Click on any photo for a larger view.
_____
The WeMiata Club had four cars going to the Midwest Miata Gathering in 2008. We met at the Duty Free Store at the Ambassador Bridge so we could caravan down together.
Here's Eunice - MS MIATA - on I-75 South.
Tom and Connie in Tom's new Miata.
Cliff and Connie (a different Connie) on I-75.
The Indy Miata Club staged cars in Hummel Park in Plainfield, Indiana, Friday morning. The cars were split into two groups for the Covered Bridges Guided Tours.
This is group #1 setting off at 10 a.m. The tour was 160 miles and took most of the day. Group #2 started at 10:30.
Many U.S. states have covered bridges and are still building them. The bridges are mainly made of wood. Left uncovered wooden bridges had a life of about 10 years. Covered bridges often have a lifetime of over 100 years.
Tom and Connie in Tom's Marble White Miata, followed by Eunice in her True Red car.
The weather was perfect. You couldn't ask for a nicer day.
This bridge was built in 2006 to replace the one built in 1868 which was burned down by an arsonist. They caught him and he's now locked up, indefinitely. Why did they bother to rebuild the bridge with a modern bridge just a few feet away? For tourists.
Horses and riders about to ride down Main Street in Bridgeton, Indiana.
A working grist mill in Bridgeton.
Johnny B's Miata.
Most of the bridges we visited were in Parke County in Indiana.
Chrysanthemums ready for market.
Dinner Friday day evening was outdoors in Hummel Park. We wonder what would have happened if it had rained.
The Indy Miata Club had car wash stations set up behind the Wyndham Hotel were we stayed. They had hoses, buckets, car wash detergent, boxes full of clean white towels and other cleaning supplies.
Cars were staged in the parking lot next to the Wyndham Hotel (in the background) for the drive to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday morning.
There were 165 Miatas getting ready for the approximately 15 mile trip.
Tom and Connie in the white Miata, and Eunice in the background, in their freshly washed cars.
Charlie likes to hang out the side of the Miata. He has a safety-restraint harness and goggles to keep him from getting runny eyes.
We had a police escort to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. There were police from Plainfield, Indianapolis, and the town of Speedway, Indiana. The track is actually in Speedway, Indiana, not Indianapolis.
All lanes of eastbound I-70 were closed down so we could be escorted to the Speedway.
Miatas as far as the eye can see.
Traffic was also stopped when we turned onto Interstate 465 north.
After about 20 minutes we reached the Speeday.
This Miata had Indiana Sheriff's insignias on the doors. Yup, he's a real sheriff and had flashing lights on his roll bar to prove it. He assisted in the escort. This is his 'patrol car' when he's off duty.
A few NASCAR teams had leased the IMS, but we were allowed on the track when they took a break.
We didn't think we needed an escort once we were on the track, but that was part of the deal.
I still don't know what to make of this. We all had to sign some pretty serious looking waivers. Apparently the police didn't!
We were warned not to exceed 35 mph but this police officer must have been doing 40-50mph.
Approaching the finish line at 'The Brickyard.' At one time the track was entirely paved with bricks. A small strip of bricks has been preserved at the finish line.
The Indy Miata Club had a photographer take photos of every car as it crossed the finish line. They were delivered to everyone at dinner - indoors this time, in a community center in Hummel Park.The Indy Miata Club did a great job! The Midwest Miata Gathering will be held in Cincinatti, Ohio, next year on the Labor Day weekend.
_____
