A decade ago, I took a spin around the Milwaukee Mile in a special two-seat IndyCar. I did it again this morning as a part of Milwaukee IndyFest, and it was even better.
This time I knew what to expect from my media ride in the blue Honda open-wheeled car driven by British driver Martin Plowman. The warp-drive acceleration, steep braking and multi-G centrifugal pull as we took the Mile’s tight, flat turns felt unbelievable. I was grinning from ear to ear.
On my second experience, I was still nervous, but less so once I got in the car. Rather than thinking I was going to crash, this time, I just enjoyed my ride for a few laps at somewhere around 180 mph. Yeah, it was just as awesome as the video below looks.
Of course, that fire suit doesn’t really breathe on a hot and sunny summer day, but I think I’d like to be a race car driver when I grow up. And had I not sweated out my entire body weight during those three minutes, I would’ve stuck around for the actual Wisconsin 250 this afternoon. What a cool event for Milwaukee.
My adrenaline is still pumping.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
