Indycar Classic Weekend - Day 3

It's race day. Jon and I arrived at the track by dawn and Mazda MX5 Cup race starting. I made last minute shopping at Indycar tent and venturing around fan village before going to my seat at the main grandstand. MX5 race finished when I got there with Selin Rollan taking victory.

Race two of Indy Lights race with Robert Megennis taking the lead for first five laps before teammate Oliver Askew passed him and lead the rest of the way to take weekend sweep taking the points lead as well. Megennis and and David Malukas takes the remaining podium. Have some Rich Energy. (note: running gag on one of auto racing message boards)

Follow it up with race 2 of Stadium Super Truck race. Gavin Harlien lead the field to the green. Matt Brabham took the lead and the victory.

Then the main race, the 60-lap Indycar race around COTA. Teams wheeled their cars and got prepared along with drivers getting introduced on stage and driven around on a back of a truck.

Will Power lead the field to the green flag and watched the field jockeying positions at turn 1. Caught Zach Veach in the gravel on the big screen.

There were plenty of empty seats around me that sat in various seats in the main grandstand catching the cars stream past the start/finish line straight and into turn 1 as well cars pitting in and out. I was cheering on Will Power and Patricio O'Ward in the stands. First three cars over 2/3 of the race was Will Power leading following by Alexander Rossi and Colton Herta.

Most of the field pitted including Herta when Felix Rosenqvist got clipped by James Hinchcliffe and crashed causing a yellow flag. Power and Rossi who was first and second haven't pitted yet and got caught out by a caution.

As the remaining cars pitted under yellow Will Power, who lead the entire race before pitting, broke a driveshaft ending his race. Rosenqvist got his car repaired went back out. Herta inherit the lead with 14 laps to go.

The race restarted with Herta pulling away and lead the final 14 laps to win his first ever race and becoming youngest winner in Indycar history.

After the race it was fan track invasion as I walked on the start/finish line stretch taking various photos including kissing start/finish line made famous by drivers winning Indy 500 kissing the yard of bricks. My last photo at the end of turn 1 going into turn 2.

That ends the fun weekend at the track. I had super blast along with Jon walking around various parts of the track as well snapping photos of the racing action. I saw and met drivers, owners, and mechanics around the paddock. Chat up with random fans around the track and commenting on the t-shirts they wore. I saw one with the late Bryan Clausson and a mother/daughter with Labontes shirts. One wore Bobby Labonte Grand National (no. 44 Penrose from the early 90s) shirt while the other wore Terry Labonte 1984 NASCAR (no. 44 Piedmont). I chatted with a couple at the main grandstand who is making a trek to Texas Motor Speedway the following week for a NASCAR race. Hope this race remains on the schedule for a long time. I can't wait for next year's event.

My last parting shot on this Indycar Classic weekend is this video I put together from the video clips I recorded during the weekend. Enjoy!