Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was Miller Lite Carb Day. The crowds are  everywhere – except the grand stands. These folks want to see and be seen, check it all out up close and personal. And that’s what Carb Day is all about. Several fans I saw wore black T shirts with “My Trifecta. Pole Day, Carb Day, Race Day.”
The garage was alive with the sound of whistles – ubiquitous whistles everywhere you turned in Gasoline Alley, pit lane and all points between. The Yellow Shirts were indulging in their annual ritual of exercising their lungs and exerting their power.
The weather was hot and muggy, almost oppressively so due to the high humidity. Everywhere people were advised to keep hydrated.
A wide variety of activities took place Friday, for the fans and for the media. Down in Pit Lane by the Start-Finish row of bricks, IndyCar CEO RANDY BERNARD interviewed BOB JENKINS, before Jenkins served Honorary Starter for Carb Day practice. Jenkins, who is retiring at the end of the month, is a longtime Indy 500 and IZOD IndyCar Series broadcaster, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network anchor and IMS Public Address announcer. He said it was “It was very emotional. I must say that my eyes got a little watery because this place has meant so much to me over the years. I’m very, very lucky to play a small part in it.”
The IndyCar drivers had their official drivers-only meeting with race officials, where the parameters for Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 race were laid down, followed by their final one-hour practice, to shake down and out the last minute setups and kinks. The Firestone Indy Lights Series had its 40-lap race. And the motorsports activities ended wth the Pit Stop Contest. Lynard Skynard was the headliner for the afternoon concert.