Racing drivers are a superstitious breed, and the 33 drivers who will compete in this weekend's 92nd Indianapolis 500 wasted little time in rubbing the nose, horns and other anatomical parts of the bronze Charging Bull statue on a visit to New York yesterday [Monday].
The 7000-pound Broadway-based sculpture by Arturo di Modica depicts a flared-nostril bull, the symbol of aggressive financial optimism and prosperity, ready to charge. It's often rubbed by investors – and tourists – seeking good luck, and now – complete with a winner's wreath around one of its horns – has the distinction of being rubbed by 33 IndyCar Series drivers, gathered in the city's financial district for a photoshoot, seeking good luck in the 500.
“Because I'm not very tall, I was in a position where I couldn't see myself in the picture, so I stood on my helmet - and then I was one of the tallest,” said HVM Racing's Ernesto Viso after the starting field posed, clad in their racesuits, in the eleven rows of three they will form on race day, “It was great to see all the people on the sidewalks take our picture.
"I rubbed the bull's nose, so now I'll have good luck for my first 500. It's part of all the things associated with the race, and I will definitely remember this.”
While all 33 drivers rubbing the bull may actually have a negating effect on one another, the stars certainly captured the attention of passers-by - especially those on the double-decker tour buses, many of whom were treated to close-up photo opportunities - at no extra charge - as a handful of drivers posed on the open-air deck.
“They must have seen me on
Dancing with the Stars, ” Helio Castroneves said, before jetting off to Los Angeles to take up his 'other' role as an
Entertainment Tonight correspondent covering the finals of the top-rated show that he won in November.
![The 92nd Indianapols 500 field lines up with the raging bull statue in NY's financial district [pic credit: IRL/McQueeney]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/443266.jpg)
