INDIANAPOLIS _ It was quite the scene. Thor aka Chris Hemsworth dropped the green flag. Kelly Clarkson sang the National Anthem. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers cheered on his girlfriend Danica Patrick. "Dancing With the Stars" alum Helio Castroneves hoped for his fourth victory _ a feat which would ensure him "legend" status.
Oh yes, and it was the hottest temperature on record for the event _ topping out at nearly 100 degrees.
It was my first time attending the Indianapolis 500, and I couldn't help but wonder how someone more used to a two-minute horse race was going to fare during a three-hour car race.
Quite well, it turned out. It didn't hurt that I was comfortably ensconced in a gloriously air-conditioned luxury suite, where Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Bureau staff were entertaining guests at the 102nd running of the race.
Some of our group braved the heat to venture down to the Pit and catch the drivers in the automotive version of the pre-game warm-up (never was warm-up quite so fittingly descriptive), although I'm not sure there were any takers for the Snake Pit, the electronic dance event where stagehands kept the 30,000-plus crowd cooled down by spraying them with large hoses.
Oh, in case you're interested, the race was won by Will Power (no, I didn't make up that name) of Team Penske who led for 59 of the 500 laps at an average speed of nearly 170 miles per hour.
A couple of other interesting factoids: the winner, instead of swilling champagne, takes a victory swig of ... milk. Even more fascinating, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which between the grandstands and infield can seat 400,000, is the highest capacity sports venue in the world. It is so large that Churchill Downs, Yankee Stadium, the Rose Bowl and Vatican City can fit inside.
While I know that four fast wheels will never replace four fast legs in my heart, I thoroughly enjoyed my first Indy 500 experience.
