Things You'll Need:
- Film - Regular Exposure And Polaroid
- Binoculars
- Binoculars
- Internet Access
- Computers
- Camcorders
- Videocassettes
- Digital Cameras
- Internet Explorer
- Internet Explorer
- Camera Lenses
- SLR Camera
- Polaroid Cameras
- Car And Driver Magazines
- EHobbies - Diecast Collectibles - Indy Racing League Models
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Step 1
Follow the IRL in a 10-race schedule from Florida to Texas to Colorado to Kentucky.
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Step 2
Remember that the premier event in American auto racing is the Indianapolis 500 each May for the Borg-Warner Trophy.
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Step 3
Get ready for excitement - IRL cars exceed 200 mph.
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Step 4
Watch for slingshot passes using the draft. One driver will drift in behind another and use the vacuum generated by the lead car to boost his speed and make a slingshot pass.
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Step 5
Check out the pit stops. As in most other types of auto racing, pit stops must be accomplished perfectly - and quickly.
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Step 6
Watch the action during pit stops. The car is raised by internal air jacks, all four tires are changed with single-lug attachments, and fuel is added through a large hose from an external tank.
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Step 7
Remember that even though a pit stop lasts only a few seconds, a car also loses track position during the time it's slowing down, maintaining the pit speed limit and then regaining race speed.
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Step 8
Keep an eye on the flag stand. Watch for the yellow, black and blue flags.
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Step 9
Remember that most IRL races are run at distances of 200 to 500 miles - but at the speeds the cars fly at, that'll be less time than it takes to play a baseball game.
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Step 1
Understand that Tony George, head of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, became the driving force behind the creation of the Indy Racing League when open-wheel racing in the United States turned mostly to road courses.
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Step 2
Note that the cars appear similar to CART machines, but the chassis suppliers - Dallara, G-Force, and Riley & Scott - build exclusively for the IRL.
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Step 3
Look closely at the construction. IRL cars are pure racers - monocoque body/frame units, driver's seat low in front of the engine, aerodynamic wings at front and rear, open wheels.
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Step 4
Check that sound! The Olds Aurora and Nissan Infiniti 4-liter displacement engines powering these racers are normally aspirated - no turbochargers or superchargers - and they generate that deep V-8 rumble.
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Step 5
Look for sprint car and midget hotshots like Stevie Reeves, Jason Leffler and Tyce Carlson.
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Step 6
Watch for the wily veterans. Al Unser Jr., a third-generation champion, moves over from CART this year. Eddie Cheever, an F-1 and CART ace, owns his own team.
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Step 7
Keep an eye out for Sarah Fisher and Lyn St. James, two women who've made the big time.
