MotoGP Blog

One of MotoGPBlog’s regular readers was present at the Indianapolis MotoGP race in 2008 - Bridget Kirkland. Bridget has been kind enough to write up her experience for us; it gives an authentic feel and a personal take on what it was like to be there. Bridget also has some images up on Flickr of the event.

Grab a cold one and get a little taste of Indy for those of us not able to be there in person.

Thanks Bridget!

Inaugural Indy 2008
The makings of my journey to Indy was a bit sporadic, just as my life seems to be. It was a last minute decision to drive to Indy. So, on Friday, September, 12, I left Spartanburg, S.C. on a road trip with a short pit stop in Columbus, Ohio for a little fam time with my sister. On Saturday morning I woke up to a very fierce thunderstorm. Lying in the bed, I wondered if I really should go through with the trip. Thinking no more of those thoughts, I got ready to go. However, the rain was a just a sign of a how wet the weekend would be.

The drive from Columbus to Indy was rather short and quick, only three hours. It was a fun drive. I was jamming to tunes, and getting myself all pumped up for the excitement. On I-70, the closer I got to Indy, the more race traffic I saw. You can usually spot such fans - cars with lots of alpine stars stickers on the windows and loaded full of guys. The great thing was that the closer I got to Indy, the nicer it was getting outside.

As I exited the highway, it was so hard to contain my excitement. The traffic was easy. Due to the fact this was Indy, they seem to have the crowd/traffic thing well under control. I turned into a $10 parking lot right near the South part of the track. It was about a five minute walk into the track. I can remember the walk into the track seemed like forever. I could hear the bikes and I could not seem to get in fast enough. I just wanted to see. And seeing, I finally did. I sat down at the first stand I found. Sitting there with my heart pumping, I couldn’t believe that I was actually there and that I was there all by myself. Not only was this my first trip to Indy, but my first solo road trip. At that moment I remember thinking: Whatever this weekend was to be, boring or filled with the sporadic moments I had come accustomed to lately, that it was all in my hands.

Enough sitting… it was time to explore. I could not help noticing the extremely large Ducati area. So that was where I was off to. I was welcomed by a sea of red: people painted red, dressed in red and with red hair. Unlike many of the Ducati areas I have been to at the races, this one was by far the biggest and definitely the most fun. I knew I would be back to spend most of the race time there. There was a great view of the track coming out of the straightaway that headed into Turn 2, T3 and intoT4. So I had multiple viewing spots, which I liked.

I could not believe the massive size of this track. I do prefer the intimate feel of Laguna a lot better. I was trying to find grassy areas on the infield to watch from, and there were some, but I didn’t like that I could only see that particular area. I continued to walk all the way back along the eastern side of the track to the north side, searching for that perfect spot, when all along, I realized, it was going to be that Ducati area.

Heading to the Village I had a list of things I needed to get. I strolled by the riders’ huge trailers, but didn’t see anything interesting. The vendor marketplace was crowded with the regulars - Alpine Stars, Hayden Brothers and many helmet and t-shirt shops. I did wait in a line for about 45 minutes to get Spies’ and Edwards’ autographs. At this point I realized I was alone again and so I started random conversations all over the place. It is amazing that people will talk to you so much more easily when it is just you. I don’t think I would have met so many people if I had been there with someone else. I went into all the sponsors’ tents, nothing out of the ordinary. All this time I was continually getting photos of practices and qualifying. The noise … the smell of the gas - it was all around and I was loving it!

I was impressed with the people and everyone was so nice. Everyone had a story to share about their own journey to Indy. As the racing wound down toward the end of the day, I noticed more and more cold ones in the hands of race fans. People were getting happier, as I was too. Some of the people were on their way to the flat track, however, I returned to the hotel to change and get ready for a night out in downtown Indy. I couldn’t help but enjoy the night out and I knew, as I journeyed back to the hotel room at 4:00 am, that I would be kicking myself in the butt the next day. And I did. A couple grande lattes later, I was ready for what the day was to bring. I remember thinking, “Bring it on – it can only get better!”

The morning started with some sun and lots of wind. The exploring was done. The day felt a little different too. I noticed that the traffic was crazier, the parking was more ($20), and the people were excited!

The 125’s started, then ended early due to the changing weather as the wind and rain started to pick up as the rain bands from Hurricane Ike made their way across the midwest. The Ducati people could barely keep their tent from blowing away. I found out they were delaying the 250’s and then it was time for the big event. However, at that moment, a monsoon literally stalled right above the track. I found better cover under a concession stand. The rain, and the drinks, kept pouring! And neither was letting up. The more the rain came down, the crazier the fans were getting. I recall people shouting and running around in the rain, mostly the red people.

Slowly the rain lifted and the drying crews came out. It’s amazing how they can just suck the water out of the road! So, it was apparent that the race was due to begin soon. I left my Chicago boys partying under the stand and went right to my area. I faced Turn 2, T3 and T4, ready to capture all the action. The crowd did not go anywhere. In fact there were so many people all around me and during the practice runs the hair on my arms was standing up. I was so excited!

The bikes were back on and as they came out of the straight away into Turn 2, with just enough water on the road, those of us standing in that exact spot were being pelted with water that the bikes shot of the road. None of us seemed to mind at all. In fact, the water seemed to have its own special power. As the races started the crowd cheered, and you could hear the bikes coming around one by one. This is what I drove eight hours to see, and if I had any regrets - not that I did – that moment assured me I had done the right thing.

We all know what happened next: Rossi, Hayden and Rossi again to the lead. I don’t know if the broadcasting picked up the noise that was made in the stands. The fans went crazy when Hayden jumped into the lead, and when Rossi took it back, it was just as much of an uproar. I think most people were just there for the racing and whoever was going to give the best show, they would get the cheers!

I was impressed with the amount of foreigners who attended and I was happy the Americans were on good behavior. It seemed to me like one big happy family on the inside and outside of the track. Everyone was there for the love of the race. I saw many people meeting and discussing favorite riders. I saw Italians inviting people from Chicago to the races and exchanging numbers so they could meet up again. The feeling was great. The town of Indianapolis was very welcoming as well. Signs everywhere welcomed bike fans! The city streets had bike parking everywhere. I was impressed and left with the feeling that I would be back next year. Next year, however, I won’t be going solo.