Opening Day/News Flash

This blog opens on a day with a news flash which should cause many Indycar fans relief, Danica Patrick has allegedly signed a new three-year contract to drive for Andretti-Green Racing carrying through 2012, according to Curt Cavin of the Indy Star.


Fine and dandy.


Now it's my turn to announce something.  'Yours truly' is proud to announce the opening of this "Ground(ed) Effects" blog whose chief mission is to provide thoughts, musings, and generally entertaining fodder on subjects related to the Indianapolis 500.  With any luck at all, its readership will find this entertaining and worthy of ongoing interaction (or possibly just a comment or two).



This blog is hereby christened in the name of The father (Carl Fisher), the son (Anton "Tony" Hulman), and in the spirit of all that is the Indianapolis 500... *smashes Miller High Life bottle on, NO! near laptop.  Phew, that was a close one...*


Please note this blog is in no way produced or endorsed by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it's ownership, the Indycar Series, or any other officially approved product of Brickyard Properties (I'm not really sure I have to say that, but fairly certain it doesn't hurt either).


I am essentially a guy with a computer and a Blogger account.  To say that I am a fan of the Indianapolis 500 (or Indy 500) is an understatement.  I have a history with this race that has covered a good majority of my life.  My fondness of this race dates back to a couple of events that are honestly a bit hazy, but will be covered here in due time...


On that note, I (as many others) find it somewhat difficult to describe this event to someone without ultimately saying, "you just need to experience it to understand it", but my goal is to write in such a way that causes dialogue with others who have or desire specific knowledge of the event that is the Indy 500.  Sensory descriptions through word, and not with scads of pictures, video, or sounds lifted from various sources is my aim, but that is not to say a few choice items/links won't be posted at my discretion...


By posting my thoughts here I leave myself open to general and cordial discourse, but primarily am interested in also eliciting experiential thoughts and memories from the readership relating to the Indy 500.


Having said all this, I hope you enjoy what you find here and will remain open to your input via the comments under each post.  


*with Sid Collins in my mind's ear* "...the brand new Ground(ed) Effects blog... IS ON!  Come in Mike Ahern..."