Memories of the year: Manning the pits for Tagliani at Indy
Carb Day at Indianapolis was one in a million for Charles Bradley, who not only became part of Alex Tagliani's pit crew, but also got to interview one of the greatest legends in the history of the sport
Gasoline Alley - Indianapolis Motor Speedway's garage area - is one of the most famous areas of real estate in world motorsport. Normally, I'd be striding through it to seek out the likes of Dario Franchitti or Jimmie Johnson for an interview, but on Friday, May 28, 2010 - or Carb Day as it's more commonly known - I had a different job to do. On pit lane itself.
The task ahead was to ensure that 'my' driver, FAZZT Race Team's Alex Tagliani, was tuned in to hitting his mark in the pits by holding the 'lollipop' in exactly the right spot. Too far forward or back, and there'd be a costly time loss for the tyre changers to adjust. Even worse, the fuel rig assembly might not reach. To add to the pressure, he had qualified fifth, the middle of the second row, for Sunday's big race... Hopes were high; now - effectively the race's warm-up session - wasn't the time for mistakes.
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