- The Schweinefiletring (which translates to "pork tenderloin ring") is a circuit in south central Indiana that approximates the shape of Germany's legendary Nürburgring, only bigger.
- An untimed road rally will take place on the 175-mile circuit on June 22–23 and involves consumption of pork products as well as driving.
- Can't make it to Indiana this weekend? Register and donate $75 or more to the Gleaners Food Bank that benefits from the event, and get a Schweinefiletring T-shirt, sure to be a collector's item.
The inaugural Tire Squeal road rally on June 22 and 23 will be held on a route that looks like a much larger version of the iconic Nürburgring. The event is designed for the simple enjoyment of automobiles and the consumption of pork products along the route, and it also benefits the Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana.
Why Indiana? Well, Indiana and Germany have more in common than you'd think: Both are obsessed with pork products, particularly of the encased variety; both boast an inordinately high percentage of car-crazy constituents; and both have spawned homegrown pop stars, John Mellencamp and Michael Wendler, respectively. That both sing the praises of their homeland and often feature the remarkably similar flora and fauna of their rural expanses in their videos is a given. So it should come as little surprise that a group of intrepid do-good Indiana gearheads have mapped out a circuit that approximates the shape of the Nürburgring, the most famous circuit in all of Germany. Indiana's version of the 'Ring is dubbed the Schweinefiletring, a name that loosely translates to "pork tenderloin ring."
This being the U.S. of A., things just naturally happen on bigger scale. So instead of merely matching the Nürburgring's 17.5-mile perimeter, the Schweinefiletring circuit measures a bladder- and fuel-tank straining 175 miles in length. And while the Nürburgring has the Nordschleife (north loop) and Südschleife (south loop), the Schweinefiletring has a Frittiertenschleife (fried loop) and Gegrilltenschleife (grilled loop). To break up the distances, the route is lined with numerous restaurants specializing in pork dishes, many of the loin variety, which brings us to the point of all this ham-fisted word play.
This is a non-timed event, so registered entrants can drive the posted loop anytime during the weekend of June 22 and 23, documenting their progress by taking photos at 10 predetermined points of interest. Each POI counts for 10 points, and completing the entire circuit is worth an additional 25 points. Bonus point opportunities include 15 points for a picture of a pig, and 10 points if the pig picture makes the judges laugh. Each of the sponsoring restaurants on the loop will be donating 10 percent of food sales to the food bank throughout the weekend. Registration is free, but participants are asked to donate to the food bank. A $75 donation will get you a T-shirt, and $125 will get you a shirt and a hat. (A donation page will remain open throughout the event weekend.) Five days out from the event, Tire Squeal 2019 registrants have already racked up $6929 in donations.
If this type of gastrohicular activity sounds like your idea of a good time, pack up your driving gloves, wet wipes, and antacids, and head for Indiana. But before you do, please remember this not a race, but an enjoyable event to experience some great roads, cars, and food. As such, we advise you to take heed of the organizers' statement: "You are in complete control of your vehicle and your decisions. So, in the unfortunate event that you have an accident or indigestion, don’t blame us."