October is almost here, and my hometown team is a shoe-in for the play offs. I wanted to share this panoramic photograph that I took while visiting the stadium over the summer. It was constructed using 4 photographs taken with a Canon SD770 IS, then stitched in Photoshop CS3.

A part of me never thought I would like the new stadium, that I would always miss the narrow corridors and the extreme parking of the house that Ruth built. But in truth, the new stadium amazes in every way. I did one lap around the lower level just to take it all in, and I was staggered at how every seat looks like it is the best in the venue. Everybody wants to be right behind home plate, but in the old stadium the infield felt like it was miles away. Now all of the seats have a great view, including their own cupholders so you are not going to knock them over with your foot onto the guy infront of you during a home run cheer. It is just as mystifying, just as exciting, and a much more pleasant experience for all (including my mom). The more diverse array of food stands didn’t hurt either.

Hopefully the stadium will get to see its first World Series, to cap off its first year of life. October, bring it on!

The day before the big race, I had a little bit of time to kill after picking up my pass. I decided to head next door to check out the Indy Hall of Fame Museum. When I first thought of “hall of fame” something like the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY came to mind, with its seemingly endless statistics and trophies. As I walked towards the building a part of me wondered if I would just get bored trying to read hundreds of plaques next to grainy head shots. While there were plenty of plaques, the word “museum” was probably equally as important in this equation. The building was as much a house of art as was is one of praise. The cars were granted the center of attention, even more than the names that adorned the side of their cockpits. Baseballs and bats haven’t really changed in past 100 years, but the cars that raced at the famous brickyard certainly did. Read on to get a glimpse of just how much.

Open wheel racers occupied the largest part of the exhibit floor. Many look just the way they did when they won their respective races, tires still bald from going the full distance without another pit stop.

The first cars that I observed reminded me more of today’s land-speed record setters with skinny tires and long front noses. The engines were all stuffed in the front, and this appeared to dictate a lot about their shape and design.

The distinct lack of sponsor logos was also very visible in a time when television either didn’t exist or wasn’t widely used to view the races.

Looking into the tiny driver’s seats of 50 years ago, I was amazed to see the way technology and priorities have changed. Not only was a tiny pillow on the steering wheel the only means of crash safety, but the entire drive shaft appeared to run just to the left of the driver’s leg! The seat itself also looked somewhat plush, and was probably more comfortable than the modern equivalent. I doubt that drivers butts have changed any though.

As the history lesson continued around the exhibit floor, I could see the gradual evolution of the cars into the 200+mph wonders we know today. After somebody figured out it would be a good idea to put the engine in the back rather than the front, things took a drastic shift and have moved steadily in the same direction ever since. Huge rear wings and front nose cones were added to keep everything planted at high speeds. Sticky, wide tires were placed at all four corners, and although the cars flatten out on the sides, many still resembled their sausage-like older cousins from the side until the engines could be made small enough for a tighter package.

The lower hall of the museum featured a larger variety of machines, including motorcycles, GT cars, and a few stock cars.

All and all I would definitely recommend stopping by to check it out if you’re ever in Indianapolis for a race. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll see Helio’s winning car from 2009 in there with the rest of the legends.

I had a blast at this year’s Indianapolis 500, so much so that I’m at a loss for what to post first. I didn’t stay in my seat for very long since I was eager to explore the infield and see what other vantages I could capture the cars on track from, but I did get this panoramic view of the grid before the race.

I know I’ve been a little bit off the pace (pun intended) when it comes to posting on here, but I appreciate the loyal few who have been checking up on me. There’s plenty more to come in June as I’ve just finished working out a deal to cover the Formula Drift event next month from Wall Speedway in New Jersey. Before that however, I’m off to the Indy 500 tomorrow. I’ve never attended the race before, or any true IRL race for that matter, so I’m really psyched about it. Photos to follow next week from the journey.

As I was archiving some of my photos from 2008 to free up some hard drive space, I noticed this set from a tour of the Jack Daniel’s Distillery. For some reason I didn’t get around to processing them at the time, so I’m pleased to share them with you now – better late than never right?

Forget Opry Land, whenever it comes to a famous site in middle Tennessee I always tell people that the one place they should go is on the distillery tour. Lynchburg, TN, the city now famous for Jack’s best-selling No. 7, is about an hour and a half outside of Nashville, but the drive to get there is very scenic. It’s almost as though the area exists outside of time, uncongested by cars and buses and tall buildings, hidden away in untouched countryside. The location is key, as the company still uses the same spring that Jack himself found so many years ago to start it all. The process of creating a Tennessee whiskey is to slow drip the water through charred maple wood before it is treated and then aged in barrels. If you are able to get out to experience the tour for yourself, make sure to come with a working nose – the smell of the maple wood is something that I will cherish for a long time.