When in Rome (or in this case Speedway, Indiana)

Our drive from Iowa to North Carolina took us through parts of the country I have never seen before and while the journey was long, it was exciting to get a taste of Americana along the way. One of the states we drove through was Indiana. Now I am not a NASCAR fan, and know very little about race car culture, but when I think of Indianapolis and what it is famous for, I think of the Indy 500. So, when in Rome, right?

We visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum, located in the middle of the race track and took a one lap, guided tour around track. I have to admit, it was thrilling! And I learned something too. For the rest of you NASCAR newbies, this is what I learned:

• The track is nicknamed "The Brickyard" because it was originally made of 3.2 million bricks.
• The Indianapolis 500 is a 500-mile race. Drivers drive 200 times around the 2.5 mile track.
• The averaging speed of the drivers during the race is about 180 mph and some lap speeds top 200 mph. That's a lap time of less than forty seconds! Can you imagine driving 2.5 miles in less than 40 seconds? And you are not going straight either...

In front of an official pace car

A picture of the pagoda (taken from behind gasoline alley.) I had to include this picture because I was so surprised to find Asian influence at the race track.

Afterwards we ate at "Mug-N-Bun", a local drive-in famous for homemade root beer and it's breaded pork tenderloin sandwich. (I've added this link so you can see the sandwich in its entirety. We were STARVING, but neither Marc nor I could put a dent in it!)

Somehow this meal seemed a fitting end to our Speedway adventure.

If you're ever in these parts, be sure to check out the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Mug 'N Bun (or Mug 'N Bug as we kept calling it!). It's a guaranteed American experience.

Be sure to tune in next time! There's more Indianapolis, including my big surprise...