Photos: Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association; visitindy.com
The Indy 500, which will be held this year on May 30, isn’t just another spin around the race track — it’s a complete experience.
“People don’t just come for the race,” says Donald Davidson, the world’s only full-time race track historian. “It’s the sheer spectacle of it all, the excitement, the party, the history –– it’s all here.”
The race owes much of its mystique to its location at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, also known as the Brickyard, which opened in 1909.
Watching the race on television can’t begin to capture the sheer magnitude of the site. The speedway is so large you could fit the Roman Coliseum, Vatican City, Wimbledon’s grounds, the Rose Bowl, Yankee Stadium and Churchill Downs inside the two-and-a-half -mile oval.
There are more than 250,000-plus fixed seats and a grassy infield, the area where crowds toting their own beer and coolers claim viewing real estate in exchange for a $20 general admission ticket.
In a sport that’s increasingly dominated by a rival circuit — NASCAR — what exactly makes the Indy 500 so special?
“There’s an aura around the track that you can really feel,” says Sarah Fisher, the youngest woman — and one of only three female drivers — to attack the track. “Because of the way the stands are designed, the four corners of the oval are completely unique. The wind and weather fluctuate, making the car react differently at each corner. That adds another layer of challenge. You can’t really overstate how special a place this is.”
There was no crashing and burning at the first race in 1909. In fact, speeds barely made it into the double digits at the helium-filled balloon race that floated skyward June 5, some two months before the track was completed and two years before the first Indy 500.
Originally built as a test track for Indianapolis’ then thriving auto industry — and a vehicle to promote the very idea of owning a new-fangled car in the first place — the track was soon used for public competitions, first for motorcycles, then for cars.
However, the uneven crushed rock and tar surface made driving at any speed death defying, and caused a spate of accidents. In late 1909, 3.2 million paving bricks were laid in 63 days, delivering a safer racing course for drivers and giving the track its Brickyard moniker. The name is used affectionately to this day, despite its longtime asphalt surface.
On May 30, 1911, the first Indy Speedway was won by Ray Harroun at an average speed of 74.502 mph, in a contest that took nearly seven hours. Except for breaks during both World Wars, the race has gone on every year since.
As much as things have changed at the Brickyard, with the advent of computer technology and the addition of annual NASCAR and MotoGP motorcycle races, much remains the same: Legions of local families and far-flung fans still make their annual pilgrimages to the race.
“The 500 is a full-day thing,” says Bob Whitt, a Washington, D.C., transplant who’s been to a half dozen races since moving to Indy in 1990. “You see people from all walks of life, from the motor head partiers to CEOs — all together interacting and having a great time.”
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The Indianapolis Motor Speedway comes alive during the month of May, but offers activities throughout the year.
- Start with a visit to the retro Indianapolis Motor Speedway & Hall of Fame Museum, a collection of all kinds of cool stuff, from historic Indy cars and classic cars, to trophies, driver memorabilia and photos.
- A bus tour of the track commences with a recording of Speedway board chair Mari Hulman George, the track owner’s mother, giving her traditional, “Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines.”
- A separate 90-minute grounds tour includes stops at the timing-and-scoring suite in the Bombardier Learjet Pagoda, Gasoline Alley garage area, and the world-famous “Yard of Bricks” at the start/finish line.
- Short of becoming a professional racer, the best way to get a true feel for an Indy car is to fork over nearly $500 to have the Indy Racing Experience, the chance to drive, or ride as a passenger with a professional driver, in a specially built two-seater at speeds up to 180 mph.
A good read: Indianapolis Motor Speedway: 100 Years of Racing
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