By Ken de la Bastide
INDIANAPOLIS — Two hours before the start of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard Sunday, there were plenty of empty grandstand seats around the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
With the unemployment rate in Indiana among the highest in the nation, it seems many local NASCAR racing fans opted to stay home and enjoy the 16th running of the Allstate 400 on the living room couch or on a backyard patio.
Although the numbers were down, there were still thousands of fans soaking up the atmosphere of the NASCAR weekend at Indianapolis.
Bands blared loud music, fans knelt down to kiss the famed “Yard of Bricks” and lined the fence from Gasoline Alley to pit road to catch a glimpse of their favorite drivers.
By race time, the grandstands filled in but there were still large patches of empty seats in the corners.
A sampling of fans showed most were not concerned about the tire issues that made the 2008 running of the race a series of 12 lap sprints and expressed confidence that Goodyear resolved the problem.
Bloomington resident June Taylor-Wilson has been to several Allstate 400 races, including last year’s event.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Taylor-Wilson said of the race. “I didn’t think about not coming back this year.”
Last year Taylor-Wilson said her party left IMS covered in black tire dust from their Turn 4 seats.
Taylor-Wilson was cheering for Kasey Kahne.
Kevin Davis, Westfield, was attending his first NASCAR race at IMS with a friend who has been to every race.
“It sounds like they got it resolved,” he said of the tire problems. “This is going to be a new experience. Different sounds. I’ve watched enough races on television to know the different personalities.”
Davis was cheering on Indiana drivers Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon, and said he would make the trip to the speedway again.
Evansville native Pat Thomas was also rooting for Stewart and said there are a lot of fans of the Rushville native in the Crescent City.
Thomas said they were at Indy last year and stayed until the end of the race.
“It was a bad year with the tires,” she said. “I hope they solved the tire problems.
“I would come back,” she said when asked if she would return again if there were tire problems for a second consecutive year. “I enjoy the race and the weekend.”
Troy Williams, Brownsburg, said he didn’t attend the race in 2008 and is confident Goodyear brought the right tire compound for the race. A fan of Mark Martin for 38 years, Williams starting when Martin was racing with the former American Speed Association. Sunday, he wore a T-shirt from Martin’s days driving the Viagara car for Roush Racing.
“He signed my bald head two years ago,” laughed Williams. “I’ve always been a fan of Martin and Rick Mears.”
John Thorne brought his grandson Kyler Woodruff to the Brickyard for the second time from Maryland. Woodruff had his picture taken kissing the Yard of Bricks.
“Last year they had problems with the tires,” Thorne said. “They think it is resolved. Time will tell.”
Woodruff was cheering on Kahne and his grandfather was rooting for Dale Earnhardt Jr.
“I always liked him and his father,” Thorne said. “He’s due.”
