When in Doubt, Touch Home

¹home noun \ˈhōm\ 

3 a: a familiar or usual setting : congenial environment

 

Everyone needs a home, even when they're not at home. Consider the Social Media Garage that home away from home, while you're visiting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, this May.

 

Meeting up with friends? Set a date for the SMG. Centrally located on the Pagoda Plaza, it's a breeze to access and a natural location to connect.

 

Want to have a little fun in between other activities? The SMG is the answer: Interactive Facebook & Twitter contests, racing simulators, and more.

 

Want to get up close and personal with the drivers? Helio, Pippa Mann, Wade Cunningham, Gordon, Stewart, and Johnson have all appeared at the SMG.

 

Want to catch a little shade? The SMG... You get the point!

 

It just makes sense that the Social Media Garage is the centerpiece of your activities at IMS.

 

Back and better than ever. After successfully spinning off the smash, inaugural 2012 Indianapolis 500 SMG into Super Weekend and MotoGP weekend franchises, the 2013 Social Media Garage is destined to be the best yet. List of stuff to do, below. Full deets on the official Social Media Garage web page. 

 

• Interactive Facebook & Twitter Contests
• Exclusive Interviews with the biggest drivers
• Test your knowledge with Trivia to win prizes
• Take laps at IMS on our Racing Simulators
• Bloggers and VIP's on location
• Tweet us and watch your feeds live and more!

NEW VIP's in the house. This joker returns, along with my bud, Eric Hall (@Erock_in_Indy anotherindycarblog.com). But here's where it gets interesting. Wiseacre, @nascarcasm--along with his 40,000 Twitter followers--joins the fray. Plus, Kelsey Minier (@KelseyUSA #SteelOvaryNation) & Amy Woedl (@OpenWheelMom openwheelmom's Blog) bring a fresh, female perspective.

Of note: The Social Media Garage is FREE, and despite some folks' understanding, the #SMGarage is not in the IndyCar garage area. No special pass or badge necessary--it's as easy to access as an Indy Dog.

Special thanks to IMS and the SMG luminaries for inviting us to participate, again. It's an honor and a privilege.
    
Here's what to do next: Hit up the SMG link at the top of our homepage, tune up your smartphone, and head out to the greatest race course on the planet, beginning May 11th.

See you in the Social Media Garage!

--Chris

The Pass

My gammy and her Pacer Wagon can pass in Turn 5 at Barber Motorsports Park, but it takes wicked skills—and elephantine orbs—to do what Charlie Kimball did in Turn 13 (aka no-man's-land), last Sunday.

Behold, what future generations will simply refer to as The Pass.

Corner Entry: "I got this!"

Hounding Will Power (he's pretty good) for 4th, Chuck's going like STINK. Mortals would trail the leading car through this tight turn, but Super-K pulls out?! Wait, wha? Brake? Haha...ha...you wacky funster. 

Apex: "Whaddup, princess?"

Textbook. Fully alongside Power, Charlie owns everything but the mineral rights to Turn 13.
Message to Will: "Back. Off." [visualize Yosemite Sam mudflaps, here] 

Exit: "Merica."

[grabs tear-off...lets it flutter...lets it fly]

Most memorable overtaking maneuver I've seen in awhile...

Have we mentioned Charlie Kimball does a great deal of good for diabetes?

—Chris

Editor's note: I am not a professional driving instructor. In fact, I'm not really anything, at all. 

Beware the Slippery Slope

Scott Dixon drives in the shadow of Ryan Hunter-Reay at the finish of the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. With the introduction of innovation, is he even in the frame? 

"We all miss innovation but would it make more people watch? Or is there a better chance it would fracture the competition like in days gone by? I imagine you could try a more open set of rules for the Indy 500 and buttoned-down set for IndyCar’s regular season but at what cost? It’s a slippery slope for the new leadership."

--Robin Miller