Monday June 21st, 2004
In The Pipe Line
Sir Jackie Stewart led a 300-strong pack of bagpipers ahead of the United States Grand Prix on Sunday as part of the pre-race display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Scot, clad in Jaguar uniform, carried a mace as he marched around a lap of the track for around 30 minutes. The pipers were part of "Pipefest '04", an annual gathering of US, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Canada performers and played "Scotland the Brave" and "The Rowan Tree" but shelved their traditional woollen jumpers in favour of white shirts to cope with the summer temperatures. Two dogs also marched with the pipers and, unlike the two cars that Sir Jackie was supporting in the race later in the day, they both made it to the end of the event.
Foot In The Door
BAR-Honda are one of the sport's most professional but light-hearted teams and they proved both points by creating four simple white scribblings in their pit box at Indianapolis this weekend. The team, determined to improve in all areas to help them close the gap on Ferrari, had marked the exact position where their fuel fillers would stand in the pit stops with outlines of their feet - then enhanced them by drawing monster toes and turning them into webbed duck feet. Briton Jenson Button clearly forgot about their intricate plans in one of his pit stops, however, as he locked his wheels and slid to a halt out of position in the pit box.
Downtown Action
The centre of normally sleepy Indianapolis erupted with noise on Saturday when the downtown circle played host to a live band and a mini motorshow to please the race fans who had travelled to the city for the race. Located around a central column statue, concept cars from Jaguar and Chrysler were on show and fans packed in to take a look. There was also a memorabilia show in the Convention Centre displaying a wooden steering wheel from a 1950s Ferrari among other items on show and on sale. And those who wanted a break from racing were catered for with either a trip to the local baseball game or a spot of Jazz at the jazz festival, where famed top-40 pop star Shaggy - whose real name, incidentally, is Orville Burrell - was performing.
Star Turn
A couple of American stars appeared at the speedway on Saturday to take in a piece of Formula One action. NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon and his team-mates Jimmie Johnson and Brian Vickers flew to the circuit after completing their practice session for the Nextel Cup at the Michigan International Speedway and arrived just in time to watch the Formula One qualifying. Gordon, who drove Juan Pablo Montoya's Williams-BMW at Indianapolis in a display run last year, told the Indianapolis Star: "I was a big fan before, but after you get a chance to drive one of these machines it is hard not to fall in love with it." Johnson, however, has been less fortunate with his efforts to get a ride. "I have been trying to get an opportunity but they won't listen to me," he said. Former Grand Prix racer Danny Sullivan, IRL team boss Chip Ganassi and British IRL racer Dan Wheldon also put in appearances at the track.
Published at 13:09:45 GMT
(03-11-2005): 
