by Tim Villager
This last weekend Nyla and I attended the Indy 500—for the 24th time.
Didn't know that we are race fans? Well, we aren't especially. But we are huge fans of our good friends and hosts, Rod and Barb Duncan. Together with Kansans, Charlotte and Steve Brotherson, along with Virginians, Bob and Linda Jennings, the Indy 500 is always an outrageously fun and fabulous weekend. (We missed Bob and Linda this year who remained in Virginia only because Linda is recovering from a motorcycle accident.)
After attending 24 times, I think I am have some authority to say that the Indy 500 is a very special race. Several reasons:
- It’s the largest open wheel race event in the world gathering in close to 400,000 visitors
- It is the race that every racer wants to drive, so just getting in the race "win" tells the whole world that each participant is among the best of the best
- The best prepared cars and drivers usually win, but the challenge is immense
For example, this year's difference between the quickest and slowest cars was about three miles an hour. Think about this in terms of time: the first cars beat the last cars by a mere 3 seconds. And that is after 200 laps and about 3½ hours. But not one of the 400,000 spectators is ever bored. There is an ongoing thrill for every observer witnessing drivers' strategies in real time.
I find that every year there are several take-away lessons.
One is the tweaking given each car in order gain an edge. Last year we toured the Ganassi Racing Team's Indy headquarters and to see how they achieve fractions of additional speed. Like advertising "decals." They might look like stickers, but none of them are. Actually, they are painted onto the body then covered with clear coat of paint and sanded until there is absolutely no projection by the "decal" to slow the car down.
No surprise that Ganassi's driver, Dario Franchitti, won this year's race.
(It might interest you to know that Dario and his spouse, Ashley Judd, make their home in Franklin, Tennessee)
Another take-away lesson is constant unfolding of driver strategies during the race. This dynamic played a huge factor for Tony Kanaan last Sunday. His flexible adjustments in driving strategies propelled him from nearly the last position of 33 cars to second place. It was only at the final second that he slipped to finish 11th.
While I much prefer races without major mishaps, this year one happened. It was during the next to last lap. And it was right in my view. The car was going at least 150 mph when it hit the wall. I saw firsthand how energy is dissipated as the car exploded into hundreds of pieces.
As a technical person, I especially appreciated the one part of the car that did not break up: the driver's compartment, also known as "the tub." Thanks be to God and to brilliant engineering, the driver escaped with only a broken leg and some soiling on his suit.
Lessons for me in helping friends buy and sell homes?
There is always a direct link between success and the best preparation, the best—and flexible—strategies, and details, details, details.
It is always good to win!
