You Can Now Drive Indiana’s Version of the Nurburgring for a Great Cause
It’s packed with hairpins, switchbacks, and lots of delicious fried food.
Chances are that after staying off the streets for several months, you and your four-wheeled babies are aching for a solid excursion away from the four walls you've been caged in. After all, few things help relieve stress better than a fund drive in your favorite ride. So, shall I suggest the Nürburgring? Its daring straights and complex corners should definitely do the trick. Oh, what's that? You can't go to Germany right now? No problem, I was actually talking about the Midwest's Nürburgring; the 175-mile Schweinefiletring.
Last year, which admittedly feels like 10,000 years ago, we were the first to bring you the good news of the inaugural Tire Squeal charity rally. Founded by Indianapolis car community leaders and friends of The Drive, Phil Wehman and Brian Henry, the Tire Squeal now enters its second-consecutive year and is once again inviting enthusiasts of all backgrounds to explore the Schweinefiletring in central Indiana. As you can see on the photos below the layout looks nearly identical to the real Green Hell. This one, however, is easily reachable from most midwestern states and even a few southern ones, so there's no need for expensive air travel.
The biggest difference between the actual Nürburgring and Indiana's version? Instead of measuring 12 to 14 miles depending on configuration, this one is a whopping 175 miles long. Also, this version allows you to stop along the way to eat Indiana's iconic schweinefilets (German for deep-fried pork tenderloins) for a good cause, hence the name Schweinefiletring—so that makes it infinitely better. If you've ever attended an Indy 500, then you know what a big deal those tenderloins are in the Hoosier state.
"The event is similar to last year with a few small route changes, a few different Points of Interest," Wehman told The Drive. "We learned a lot last year and made a number of small but meaningful changes to make the route so it's easier to navigate. We also expanded the event to cover 8 days so more people can participate."
Like last year, the event will take place purely on public roads that are also trafficked by other motorists and cyclists, and not to mention State Troopers, so one must be careful if driving spiritedly. This isn't a balls-out, race-to-the-finish rally. There are no timesheets and no awards for the fastest lap. What the event is all about, however, is enjoying a prime road at a safe pace, but most importantly, benefitting the Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana and Feeding Indiana's Hungry network. Details on how to help the Tire Squeal reach its goal of $15,000 can be found on its website or Facebook page, but you'll be pleased to know that, for the most part, all you have to do is drive and eat fried food. Sign me up!
"All of our participating restaurants last year liked the event and signed up again for 2020," Wehman added. "More importantly, I see a lot of familiar people registered this year that also ran the event last year, and more people are signing up as part of a team. It's fun to make the drive together and it's a perfect pre-made event for a car club! Plus they were very generous with donations to our charity."
While you can drive the Schweinefiletring any day of the year using these handy, Google Maps-based route books created for participants, the Tire Squeal runs specifically from June 20-28. You can choose to drive the whole enchilada (or pork tenderloin) all at once, or break it up into multiple visits. Plus, if you break it up into multiple outings, it simply means more opportunities to pig-out on delicious grub along the way.
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