What does your appearance say to others?
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. We express our personality and lifestyle through what we wear. What we wear affects how we feel and how other people respond to us. These are some of the basic principles that form the foundation of the fashion industry today.
Now, where on earth am I going with this?
Last week we talked a bit about track day experiences. To participate in a motorcycle track day, you need a fair amount of the appropriate safety gear to wear. You may also remember from my first blog entry back in February this year I am a former motorcycle road racer, so I understand the function of this safety gear from many on-track experiences. An age-old motorcyclist adage is it’s not a matter of if you will ever fall off your bike, but when.
Jarrod, our other blogger here at redbullindianapolisgp.com, shared with you his recent encounter with a local “cruiser” on an all-white GSX-R motorcycle. The fact this guy was wearing a helmet is pretty rare around the Indianapolis area. The typical route of Broad Ripple, Monument Circle and the Greenwood Shell station can be a more treacherous route than all the hundreds of miles of twisty, curvy roads in southern Indiana.
The typical “dress” or attire you see many local motorcycle cruisers wearing usually consists of blue jeans, T-shirt and tennis shoes. Many times you’ll see a perfectly good full face helmet strapped to the back of the bike, protecting the seat; but little use to the rider’s most vulnerable appendage, his head.
Whenever I swing a leg over any one of my motorcycles, I always take the few extra moments and put on all my safety gear, regardless of the length of the ride. I was running some errands today and was particularly aware of the supportive comments I received from a bank teller, the lady at the post office and a guy at a gas station about the appearance I made to them as a motorcyclist fully dressed to impress.
It’s actually kind of funny how observant a non-motorcyclist can be of the importance of wearing the right gear and the impression this makes to others. I also know that Jarrod understands this concept, as I’ve never seen him riding around without the right gear on. Now evidently he feels differently about ATVs down on the farm!
Motorcycling is inherently a dangerous form of conveyance, but using the right gear could ultimately give you a second chance at many more experiences.
See you all next week at redbullindianapolisgp.com.
Greg
Lets go racing…
When Mari Hulman George, chairman of the board of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, gave the most famous command in racing for the 91st Indianapolis 500, she said, “Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!” For the first time in the history of this event, “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” three women were among the 33 starters of this traditionally male-dominated race.
Several weeks ago I shared with you the track day experiences of Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) executive Mel Harder and the opportunity these types of events provide for many weekend warriors across the country. A motorcycle track day is a great opportunity for anyone who rides a bike, male or female, young or old, to get out on a closed course and experience a little taste of the competitive spirit of racing and the thrill of speed.
I’ve had several people ask me how to get involved in a track day event. Really all you need is a bike, a good full-face helmet, a set of one or two-piece leathers, a back protector, some over-the-ankle boots and some sturdy, gauntlet-style motorcycle gloves. A typical track day is set up with three different rider skill groups, beginner, intermediate and advanced. Most organizations will offer instruction and training sessions for track day beginners to help make your day an enjoyable learning experience.
If you are located in the Indianapolis area or anywhere in the mid-Great Lakes area, we have a great track located in Mount Meridian, Ind., Putnam Park Road Course. Check out their Web site and schedule for upcoming motorcycle track day events: www.putnampark.com.
A quick check shows an event coming up the weekend of July 26-27, sponsored by Sportbike Track Time. Our local Ducati dealership, Ducati Indianapolis, is co-sponsoring a track day on Monday, July 28. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Monday than skipping out of work and experiencing the thrill of speed at the Putnam Park road course! I’m sure your boss would understand.
So, ladies and gentlemen, start your own engines and let’s get geared up and go racing at the next motorcycle track day in your neck of the woods.
See you all next week at redbullindianapolisgp.com.
Greg
Many of you have detected over the past several months that I am somewhat of a history buff. I recently ran across a very interesting history of the Hulman family published by the (Terre Haute) Tribune-Star Publishing Co., Inc. in 1997; Hulman Dynasty, 1850 – 1997. Reading through this very in-depth historical perspective of 150 years of the Hulman family legacy sheds a lot of light on many of the traditions many of us have experienced over the years at “The Brickyard” out on West 16th Street here in Indianapolis.
Mary Antonia Hulman George, chairman of the board of Hulman & Co., the speedway and Tony George’s mother is an avowed dog lover. Known as Mari, she has been known to take in a stray and has helped rehabilitate racing greyhounds for many years. Many of her philanthropic efforts have been directed towards a variety of animal recovery and protection activities over the years.
This past week, The Brickyard was the site of the first official test of MotoGP bikes on the new road course in preparation for the Red Bull Indianapolis GP in September 2008. Each of the manufacturers was represented with test riders experiencing the Brickyard for the first time. One of the more interesting participants Wednesday afternoon was a furry little doggie exploring the north end of the road course.
One of the longstanding policies of The Brickyard is the safety of any animals that may stray onto the
property and the efforts of the staff to protect these occasional visitors from harm. Well, the furry little visitor was definitely not up to speed with the other participants of the MotoGP test day but was definitely out pacing yours truly during the subsequent attempts to capture him.
Once the little visitor was secured and settled down with some refreshment and tender care, he spent the rest of the afternoon in an on-site kennel at the Speedway. Later that day, he was transported down to Mari George’s farm east of Terre Haute, Ind., to join her family of canine friends.
Thanks to IMS staff photographers Mike Harding, Shawn Payne and Chris Jones for capturing “the great hunt” on film last Wednesday afternoon. I think all of us were panting as hard as our furry little guest after the big chase.
If you have time this week, definitely check out the link to Hulman Dynasty, 1850 – 1997. You will discover that the love of motorcycles actually extends through several generations of the family including not just Tony George but his sisters Kathi, Josie and Josie’s son Jarrod Krisiloff. Come this September, all of us motorcycle enthusiasts will benefit from this later Hulman-George generation’s love of all things motor racing with the running of the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP MotoGP event.
See you all next week at redbullindianapolisgp.com.
Greg
A vacation from the office
This week is the start of a month away from the daily grind of the office. A part of my daily grind involves a lot of airline seat time traveling for the company, so the idea of spending any of my time off in airports just doesn’t appeal to me.
I’ve taken the month of July off for the past 10 years or so. It started off combining a two-week summer company shutdown with a weeklong excursion to Guelph, Ontario, for an adult ice hockey camp followed by a week recovering from the camp. Have you ever gone to a hockey fight and actually seen a game break out! Well, the days of the hockey fantasy camp are behind me. The idea of a month at home piddling with this and that is extremely satisfying these days.
This year’s vacation got off to a very different start than years past. The week of June 30 just happened to also be the first official tire tests for the MotoGP teams to get their first experience on the new Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) road course. Since I don’t have a family ranch in Wyoming to hang out at, what better place to start my month off than out at the Brickyard helping with some track preparations for the Red Bull Indianapolis GP?
Towards the end of the day Monday, I ran into a longtime friend from the motorcycle racing days walking through the pit area. I helped introduce Larry Lawrence to the world of motorcycle road racing way to many years ago at the old Indianapolis Raceway Park road course in Clermont, Ind. While I eventually moved on to the corporate world and away from racing, Larry became fully involved with the sport in the media world. Larry has done a marvelous job of chronicling the history of this sport over the past 20 years and is always enthusiastic about sharing his vast experiences. I think getting Larry and Dave Hillberry at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum together would be an incredible experience.
Larry has taken on a new career opportunity this year as Ben Spies’ publicist. Ben burst onto the U.S. national road-racing scene, turning pro in 2000. He won his first American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Superbike championship in 2006 defending that championship by a single point for a second crown in 2007. Currently leading the 2008 AMA Superbike championship, Ben was afforded the opportunity to fill in for an injured Loris Capirossi at the British GP June 22 for the Rizla Suzuki team, finishing 14th and gaining his first-ever MotoGP points. Ben is here in Indianapolis this week for the MotoGP tests and will be riding for the Rizla Suzuki team at Laguna Seca, Calif., and the Red Bull Indianapolis GP in September.
Larry took me over to the Rizla Suzuki suite and introduced me to both Ben and his mother, Mary Spies. What a wonderful lady! We sat and talked about this and that. Well, folks, all I can say is Mary has a wonderful, white1958 Corvette she’s very proud of that far out-styles Ben’s green 1967 Corvette that sits and gathers dust. However, her pride in her son Ben shines the brightest!
Well, there’s going to be a full week of MotoGP test action at the Brickyard, and if you’re anywhere near West 16th Street this week, you’ll be able to see the action from the south end of the road course by the Hall of Fame Museum parking lot.
Check out the details at www.redbullindianapolisgp.com and see you all next week.
Greg
New playground in town
Last week I had a rare opportunity to get an in-depth, behind-the-scenes tour of the newest civic jewel of Indianapolis, the Lucas Oil Stadium.
A longtime friend and fellow Ducati owner is a project manager for one of the major contractors on the Lucas Oil Stadium project. I spent Friday afternoon tagging along with him on a walk-through inspection from the lowest level up to the nosebleed levels of the new stadium. The folks from Otis haven’t got their part of the project done yet so there were a LOT of stairs involved in this little walkabout.
WOW, this playground is one very big house! The view from the playing field is hard to describe. I don’t see how my friend and fellow Ducati owner Nick Harper can keep his attention on this field of play in such an intimidating space. My favorite view was definitely from the upper-suite level, in close proximity to multiple flat panel monitors and soon-to-be stocked bars and buffet counters. Remember, an important part of all my experiences seem to involve food!
One of the more interesting design features of the main lobby space is a collection of Lucas Oil-sponsored racing memorabilia that includes race cars, planes and boats, to name a few. The only thing missing is a MotoGP bike in the collection! Maybe the folks over on West 16th Street can help fix that for the grand-opening events in August this year. Also, mark you calendars for Aug. 16. The new stadium will be open for self-guided public tours so we all can see what our tax dollars are being spent on.
Well, that was one incredible experience Friday afternoon at the new Lucas Oil Stadium. The only thing that could possibly top that experience would be trying to ride more than three different bikes in 24 hours.
Mission accomplished! Number six is tucked away in the family room.
See you all next week on redbullindianapolisgp.com .
Greg
Life in the fast lane
NEWS FLASH! Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) executive wins local motorcycle track day event! Riding his Suzuki GSXR 600, Mel Harder sweeps the expert class at Putnum Park Road Course.
Now how’s that for a motorsports news line! Actually, there is a very large contingent of weekend warriors who participate in a wide variety of motorsport events all over the state of Indiana every weekend. If you remember back in January of this year, The Experience participated in a celebration of racing in Indiana hosted by IMS at the Indiana State Museum, “Racing in Indiana: Gathering Before the Green Flag.”
This past weekend, the Northeast Sportbike Association (NESBA) hosted a motorcycle track day at Putnum Park Road Course in Mount Meridian, Ind. This type of event is an opportunity to explore the capabilities of a sport bike in a controlled, non-competitive environment and experience the thrill of speed.
“Power without precision is pointless.“
“Speed without skill? Scary.”
“Riding wild instead of wise? Worthless or worse.”
The charter of NESBA and many other track day organizations around the world is to offer an opportunity for sport bikers to ride to their fullest potential without the limitations, distractions and hazards of the street. They believe riders can and should do both in a structured environment, free from the free-for-all mentality of the street or the dogfight mentality of racing. NESBA offers track days across the United States providing helpful instruction and safe, structured track time for motorcycle riders at all levels of skill.
Mel Harder, senior VP of Operations at IMS, is one of several motorcycle enthusiasts at the Speedway that also includes fellow Red Bull Indianapolis GP blogger Jarrod Krisiloff. Like many of us, Mel occasionally feels “the need for speed,” and an organization like NESBA offers a safe and controlled environment to satisfy these primordial urges.
After a full day of running laps at the road course, Mel ended a very successful and satisfying experience of speed, dropping his lap times into a very respectable realm for a weekend warrior.
Maybe sometime in the future we can get Jarrod out to a track day with his new Triumph Scrambler to experience this thrill of speed.
See you all next week on redbullindianapolisgp.com.
Greg
Celebrating my 29th birthday, again!
Well, it’s happened again. Another year has come and gone as I sit here in the Cincinnati airport waiting for a two-hour delayed flight to San Francisco. What a way to start the 23rd anniversary of my 29th birthday. Hey no calculators allowed!
This past weekend in the Hoosier state turned out to be a real wet one. So wet, in fact, that the “Great Flood of 2008” is being billed as a 100-year flood event in the south-central area of the state. The last big flood that established that 100-year record was way back in 1913. I’ll have to give Dave Hilberry a call over at the Indianapolis Speedway Hall of Fame Museum photo archives and see if he has any photos of the track from the 1913 event to look at.
One of the least enjoyable experiences of home ownership is having to deal with some of the challenges Mother Nature can toss your way. Yes, I am a victim of the “Great Flood of 2008”. The basement level of my house became a bit of an in-ground swimming pool. I’ve always thought an in-ground pool would be a nice feature to add to the property, but maybe in the back yard; not the basement! The water coming up through the floor drains and sump pit quickly overwhelmed my sump pump and all my efforts to stop it.
It’s kind of amusing that a swimming pool pump with which one of my brothers came to the rescue actually got the incoming water under control. Um, maybe I need to build that pool to use the new pump with!
This little unplanned event from Mother Nature ended up scrapping most of my weekend plans that included a much-anticipated visit to the new BMW Motorcycles of Indianapolis grand opening gala Saturday afternoon. I was really looking forward to all the delectable German delicacies and the sight of the R. Falcone Motorsports staff in lederhosen. Um, maybe my expectations have once again gone astray!
I did manage to get a ride in with my riding/eating buddies Sunday morning. Mike, Craig and I rode out to the Putnam Park race course to hang out at the Ducati Indianapolis and Commonweath Motorcycles-sponsored track day event. Boy, it was a hot one, but Mother Nature delivered a clear, sunny and dry day for all the guys putting their motorcycles through their paces. On our way back, we stopped and enjoyed a fine south-of-the border lunch before getting back to the house to watch the American Motorcyclist Association races at Road America in Elkart Lake, Wis. The Suzuki team won the 1000cc class, again.
As you may have noticed in prior posts, no day of riding with this crew is complete without a trip to a local ice cream shop for a final treat of the day. Next time you’re at Ritter’s, try their watermelon Italian ice blend. Yum!
Well, it looks like my flight to San Francisco is finally getting ready to board, and hopefully there’s no experiences to report back to you next week. I’ll have to head down to the Dainese D-Store in downtown San Francisco and see if I can find a birthday present for myself. I wonder if Scomas down at the wharf would make me a birthday cake with 29 candles?
See you all next week on redbullindianapolisgp.com
Greg
Motorcycles level the playing field
It’s pretty amazing the people you meet in the world of motorcycle enthusiasts. When you’re with a group of riders enjoying a beautiful day, who you are outside this circle of friends becomes almost irrelevant to the sharing of common motorcycle experiences.
What has become a bit of a tradition on a sunny Saturday morning is a trip up to Ducati Indianapolis to enjoy a good stiff shot of espresso and hang out with a great group of true motorcycle enthusiasts. If the shop gets busy, I’ve been known to help out with a demo ride or help a customer select one of the many choices of accessories available in the store.
This past Saturday, I ended up assisting Travis, parts & accessories manager at Ducati Indianapolis, in selecting a proper fitting set of street leathers for a customer who recently took delivery of a new Ducati 1098 motorcycle. As you may have noticed over the course of this blog, I am a stickler for wearing full safety gear whenever I ride, so helping a fellow enthusiast pick out the perfect-fitting set of leathers and safety equipment was a no-brainer for me.
This avid motorcycle enthusiast turned out to be Nick Harper, who played for the Indianapolis Colts from January 2001 through their Super Bowl-winning 2006 season. During the course of helping Nick settle into a great set of Ducati street leathers and selecting a good back protector, we compared notes on our Ducati 1098 models we both ride. Nick is an avid motorcycle enthusiast who has enjoyed riding since he was a kid, and he related his son’s enthusiasm and anticipation of getting his first bike.
Meeting Nick Harper was a great honor for me last Saturday afternoon, but sharing our common experiences as motorcycle enthusiasts was an even greater pleasure for me. Professionally, we may work on very different fields, but when it comes to bikes, we are definitely on the same playing field with many common experiences to share and talk about.
See you all next week on redbullindianapolisgp.com
Greg
Historic traditions at the famous oval
Have you ever been so close to a destination you could almost see it but just couldn’t seem to get there? Indianapolis has some areas around town where city planners thought the idea of one-way roads made sense. It’s always entertaining to see a vehicle with out-of-state plates turning onto a one-way road and the subsequent look of terror in the eyes of the driver when they realize their predicament.
This past weekend, all roads led to Speedway, Ind., as hundreds of thousands of race fans from all over the world journeyed here to experience the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500. Now that’s a tradition that’s hard to top! The folks over on West 16th Street are also getting ready to launch what many motorcycle enthusiasts hope will become another longstanding tradition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS); the Red Bull Indianapolis GP, Sept. 14, 2008.
Weeks of planning went into every movement of the day to execute a very special demonstration to give the fans attending “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” a chance to experience a MotoGP bike first hand.
2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden made a couple laps of the IMS oval before the start of the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500. I didn’t personally experience this special demonstration, but from the brief glimpses during t
he televised pre-race activities, it appeared Nicky was having no problem finding his way around this one-way road just off of West 16th Street.
Here’s a shot from IMS photographer Brad Love of Nicky Hayden making his way around the famous oval. Also, check out IMS media correspondent Pat Sullivan’s interview with Nicky after his historic demonstration lap at redbullingindianapolisgp.com.
See you all next week as we continue our countdown to September on redbullindianapolisgp.com.
Greg
Time for a major speed week in Indy
Bump Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has now come and gone. The weather gods gave the track two beautiful spring-like days for the final weekend of qualifying, setting the field for the running of the 92nd Indianapolis 500 on May 25. The following day, the entire starting field then celebrated with a trip to the Big Apple, New York City, for a media blitz and museum tour. Monday morning, every weather forecaster in the Indianapolis area was, of course, taking credit for delivering the perfect weekend of weather.
For me, a perfect weekend of weather translated into two full days in the saddle of several of my favorite sport bikes. Saturday started off with a cruise on the Ducati 999 R Xerox up to Ducati Indianapolis for an espresso and a preview of the new Ducati Monster 696. Hey Jarrod, if you’re looking for a middleweight addition to your stable, this looks to be one awesome bike for your ride. After a second pastry and another espresso shot, I joined several of my riding buddies and Bill Carr, owner of Ducati Indianapolis, for a monster lunch at Red Robin Gourmet Burgers. Now that’s a hamburger to experience!
A quick run up to Westfield to check out some new Yamaha motard bikes was followed by a trip down to West 16th Street to check out the newest addition to the Indianapolis bike scene. R. Falcone Motorsports has created a showroom glistening in German modern functionalist style with the recent opening of the BMW Motorcycles of Indianapolis dealership. The BMW guys have already experienced Jarrod last week, and they can now add Greg, Mike and Craig to their lounge list.
No day of cruising local motorcycle dealerships is complete without a trip around the Soldiers and Sailors monument in downtown Indianapolis, and no lap of the circle is complete without a stop at The South Bend Chocolate Company for a scoop of tasty ice cream in a chocolate dipped waffle cone with not one but two chocolate malt balls in the bottom of the cone. Now that’s a treat to experience!
A trip down to the old Greenwood Dog & Suds is always a must-do experience on a lazy sunny Saturday afternoon. Given this day had already been dedicated to cruising and gastronomic treats, the Dog & Suds is a cruisers nirvana of automotive classics; both the cars and their owners.
Sunday morning broke crisp and clear with the monthly meeting of the local chapter of the Honda Sport Touring Association (HSTA) on the agenda. Not to break company with my riding buddies from Saturday, I jumped on the Ducati 1098 S Tricolore and joined them for the ride down to Story, Indiana, for the HSTA meeting at the Story Inn. Guess what we did; more good food and sharing experiences with great friends.
After “The Meeting,” my riding buddies headed for the dual-sport roads with their dual-sport bikes, and I joined several other sport bike-mounted HSTA members for a responsibly spirited ride through the paved twisties of Brown County to wrap up the perfect weekend.
Well, all good things have to come to an end; MONDAYS. The 33 members of the Indianapolis 500 class of 2008 experienced a perfect weekend followed by the sites, sounds and epicurean treats of The Big Apple while I dined my way from Zionsville to Story, Indiana, and back.
Be sure to catch the pre-race activities this coming Sunday morning, May 25. A very special preview event is on tap for around 11 a.m. as 2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden laps the legendary oval on a Honda RC212V MotoGP bike. That should be a very special event to experience.
See you all next week on redbullindianapolisgp.com
Greg