Ooo, Ohhh My ...

Thursday afternoon, a Speedway couple heard someone 

knocking on the door of the garage where 

they were working on a project. It was me, stopping

by to tell them how much I liked the display

of automotive elegance and power parked at their curb.

I mean, how could I not admire the scene? 

When I turned the corner during my walk  I saw,

arranged before me in a visual buffet,

a 1934 Ford hot rod with an Offenhauser engine, 

a Porsche Boxster S, and the quintessential 

American pick-up truck, a Ford F-350.

Oh my, all that power. All that craftsmanship. 

And they're bla-a-a-ack.

*Sigh.*

Roar, Whine, and Grrrummble!

As a rule, street cars bore me until they begin to look like this ...

Or maybe this...

Even this...

I live near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which on Wednesday hosted a stop on Hotrod Magazine's 2011 Power Tour. There were a lot of participants gathered in the shade, such as it was, of the IMS Pagoda, with cars and trucks from all across the country, who participated in at least one stop of the tour. Representatives from all aspects of the industry were there, primarily those who manufacture aftermarket parts for people who restore and modify vehicles. One company makes tires, so owners can keep shoes on their vintage babies.

I wandered around the grounds for hours, where I saw cars of all kinds, from all eras, in various stages of restoration and/or modification. All the work had been lovingly done. They may have have begun their lives on an assembly line, but each of these automobiles is a one-of-a-kind creation, reflecting the vision and creativity of their owners. These people come from all backgrounds, from all around the country, but when they come together they they have something to talk about.

Here's the IMS Pagoda, which on race days is the administrative hub where timing and scoring is done and media is housed. Below that is a shot of the main straight as it looked yesterday, and another from before the start of this year's Indy 500.