This month, there are all sorts of ways to get out there and meet like-minded INDYCAR fans. Some are big and elaborate charity fundraisers; others are small, informal gatherings. Take a look at the list of events below, pick your pace, and enjoy getting involved in the INDYCAR community!
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INDYCAR Nation Champion Lounge
When: All month long
Where: At IMS, MotoGP Garage #35
Cost: Free (with IMS entry and INDYCAR Nation Champion-level membership)
All month at the Speedway, MotoGP garage #35 is dedicated to Champion members. There are lockers available so that you don't have to lug your stuff around, and there will be iRacing simulators available during race week as well. Need a place to get out of the sun or rain and socialize with fellow INDYCAR Nation members? Stop in here!
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JUST POP INdyCar Street Festival
When: Thursday, May 19th from 6:00 to 9:00 PM
Where: 64th Street and Cornell Avenue in Broad Ripple (Indianapolis)
Cost: Free
Meet James Hinchcliffe, get up close and personal with an INDYCAR, enjoy free popcorn from Just Pop In (the official popcorn of the IZOD IndyCar Series®), hear live music from Front Porch Swingers, win INDYCAR memorabilia and prizes, and much more! Don't miss this one-of-a-kind street festival in the heart of Broad Ripple.
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First Annual pressdog® Beer:30 Pole Day Flash Tweetup
When: Saturday, May 21st from 3:30 to 4:30 PM
Where: Yard of Bricks, Pagoda Plaza
Cost: Free (with IMS entry; bring/buy your own refreshments)
Bill (aka pressdog®) wants to throw back a beer with some fellow race peeps. No microphones, speakers, etc. -- just p-dog and an adult beverage. Please don't leave him there to drink by himself. That would be very sad.
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The GHR Experience
When: Sunday, May 22nd from 8:45 to 11:45 AM
Where: Fastimes Indoor Karting, 3455 Harper Road, Indianapolis
Cost: $120
This is a great chance to get girls from 10 to 16 years old involved in racing by having them learn some valuable karting skills from up-and-coming female Road to Indy racer Shannon McIntosh. The GHR Experience is a great starting point to teach young girls some skills and confidence in a kart so that they can just have some fun or begin their careers behind the wheel. You never know -- one of them could end up driving in the Indianapolis 500!
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10th Annual Camp & Brew
When: Thursday, May 26th (early morning) to Monday, May 30th (early morning)
Where: Coke Lot (Georgetown Road north of 25th Street)
Cost: Free (donations highly recommended)
The generous group behind Camp & Brew has opened up their campsite in the Coke lot annually for the past nine years as a gathering place for race fans to hoist an adult beverage or two and talk racing. A large part of their effort is dedicated to raising donations for Brian's Wish in support of finding a cure for ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). The event is going on hiatus after this year, so be sure to take part in what may be the final Camp & Brew experience.
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May Indy Tweetup
When: Thursday, May 26th
The Greatest Spectacle in Social Networking is back for another year! This multi-faceted event gives race fans a variety of ways to connect and share their love for the sport. Now condensed into a single-day program, there's something for everyone, including:
Exclusive event at IMS (10:00 AM to 1:00 PM)
Where: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Cost: TBD
The exact details can’t be released quite yet, but if you remember anything about how Monica and Elizabeth do IMS events, you know you’re not going to want to miss this one! Be sure to watch the MIT website and @MayIndyTweetup on Twitter to get your tickets to this event as soon as they become available.
Fanimation Grand Prix (2:00 to 5:00 PM)
Where: Fastimes Indoor Karting, 3455 Harper Road, Indianapolis
Cost: Free (viewing only)
Race entries are already sold out for this always-popular Indy Tweetup event, but be sure to visit Fastimes and cheer on the drivers. There will be perks for the race crowd!
The #BeatCancer Bash (6:30 to 11 PM)
Where: OneAmerica Tower (first floor), 1 American Square, Indianapolis
Cost: $55
A charity fundraiser of epic proportions! The May Indy Tweetup partners with Racing For Cancer to present this fun, casual fundraiser benefitting RfC and local non-profit organization Little Red Door! Confirmed INDYCAR drivers include Ryan Hunter-Reay, Tony Kanaan, and Pippa Mann. Come on down to the heart of downtown Indy for this truly memorable event for a good cause!
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Carb Day Viewing Party
When: Carb Day (Friday, May 27th)
Where: IMS E Stand Penthouse
Cost: IMS entry
There's nothing in any way formal about this -- its inclusion here is based entirely on observation that there were a lot of race fans from various forms of social media watching Carb Day activities there last year and that many of those fans have been saying that they hope to see each other there again this year. If you're part of INDYCAR Nation, Twitter, Facebook, forums, etc., there's a good chance that you'll run into someone you know in the E Stand Penthouse on Carb Day. (But go early -- seats fill up very quickly!)
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Curt Cavin's Carb Night Burger Bash
When: Friday, May 27th from 6:30 to 10:00 PM
Where: 96th Street Steakburgers, 4715 East 96th Street, Indianapolis
Cost: Free (donations highly recommended)
Curt's Carb Night Burger Bash has become one of the must-attend events of race weekend. This informal, family-oriented shindig gives fans an opportunity to down some delicious burgers and milkshakes while taking in a live-to-air episode of Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee on AM 1070 The Fan. Prizes is given away, racing memorabilia is auctioned off for local charities, and fans can count on a visit from a driver or two. Make the time to get to this one -- you won't be disappointed!
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Day Before the 500 Pizza King Tweetup
When: Saturday, May 28th (time TBD)
Where: Pizza King (location TBD)
Cost: Free (buy your own food and drink)
As of this writing, this one's still coming together. It's being coordinated by @SpeedFreakBash and a couple of other Pizza King devotees on Twitter. Check Bash's feed for updates!
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More Pop Off Front Wing Valve Donutstravaganza
When: Monday, May 30th from 9:00 AM to ~12:00 PM
Where: Long's Bakery, 2300 West 16th Street, Indianapolis
Cost: Donuts and IMS Museum entry at your discretion
Just announced -- MoreFrontWing.com and PopOffValve.com are teaming up to close out your race weekend with a bang! Join Tony Johns of Pop Off Valve and Steph Wallcraft of More Front Wing to throw down some of the tastiest donuts in Indianapolis with a chaser of 67 historic Indianapolis 500–winning cars. (That's just a clever turn of phrase. Don't actually try to eat the cars, please -- the museum staff will get annoyed.) We'll arrive at Long's at 9:00 AM and aim to head over to the IMS Museum as a group for about 10:30.
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And this is just what's already planned! If you're a Twitter user, be sure to keep a close eye on your tweetstream as impromptu gatherings are popping up on a daily basis. This week alone, Jake Query of IMS Radio has already organized a group to gather at Union Jack's after Opening Day festivities and hung out watching practice for an hour with another group (this time with free National Guard hats handed out by Panther Racing). This sort of thing is bound to happen often as the INDYCAR social media craze takes hold.
If any events have been missed here, please feel free to mention them in the comments section below.
Don't blink or you'll miss out! See you at the track!