Hey, CrazyCanuck! Is Ian a car racing in general fan, or an IRL fan? I ask because the Indy 500 is no longer the spectacle it once was, what with the split of CART into IRL and Champ cars.

DH and I went to the Vancouver Indy race (Champ cars) many many times, so do have a few ideas, though none of them revolve around Indianapolis.

If Indy is your preferred destination, the bigger show would be NASCAR's Brickyard 500. And the best seats for any race would be near the pits, to see pit action, and/or near the start finish line to see the race finish.

If open wheel racing in general is his preference, according to DH, the biggest shows are at Long Beach, CA, and Toronto, ON, both street courses. Street courses are most fun because they have so many turns in both directions, not just cars going around and around in circles. The most fun races to watch would be Cleveland and Edmonton as both are set up as street courses, but at flat airports so you can view all the action without any buildings in the way! There is a street course in Australia at Surfer's Paradise. Of course there are also some Formula One races you can consider: Montreal, Indianapolis, and you have one in Australia, too. Oh, and there are plans for a Las Vegas street race this year too. That could be interesting.

At a street race we found the seats along the straight were quite nice for the view of the pit action, but not as much exciting race action. The seats at the end of a straightaway with a sharp corner were much more entertaining - that's where the passes (and crashes) happen. We had awesome seats in Vancouver, at the end of the first straightaway - we could see the pits, just see the start finish, and witnessed some awesome passes, crashes, and after win shenanigans from there!!

Okay, so I've only derailed you a little. If you have any questions, let me know. Don't worry, though, I'm sure Ian will be thrilled with whatever you come up with!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~