Memorial Day is fast approaching here in America, and while most of us will spend a good deal of time honoring our veterans and lives lost in war and other military times; there's one thing that comes vividly to life on that weekend. We are off to the races!
I speak of racing this year with a fondness that I've not felt before as my young son goes into the racing world and training with a crew and gets to work at his very first Indianapolis 500. I'm a proud mama, and as a sideline, give a little root for Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud for me.
The Indy 500 is the oldest continually run and arguably the biggest race in the world. This will be the 106th running of the race that started back in 1911. It is the only race in the world that celebrates its winner with a glass of milk, simply because it is the only race that weathered prohibition in the United States, and has kept the practice as tradition.
The 500 has gone through a lot of tough times and a lot of changes. The race used to run on Memorial Day, which didn't leave a rain date for spectators. Eventually the race was moved to Sunday, because weather in the Midwest in May is largely unpredictable. Now, if the weather is bad enough to cancel the race, the spectators can see it on Monday.
Other things to know about the Indianapolis 500. This is an entire month of events in Indianapolis, Indiana. There are other races, time trials, concerts, parades, festivals and more. It is the single busiest time of the year in that town, and worth a look.
This year, there is a rare chance to see a record broken. Helio Castroneves belongs to an elite group of drivers who have won four Indy 500 races. He is racing this year, which means he could become the only driver to ever win 5.
But, I don't mention racing today just to talk about my son's upcoming career or one race. Not at all. I bring it up, because Memorial Day Weekend here in America is one of the biggest racing weekends around the world.
As Tony Stewart for one, can tell you; the evening following the Indianapolis 500 is the Coca Cola 600 NASCAR race in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is the longest NASCAR race of the year. A few drivers have done both the Indy 500 and the Coca Cola 600 in the same day. Tony Stewart was famous for it.
Once again, there are events all weekend long in Charlotte to celebrate both Memorial Day and the race, and its a lot of fun for everyone.
In Great Britain on Memorial Day Weekend they hold the British GT Championship Series at Donington Park. It's a huge event in England and a great weekend of events.
The Nurburgring in Germany is busy all month long during May, culminating in the Nurburgring 24 Hours. It is one of the biggest events of the year on one of the most challenging and famous race tracks in the world. The Nurburgring is roughly 13 miles long, making it one of the longest tracks in the world. It's open on certain days throughout the year to the public. Manufacturers bring their cars here to race for world record speed titles.
Australia hits the track in Sydney with a race weekend for all kinds of fans. For three days May 27 - 29, they race everything from supercars to touring cars to sprints and even Trans Ams. There's truly something for everyone during a wild weekend that even includes Radical Cup Racing.
Back on the American Front, Sprint Cars hit the track Memorial Day Weekend in Knoxville, Tennessee. Part of the American circuit and a sight to see. If you like dirt tracks, Sprint is a lot of fun to watch. If you see one fly through the air, don't worry. They're remarkably safe.
The Super GT crews hit Suzuka, Japan on Memorial Day Weekend. A key component to their circuit as well as an entire weekend of events. Once again, there are festivals, concerts, other racing events and so on.
And finally, the big puppy on my bucketlist. The Monaco Grand Prix is on Memorial Day Weekend. This F1 event is another one of the longest running races in the world with its first running in 1929. Every year the streets of Monaco yield to the giant race cars as they race one of the most famous races in the world.
Unlike many races, there are many ways to watch the Grand Prix, whether it be from a hotel balcony or even a yacht in the harbor, but it is a truly unique race in a truly unique place. As with many of these huge events, there are all kinds of things race related to do in Monaco in May.
So, Memorial Day is coming and the world is off to the races. Going to any kind of a race is memorable. I've been to Indy, and Daytona and they are something to behold. I highly recommend attending some kind of motorsport race. You can watch records broken, once in a lifetime happenings, and enjoy!
https://news.yahoo.com/10-cool-facts-indianapolis-500-194805342.html?fr=yhssrp_catchall
https://www.motortrend.com/features/indy-500-history/
https://www.britannica.com/sports/Indianapolis-500
https://www.nbcsports.com/motors/indy-500
https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/results/2022/indy-500-543060/
https://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/events/indy500
https://www.indycar.com/Schedule/2022/IndyCar-Series/Indianapolis-500
https://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/events/indy500/event-info/schedule.
https://www.scca.com/pages/2022-majors-schedule
https://www.motorsport.com/supergt/event/suzuka-545102/545102/news/
https://www.porschesport.com/news/2022-porsche-michelin-sprint-challenge-calendar-announced
https://www.formula1monaco.com/
https://www.nuerburgring.de/events/categories/automotive/24h-race
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