Honda Indy Toronto kindly sent me tickets again this year (click here and here for last years posts).

The Thursdasy before the race I was invited to

the first-ever Backstage Indy Tour.

First, the press conference.

I got to thinking, these racers, sure they’re all very good behind the wheel, but they have to be equally as good in front of a camera, because it seems much of their job is presenting well.

Like racer Simon Pagenaud.

This was inside Honda’s paddock, where I was as close to an Indy car as you can get.

They asked us not to take photos of the engine, knowing their competition would be zooming in on our photos looking, searching – corporate espionage.

Official Indy car tools.

On the tour we were able to visit the pits, come ON.

That’s where I met Arie Lyendyk, 2 time winner of the Indianapolis 500.

If there’s anyone who should be made into an animated gif, it’s Arie. Bet he’d be fun to have a drink with, you could tell it would be jokes.

 HONDA INDY FACTS

– each car is $1 million, and it costs $4 million to play this game

 – they’re going 200 MPH

  – it’s difficult to pass here, most passing is done in Turn 3

 – it takes 6 guys 6.5 seconds to re-fuel the car.  Changing the tires is faster

 – because this is a street course, they are in constant attack mode

 – there are 400+ volunteers

 – ticket sales this year were higher than ever

 – Toronto is one of the racers’ favourite stops, because we fans are so awesome

 

I attended the race both days.

I will never, ever tire of the sound of the engines. Maybe the best part.

And while on this topic: to all the hippies who put down the Indy… guys, where do you think the technology comes from for your green, eco-friendly vehicles?

Here guys, it comes from races like this; they test technology on the track, which filters down into cars for normal people.

The other best part.

(I’m talking about the Honda Civic Si HFPs, watch me drive one on a track here)

Oh guys, you need to obscure your WiFi names next time.

One of the strangest thing was the absence of a checkered flag.  Except for the official guy waving one, they are nowhere to be found.

I put out a serious effort, too.  All I found was this scrappy piece wrapped around the base of a sunglasses-for-sale stand.

I think I’ve uncovered a little mystery here!

I wonder if I’ll be emailed, “please remove that checkered flag image”. We’re going to find out, because above is the new header for KeriOnCars.com.

The race concluded with a crash.

Thanks for a great time, Honda, and congratulations on your best-selling Indy in years!