Finding My Inner Speed Demon At Indy

by Lillian Africano on

Never knew I had a taste for speed. Never chewed up Jersey Turnpike miles singing “Born to Run,” never flipped the bird at the drivers I left in the dust. Nope. Though I drive a traffic-cop-magnet red car, I have never gotten a speeding ticket; I just go with the flow of traffic.
But something happened when I arrived at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Anticipation. Excitement. Something new was about to happen at this place where racing rules, where drivers and their zillion-dollar cars roar around the 253-acre oval, and where 40 million fans worldwide scream for their favorites. Yes, I’m one of those who love to watch, but today wasn’t about watching; today I would actually see and feel what it was like to be in an Indy car, barreling around the track at speeds I’ve never experienced.

My warm-up would be a ride in an Indy pace car with superstar Sarah Fisher, who retired as a driver in 2010 after competing in her ninth and final Indy 500 – the most number of starts for a woman in the 94-year history of the event. To me, Fisher is an icon, the first and only female team owner in the IZOD IndyCar Series – and the first female team owner to win an IZOD IndyCar Series race. My pulse quickened as I walked toward the pace car, a modified Chevy convertible. Introductions out of the way, I asked how fast we would go, hoping I didn’t sound too much like a wuss who feared getting car-sick. About 120-130 mph, she replied. This sounded, well, fast, for an open car. “Girls drive smoother than guys,” she said by way of reassurance. Okay, superstar driver trumps doubts.

I belted myself into the passenger seat. Removed scarf, jewelry, sunglasses – anything that could be whipped off my person. Engine starts, we peel out – and OMG, my hair stands straight up on end, the G force plasters my body to the seat as we round the first turn. I’m forced to the right and stay stuck there until I’m pushed to the left. My eyes shut; my jaw clenched. But OK, the ride was smooth.

As we went round and round, I opened my eyes. Fisher was relaxed, smiling, enjoying the drive. And suddenly I was, too, energized by the experience of going really fast, yet feeling safe in her expert hands.

Still, when the ride was over, my legs wobbled a little as I got out of the car. I thanked Ms. Fisher for the experience. Yeah, it was really smooth, I said, and she smiled.

And then came the main event. For the Indy Racing Experience, I was going to climb into a two-seat IZOD Indy Car for the ride of my life. And “my” driver would be IndyCar Series veteran and two-time championship runner up, Davey Hamilton.

I’d had to sign a whole bunch of releases that said if something bad happened, it would be on me and not the track. Fair enough, though it did feel funny to give my medical information, the name of my doctor, the name of the person to be contacted in case of emergency. Then I had to suit up, just like the drivers do. I got myself into a way-too-big fire suit that wasn’t made for a small woman, but OK, it was protection. Fire gloves, too. My head was bound in a knit balaclava and on top of that came an enormous helmet with a face shield.

All this stuff was wearing me; I felt like the little kid in “A Christmas Story” who complained he couldn’t put his arms down. By the time I came face to face with Davey Hamilton, I couldn’t speak – and I couldn’t lower the big fat package I had become into the very skinny and low-slung seat. Someone’s arms lifted and pushed me into the car, strapped me into a harness so tight, I felt as if I had become part of the car. It was actually a good feeling – snug and secure with no room to move.

And then with a thunderous roar, the car shot forward and was soon hurtling around the track at 180 miles an hour. But this time I was one with the car, no shifting from side to side, no lurching stomach, no feeling the push and pull of G force as we rounded the oval.

Eyes wide open, I watched empty grandstands fly by, imagined them crowded with screaming people and pulsing with life on race day. I laughed aloud inside my face mask, high on the thrill of speed. So this was what it was all about. This is what makes professional drivers risk life and vehicle time and again, what makes crazy teenagers take crazy risks on hot summer nights at the Jersey Shore. This was a fantasy I’d never had, but living it felt great! And much too quickly it was over.

Drivers do 200 laps around this track during the Indy 500; the Indy Racing Experience, which I’d just sampled, costs $499 for a three-lap ride. The rides need to be booked months in advance as they’re offered only on select dates for people 18 years of age or older, under 6’5″ in height, and under 250 lbs.

Is the ride worth five hundred bucks? If you can afford it, hell, yes. If my check book were fatter, I’d do something like this regularly, step outside my comfort zone, jump out of a plane like George Bush did every year on his birthday.

Experiences like this are available all over the country. The Richard Petty Driving Experience puts you in a NASCAR race car at more than 20 venues, including such celebrated tracks a Bristol, Daytona and Talladega. Or, you can do a ride-along. Prices range from $159 to $3,499, depending on the length and complexity of the driving experience.

At the Mario Andretti and Jeff Gordon facility, prices range from $129 to $2,299. Prices at the NASCAR Racing Experience start at $129 for a NASCAR ride-along and go to $364.99 for driving a race car that had once been driven by such NASCAR favorites as Jimmy Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Dale Jr.

For speed lovers with big budgets, the Richard Petty Fantasy Racing Camp in Las Vegas (March 10-13, 2013) is four full days in Las Vegas; it starts with meeting Richard Petty and Dale Inman and includes getting behind the wheel of a 600 HP NASCAR race car, learning short track driving skills, road course driving skills and participating in a speedway challenge at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Spring Mountain Motorsports Racetrack Road Course. The price is $10,500, with a limit of 12 participants.

As for me, I’m back to just watching and driving with the flow – for now.

[Photo Credits: Lillian Africano]

Gadling Gear Review: Alegria Clogs

by Pam Mandel on

There’s a certain chunky euro-style of shoe I’ve become fond of. They’re popular in the alpine nations and Germany, and sometimes in Holland. They’re a little orthopedic looking, but with some flair, the kind of thing you might see worn by someone who’s trying to spark up their hospital scrubs. Think Birkenstocks, the closed toe variety, or your classic Dutch clog. Here’s the thing – shoes like this were made for walking in, for spending hours on your feet in, and that makes them work well for travelers.

Alegria shoes have all those qualities; they make shoes that are designed to be worn all day while keeping your feet comfortable. They have a thick spongy but not too soft sole that’s got a little bit of a rock too it, similar to that used by the Masai balance shoes or Sketcher’s fitness shoe, but not as extreme. They have that slightly duck web shape to the footbed that’s mirrors the shape of your foot. And they come in a whole array of styles from very plain to somewhat outrageous.Shoes are my weakness – they’re my packing struggle every single time. I like versatility in my gear, but shoes, well, there are great mary-janes out there, but sometimes they’re too sporty for dress. There are little tiny fold-up shoes, but they’re not comfortable enough for me. And I still think about what shoes I’m going to wear to the airport and what I’ll want on the plane. I like shoes that are easy to get in and out of, not too heavy, and have some personal style.

Alegria clogs are great airplane shoes – they meet all my requirements. I think they’d be great shoes for cruisers too, and for the kinds of long drives when you kick off your shoes in the passenger seat but put them back on to go grab a diner breakfast. The clog and shoe lines are all built on the same basic footbed, so you get that comfortable walking shoe base with a wild variety of uppers.

The look isn’t going to be for everyone. They’re bulky and kind of blocky, you have to be into that kind of style. But if you do like the look, your feet will be quite comfortable for many, many, many hours. They run just a tiny bit small so if you think you’re going to wear them with big wooly socks, get a half size larger.

Alegria clogs are about $110; the closed toe styles are priced a little bit higher. Buy them online directly from Alegria.

[Image credit: Alegria]

Missing Aircraft Located In The Antarctic, Crew Lost

by Kraig Becker on

Search and rescue teams have located the missing aircraft that went down in Antarctica last week after being stymied for several days due to bad weather. A SAR team out of New Zealand spotted the plane from the air over the weekend and described the crash as “not survivable.” A search group consisting of specialists from that country and the U.S. was able to approach the DH-6 Twin Otter airplane yesterday, where they recovered its flight recorder and other parts. The mission was quickly called off, however, due to unsafe conditions surrounding the wreckage.

The plane was making a routine supply run from the South Pole to an Italian base located near Terra Nova Bay last Thursday when it went down, immediately activating its emergency locator beacon. Winds in excess of 100 mph and heavy snow prevented any kind of rescue operation from being mounted at the time, so SAR teams and anxious family members could only watch and wait. Once the weather improved, however, the plane was spotted on a steep mountain face near the summit of Mt. Elizabeth, a 14,698-foot peak located in the Queen Alexandra Range. It appears that it flew directly into the mountain with none of the crew surviving the impact.

Because of its location on the mountain, the plane is in an unstable position, making it unsafe to approach right now. With that in mind, search operations were called off yesterday with teams returning to their bases. The bodies of the three crew members will stay onboard the aircraft until they can be safely retrieved at a future date.

The Twin Otter aircraft was owned and operated by Kenn Borek Air based out of Calgary. The company specializes in flying scientists, explorers and adventurers to remote locations all over the globe. The pilot, Bob Heath, had a great deal of experience flying in polar conditions.

Our condolences to the friends and families of those who were killed in this crash.

[Photo Credit: Spencer Klein, NSF]

Video Of The Day: Italy’s Biggest Food Fight

by Libby Zay on

Each year, thousands of people in the town of Ivrea in northern Italy have one of the largest food fights on the planet during the Battle of the Oranges. Part of the city’s annual Carnival celebrations, origins of the tradition are somewhat unclear, but it’s believed to have originated by the townspeople’s revolt against their tyrant during the 12th or 13th century. As the story goes, the tyrant was looking to exercise his power and attempted to rape a girl on the eve of her wedding, but the young woman instead decapitated the tyrant, and the townspeople stormed and burned the palace. Today, the story is loosely reenacted: an actress is chosen each year to play the part of the young woman, and organized teams on foot (representing the rebels) and in carts (representing authority figures) duke it out in the streets. The weapon of choice has morphed over the years from stones to beans to apples to oranges, a good choice considering the former options.

The video above by Andry Verga sheds light on just how epic the battle becomes. This year, the Battle of the Oranges will take place on the weekend of February 9 and 10. It’s just one of the more than 60 events on our list of events worth planning a trip around in 2013.

Video: A Day in India

by Jonathan Kramer on

The flavors, animals, trains, landscapes and people of India are all captured phenomenally in this latest episode of The Perennial Plate. Chef Daniel Klein and camera-girl Mirra Fine are currently on a world food tour that would make anyone supremely jealous. This video is only their first from India and it has me watering for more; the wealth of experiences conveyed are absolutely amazing.

Definitely be sure to check out their other videos we have previously featured, including their travels to Vietnam, Japan and China. Soon they will be traveling too Argetina, Sri Lanka and Italy. I simply can’t wait for more!