He might be a NASCAR rookie, but Juan Pablo Montoya is a seasoned vet at Indy.

Tomorrow, I am going to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I have only been there once before, but that was probably ten years ago with my father and it was for the Indianapolis 500. I wasn’t impressed. It was hot, sticky, and crowded.

It will probably be very similar on Chevy Fan Day. I’ve slaved extra hours at work so I can leave early to go to the Brickyard and roam around. I bought my tickets and parking pass and I have my maps and schedules. It is a little intimidating going to a place like Indianapolis; it’s huge.

Indianapolis is now second only in prestige to Daytona. The purse is huge, the pageantry is overwhelming and the honor that comes from winning is a crown jewel in anyone’s cap. It is part of the group of tracks that everyone wants to win, including Talladega, Darlington, Charlotte and Bristol. That’s pretty rarefied company.

Drivers talk about their first Indianapolis experiences as being awe-inspiring. As an adult, I think I will have the same feeling. Touring the museum, hiking the grounds, looking to the top of the Pagoda…I can’t wait. Well, and there is that little thing called the Speed Stage, in which I plan to strategically place myself behind one Elliott Sadler for the Trackside taping. That was the main draw for me.

The track itself is 2.5 miles long, with four distinctly different turns. Narrow turn one is tricky no matter who you are, turn two can be Calamity Corner, and turns three and four offer flat out great racing to the yard of bricks on the frontstretch. It is relatively flat, hard to pass, and you can’t see the entire track from one spot. Yet it is consistently one of the largest spectator sporting events in the world. We know how to pack them in. The Speedway will not reveal official numbers of seats and visitors, but about a quarter of a million people is fairly common attendance.

The track favors repeat winners. Points leader Jeff Gordon is an obvious favorite; Tony Stewart is hungry for another kiss of the bricks. Juan Pablo Montoya may even have a chance here. Don’t forget that he’s won that little race we have in May. If Dale Jarrett can make the race, we could see him up front. Don’t chide me; he’s a veteran who has won twice. He knows how to get around this place and how to handle its unique characteristics.

We have a new network covering the race this weekend. ESPN makes its return to NASCAR with a new broadcast team. I’m ambivalent about this. I can’t wait to hear Dr. Jerry Punch again; I could never hear Rusty Wallace talk again and live a happy life. Raise your hand if you miss Bob Jenkins in NASCAR? Yep, I thought so.

Apparently ESPN is putting on a whole week’s worth of coverage. I’m sticking with the SPEED coverage I know and love for the time being, but I’ll have to ease into it with the race itself. And while I’m talking about that, I am fed up with these ridiculously late start times. That’s all I’m going to say. I just made friends with a West Coaster and I don’t want to start any time zone fights!

If you’d like a little local flavor to your broadcast, I would suggest the Bob and Tom Radio Show. You might know of them as they are nationally syndicated. They originate from Indianapolis and are huge race fans. The Brickyard broadcast generally starts at 8 am Eastern and runs until noon. You can hear it locally in Indianapolis on WFBQ 94.7. To listen live online, go to Q95.com and click on “listen” then the Q95 online stream.

Drivers are always interviewed, along with track fixtures, passersby and people you might never imagine always show up. You can also hear some of comedian Tim Wilson’s NASCAR songs (my personal favorite is “Ward Burton Train”). Jeff Burton, John Andretti, Michael and Darrell Waltrip, Dale Jarrett and others are friends of the show and likely to show up. David Stremme and Jamie McMurray had memorable appearances last year, the latter even revealing that the drivers have their own NASCAR fantasy league.

I don’t have too much to have an opinion on this week since I’m bored to death with the sponsorship deals and DEI merging with Ginn is not my favorite topic right now. I do hope to have lots to report after witnessing the track firsthand on Friday. Maybe I can even get the site to use one of my pictures!

So come on out to the Speed Stage if you’re going to be around. I’ll be the one there in the orange shirt (not for the 20 team, but for visibility reasons) and as close to the barrier as I can get. I’ll be strategically placed in the middle of Elliott and Steve Byrnes. So if you recognize me from my picture, come and say hi.

Until next week, when I have a solid opinion to report and have walked the hallowed grounds of IMS, remember that rubbin’ is racin’.

Questions or comments may be sent to samanthamaynard@sportsgrumblings.com.