, I was able to share a little bit of my experience with the local community for the “Racing in Indiana: Gathering Before the Green Flag” celebration of speed.
See you all next week on redbullindianapolisgp.com
Greg
Red Bull Indianapolis GP Media Day
Well, the big day finally came. On Monday, July 16, 2007, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway rolled out the red carpets to the world, announcing the big event to be held on Sept. 14, 2008. The Red Bull Indianapolis GP.
Ralph Sheheen shared with the crowd gathered at the Speedway, to the surprise of many, that the first motorized race of any kind here at the world’s most famous racetrack took place on Aug. 14, 1909, and it was a motorcycle race.
The day’s events actually started earlier with a gathering of over 200 motorcycle enthusiats behind the Murat Centre in downtown Indianapolis. Kenny Roberts Jr. joined the group on a Honda CBR1000RR borrowed from Dreyer Honda. I offered KR Jr. to trade bikes and ride the Hayden Repsol replica. He declined!
It was an awesome, police-escorted ride led by Kenny Roberts Jr. from downtown Indy out to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with everyone corralling into the Tower Terrace area for the big announcement.
Mr. Sheheen then started the press conference, which led into the showing of the video taken at the track earlier in the month, the experience I shared with you all last week.
The highlight of the day had to be the signing of the agreement by Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta and Indianapolis Motor Speedway CEO Tony George to bring MotoGP to Indianapolis.
After the world experiences an Indianapolis Motor Speedway event, this will be just the beginning of a new tradition for the second century of IMS’s history.
Wow, what a day, what a moment, what an experience!
See you all next week on redbullindianapolisgp.com
Greg