Inside Track: Easy Riders
Racing teams aren’t the only ones who have to think about fuel conservation at the track. Fans logging marathon days at the Speedway should pace themselves, too. One way to save energy is by taking advantage of free pedicab rides from infield parking spots to the stands. Dozens of bike-pulled chariots line up on Hulman Drive—they’re off today, but will return Wednesday and stay through the 500. The IMS has contracted Circle City Pedicabs to provide lifts on the house for the last few years, and owner Tony Ostler now brings in help from Lone Star BikeCAB in Texas (the company is owned by a Hoosier) to keep up with demand. “It’s constant, nonstop,” Ostler says. “But our drivers love riding bikes. They’re cyclists. They take vacations on their bikes.” Make sure to get your driver’s card if you want to call ahead and arrange a return ride back to your car. And don’t forget to tip.
The Theban Trilogy at the IMA
Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to see No Exit’s wonderfully unconventional Antigone on the grounds of the IMA. And as powerful as the Sophocles play was, I couldn’t help but feel as if I had walked into a movie an hour late. Having not seen the prequels Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus, performed earlier this month, I had to pick up elements of the backstory not remembered from college on the fly. Lucky for you, No Exit will stage all three plays on May 31, June 1, and June 2.
Vintner Mario Andretti Regales Guests at Wine Dinner
Earlier this week, May Madness reported that tickets to the Andretti Wine Dinner at Mo’s A Place for Steaks (47 S. Pennsylvania St., 624-0720) were going for $125 a pop. But evidently price was no object for the more than 150 diners who turned out last night to meet Mario Andretti and sit down to a four-course meal paired with wine from the racing legend’s own winery and vineyard in Napa Valley, California.
Carb Loading: "Fast" Food Pit Stops Near IMS
For us, as for working stiffs around the city, Fast Friday Practice at IMS (May 18, 8 a.m.–6 p.m., $10) means playing afternoon hooky at the track. But first we fuel up at one of our favorite westside lunch spots:
Rutherford, Castroneves, and More at Sam Schmidt Foundation Gala
Speedway big-timers Johnny Rutherford, Helio Castrovenes, and Arie Luyendyk, Sr. came out last night for the 13th-annual Racing to Recovery Gala at the Dallara IndyCar Factory in Speedway, to help raise money for the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation. If we're honest, the term “gala” seems a little too fancy—it felt more like a friendly family reunion, as smiling Indy drivers (including Will Power, Ryan Briscoe, and Davey Hamilton) mingled easily with the avid racing fans and foundation supporters in attendance.