carb day
Headliner this Year: 3 Doors Down
from: http://www.indy500.com/news/13311/3_Doors_Down_To_Headline_Miller_Lite_Carb_Day_Concert_May_22
Rock superstars 3 Doors Down will be the headline act for the popular Miller Lite Carb Day Concert on Friday, May 22 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IMS officials announced March 13. The concert is free to all ticket holders for Miller Lite Carb Day, the final day of on-track activity before the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Sunday, May 24. Tickets are just $10 each, with children 5 and under admitted free.
Advice
from: IndyMotorSpeedway.com (unoffcial)
Carburation Day is a popular and busy day at the speedway. There are many large parties going on in tents as well as in the crowds in the infield and in the stands.
Since 2001, IMS hosts an outdoor rock concert after the Pit Stop competition. When something at the track is popular, this translates to very long lines to get in. If you wish to see the cars practicing, you better leave early. Gates open at 8 a.m. and admission is $10.
Note: Indy Cars no longer use carburators. :)
Picture Gallery from Carb Day 2008
from: IndyStar.com
History
from: Johnson's Indy 500 site
Carb Day: The last day of practice before the race is called "Carburetion Day," or more recently "Carb Day" for short.
In the early years, it the name derived from the practice of setting up the carburetors on the cars. The name remains even though no Indy 500 engines utilize a carburetor, and have not in decades. The last car with a carburetor at the "500" was a Lotus-Ford in 1963. All cars since then, and many prior to that time, have had fuel injection. Final practice used to be referred to as "carburetion runs" or "carburetion tests," and for many years, was closed to the public, and somewhat unnoteworthy. Typically, the practice session begins at the same time the start of the race is scheduled for, in order to closely experience the same sunlight/weather conditions.
Prior to 1971, the race general was held on May 30, regardless of the day of the week, except Sunday. In those cases, Carb Day usually fell on a weekday between the final day of qualifying and the race. In some years, it was not uncommon for the last practice to occur the day before the race.
By the early 1970s, Carb Day had firmly been established for the Thursday before the race. The 500 Festival Mini-Marathon then found its place on the next day, the Friday before the race. In 1977, Carb Day was expanded to include an annual Pit Stop Contest, matching to top teams competing head-to-head.
In 1993, the Mini-Marathon moved to the first Friday in May, leaving the Friday immediately before the race vacant at the track. In 2000, an annual concert was added following the on-track activity.
After many years of being a two-hour practice session, Carb Day was trimmed to a one-hour session in 2005. Also, Carb Day was moved after overwhelming fans' requests, to Friday, left vacant after the mini-marathon had since moved.
The move allowed a three-day weekend of events, geared towards out-of-town visitors. In addition, in 2005, the Indy Pro Series Freedom 100 was moved from the previous Saturday to Carb Day, and created an even more popular day of events.
2009 Schedule
Previous Carb Day Parties and Headliners
from: IndyMotorSpeedway.com (unoffcial)
2000 - Smashmouth
2001 - Collective Soul
2002 - Better Than Ezra
2003 - Cracker
2004 - Blues Traveler (got sick, replaced by LIVE)
2005 - The Black Crowes
2006 - Third Eye Blind, The B-52's
2007 - Kid Rock
2008 - Stone Temple Pilots
