“Where are you going? Heaven or hell?” asked a billboard beside a typically dull stretch of Interstate 65 halfway from Chicago to Indianapolis. Twenty miles south came another sign, this one more urgent than the last, a warning spelled out in white block type against a black background: “HELL IS REAL.”
ESPN on ABC's coverage of the thrilling final laps of yesterday's Indy 500 left many viewers upset, as Bristol's repeated coverage of the race leaders' significant others battled that of the actual racing. Here's a comparison of what ESPN aired versus video from the international feed.
If race car drivers are good for one thing, it's giving memorable post-race interviews. This one, from Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan, doesn't share the meandering goofiness of Brad Keselowksi's half-drunk dissertation on believing in oneself, but the two are united in spirit. The spirit of getting hammered.
The history book will show that Dan Wheldon won the 100th Indianapolis 500. The replay shows that he didn't so much win it as rookie JR Hildebrand lost it in ridiculously tire-breaking fashion.
Grand Marshal Anderson Cooper and the Indianapolis 500 Festival Princesses drew much attention on the red carpet outside the Snake Pit Ball. Jim Nabors, REO Speedwagon and the Chinese brought happiness to those attending the IPL 500 Festival Parade. Plus, there's a fancy car race today.
Your morning roundup for April 7, the day that attempted courtroom eye-gouging became a no-no.
Click to view File under: #holyshit. In the 1981 Indianapolis 500, Rick Mears took a pitstop and his car was sprayed with fuel that ignited invisibly after making contact with the engine. Mears and several members of his crew were immediately (and invisibly) lit up.
Scott Dixon, seen here winning an unrelated reace, is your 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner. This makes it 39 years that the prestigious Brickyard race hasn't been won by either a woman or an Andretti. The New Zealander won his first 500 the year after he lost the IRL championship on the last lap of the last race.…
The Indianapolis 500 is underway, and if the fact that I haven't mentioned until over an hour after it started seems to give an indication of my interest level in the race ... it probably does.
Allow us to be the next in the long line of people lamenting the sorry state of the Indianapolis 500. The race has always been the only automobile-related event — save for any demolition derby — we've ever cared much about, and not just because it took place an hour-and-a-half from our house.
Sam Hornish Jr., who pulled out too soon a little earlier in the race, is now free to pop off anytime he would like. He's your Indy 500 Champion, and for some reason, poured a bottle of milk all over himself immediately afterwards. I understand that it's a tradition, but I think it's one that's a little weird. Does…
Our pals at Jalopnik are in the corporate hospitality suite, watching the race, and... instant messenging each other. That's not a sentence I thought I'd ever be typing. Here's a snippet:
The Jalopnik fellas continue to penetrate the Indy 500 scene like Fred Smooth with a broomstick. They've already wormed their way into the official Indy 500 parade, ripped the lid off of an apparent child-slavery ring in the Indianapolis area, and taken a lap around the track in the official pace car, a Corvette…
In another of their festive Indy 500 events, Jalopnik is having a little IndyCar-designing contest. Design a fancy IndyCar for Deadspin and/or Jalopnik, and you could become a hero to millions.
It's Indy 500 weekend, as I'm sure you're aware. This is a huge event, and I know that because Cold Pizza sent Woody Paige and Skip Bayless there to do the show this week. Not to be outdone, though, our pals at Jalopnik are also live at the speedway. We're going to be leaning heavily on them for coverage of the race,…
It's Memorial Day weekend, so that means it's time for the Indianapolis 500, which isn't as cool as it used to be, though it helps to have attractive women racing. Growing up where we did, the Indy 500 was pretty much the most awesomest thing on earth when we were a kid, so we're glad to see it coming back.