Indianapolis Motor Speedway Commemorative issue

TRACK RECORDS The history, people, and traditions that fuel The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

100 500

RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS

MAY 29, 2016 // INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

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WELCOME HELLO!

On behalf of the City of Indianapolis, it is my honor to welcome you to the 2016 Indianapolis 500. This year marks the monumental 100th running of the Indy 500.

We Hoosiers are proud of this prestigious race that began in 1911. It has run every year since then, except during World Wars I and II. Among the most traditional and historical races in the world, it is a defining piece of our city’s culture and heritage.

Indianapolis is Indiana’s capital city, the 14th largest city in the United States. Our city is full of first-rate attractions, performing arts, professional and elite amateur sports, and eclectic cultural districts, all wrapped in a package of connectivity and compactness. Please enjoy visiting our numerous points of attraction during your stay.

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett

We are proud to have the finest racing facility in the world in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and be sure to visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum while you are there.

Congratulations to all the participating race teams. While only one will earn first place, you can all be proud of your hard work and dedication. Many thanks go out to the leadership of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and all its employees, as well as the Hulman-George family for hosting this 100th commemorative race.

Special thanks goes to all race fans for your support of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” a showcase for the epic pursuit of progress and the iconic quest for glory.

Enjoy the race!

Best Regards,

Joseph H. Hogsett Mayor City of Indianapolis

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RACE FANS DEAR FRIENDS,

The monumental 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race represents a remarkable milestone for our city, state, and nation. We are all so lucky to be part of a once-in-a-generation event that will be talked about for decades to come.

This year, we’re celebrating the past, present, and future of the Indy 500 and the Verizon IndyCar Series. We’re looking back on the iconic traditions that make race day so special and applauding the sporting legends who put the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the map. But we’re also cheering on today’s superstars and watching a new crop of talented young guns chase motorsports history.

And as a community, with the help of the 100th Running Host Committee, we’re bringing our city and state to life with a month-long celebration of our most treasured event. The Indy 500 unites people in so many spectacular ways, and seeing families come together across generations to share stories and make new memories has been inspirational.

The 100th Running of the Indy 500 Indianapolis Monthly Commemorative Edition is another great way to mark this special occasion. Many wonderful reads can be found on the following pages, and I know you’ll all keep a copy safely secured as a keepsake to share with family and friends. Enjoy the edition, and most importantly, enjoy the race!

Hulman & Company President and CEO Mark Miles

Sincerely,

Mark Miles President and CEO Hulman & Company

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CONTENTS

7

THEN & NOW Just how much has changed since the inaugural running of the Indianapolis 500?

Scott Dixon in 2008

BY LAURA KRUTY

17

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR INDY 500 TRADITIONS? Over the years, the events leading up to the green flag and those following the checkered flag have become a beloved part of the 500, so much so that we couldn’t fathom our race without them. Answer these 10 questions to see if your knowledge of these special moments is worthy of the pole position—or if you’re in the back of the pack.

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BORG IDENTITY A closer look at the quirks on Indy’s shiny carrot-on-a-stick.

BY LAURA KRUTY

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MEMORY LANE //

100 INDIANAPOLIS 500s, ENDLESS STORIES. As the Indianapolis Motor Speedway prepares to wave the green flag on its red-letter running, we caught up with some of the most famous names to ever steer a car around the Brickyard.

Here, they talk breaking barriers, battles to the finish, favorite (and not-so-favorite) race moments, and what The Greatest Spectacle in Racing means to them.

INTERVIEWS BY LAURA KRUTY AND KATE SHOUP

PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP BY:

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BY MARSHALL PRUETT

48

START YOUR ENGINES Six ways to experience racing, from taking the green flag as a driver to walking the greens of a golf course.

51

BALANCING ACT The Speedway’s man in charge explains how the Project 100 upgrades unite the past with the future.

BY DOUG BOLES, IMS PRESIDENT

57

THE SOCIAL NETWORK Your month of May, all planned out.

COMPILED BY JJ GRAMLICH AND LAURA KRUTY

EDITOR: LAURA KRUTY ART DIRECTOR: ANDREA RATCLIFF Cover image by Mike Harding.

Photos courtesy Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

PHOTO BY DANA GARRETT

29 FEATURE STORY

FUELING INNOVATION As the automobile industry took off, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway quickly became the ideal place for engineers to introduce new—and far more advanced—technology.

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THEN NOW &

JUST HOW MUCH HAS CHANGED SINCE THE INAUGURAL RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500?

BY LAURA KRUTY

PHOTO BY BRET KELLEY

IN 1911, CARS CIRCLED

the oval at speeds we’d scoff at today. The bricks that eventually gave the track its nickname made for a surface so rough that drivers wore special corset-like belts to minimize jostling. And forget about helmets—though many drivers wore them, they wouldn’t become a requirement for another 24 years.

So much is different at 16th and Georgetown, yet watching some of the fastest cars on Earth has remained an irresistible draw.

Here, a look at the way things were back when Ray Harroun took the checkered flag.

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THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

SPECTATORS

1911

1911

The Speedway was built as a testing facility for the burgeoning automotive industry. It was surrounded by farm fields and bordered on the south by a train track—so at least spectators were spared from 16th Street traffic backups.

“The city boundary was White River, so you were out on dirt country roads, clip-clopping to get out to where the track was,” says Donald Davidson, Indianapolis Motor Speedway historian. “It was all farmers there.”

The track “garages” were just a series of barns.

“But it was pretty amazing, because I don’t think another track in the world had permanent garages,” Davidson says. There were concession stands, and well-to-do families could sit in boxes in Turn 1, essentially predecessors to today’s suites. General The 1911 race program admission cost $1.

2015

Now, there are more than 250,000 seats at the track, with 52 permanent concession stands. If you factor in portable and temporary food spots, the number increases to about 250—and they stay busy. According to the IMS, at the 2014 Indy 500, fans gobbled up more than 24,000 gallons of Coke products and 10-plus tons of fries.

500

MILES?

2015

The IMS doesn’t release specific attendance numbers, aside from saying that “more than 250,000” people packed the track last year.

After a dropoff in attendance at the May, July, and Labor Day–weekend events in 1910, track founders needed to do something different. So instead of the sixand eight-event programs of 1909 and 1910, they decided to hold one race that would last as long as those multiple short competitions combined. The plan was to begin this new race at about 10 a.m., to be wrapped up by early evening. The distance IMS leaders thought could conceivably be covered in that time? 500 miles.

THE WINNER

AVERAGE SPEED

TOTAL PURSE

1911

1911

1911

Only a part-time racer, Ray Harroun was an engineer for the Marmon Motor Car Company, and he actually helped design and build the Marmon Wasp. The 1911 Indy 500 was the last race of his career.

Cars lumbered around the oval at a pace not much faster than what you see on I-465: 74.6 mph.

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The race average was a hair over 161 mph.

RACE COMPLETION

2015

Last year’s win was Juan Pablo Montoya’s second Indy 500 victory; his first was in 2000. He is the only driver to win a CART title, the Indy 500, and the 24 Hours of Daytona all in his first attempt.

2015 1911

Harroun crossed the finish line in six hours, 42 minutes.

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5 01

2015

Team Penske’s Montoya took the checkered flag in three hours, five minutes.

The posted purse was $25,000, which did not include “accessory” money that drivers could earn for using certain manufacturers’ parts.

2015

$13,397,315—more than 535 times the inaugural purse.

WINNER’S EARNINGS

1911

Harroun took home $14,250—prize earnings plus accessory money.

2015

Montoya pocketed $2,449,055.

2015 PHOTOS BY JOE SKIBINSKI, CHRIS OWENS

WHY

About 80,000 people were in attendance for the first 500.

“The Union Station officials said it was the busiest 11 19 day they ever had,” Davidson says. “An estimated 75,000 came through.”

Why such an interest in trekking to the boondocks for a grueling 500-mile contest?

“The purse at the time was huge for anything,” Davidson says. The winner would earn $10,000. “That was a huge 15 20 amount of money then.”

By today’s standards, many in the crowd dressed like the race was a formal occasion, with women wearing long frocks with gloves and veiled hats, and men sporting three-piece suits.

TAG HEUER LIMITED EDITION INDY 500 CARRERA CALIBRE HEUER 01

POLE-SITTER

Harroun had a relief driver, Cyrus Patschke, who took over for 32 laps, the equivalent of about an hour, Davidson says.

1911

Speed had nothing to do with the pole position.

Driver Lewis Strang “earned” that right only because his car was the first entry.

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2015

Scott Dixon won the No. 1 position with a four-lap average of 226.7 mph.

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15

PIT STOPS

1911

Race breaks in 1911 were, compared to today’s lightningfast sessions, an agonizingly slow two to four minutes long. The driver and the riding mechanic often handled refueling, while other men changed tires. Up until about the 1950s, it was common for the driver, weary from rough track conditions and heat thrown off from the front-situated engine, to take a breather during a stop and have someone else navigate for a while. Ray

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2015

Ideally, a pit stop would only include refueling and changing tires, but crews might also make suspension or rear-wing adjustments, especially when running at the IMS, says John Stanchina, who handles the inside front of Helio Castroneves’s Team Penske No. 3 car.

“When we’re in the pit box, we want our tire changes to be around four seconds,” Stanchina says. “Many times you’re just going on tires, and we don’t necessarily fill it up all the time, which is critical to the track position when under a yellow flag. To keep the pit stop precisely timed, we just fuel as long as we’re able to. When the tires are done and the car is ready to go, we just release it.”

Perhaps it’s no surprise that pit crews train just as much as drivers. Diet and exercise play an imporHelio Castroneves in pit lane tant role, Stanchina says, as does practice. The team runs through pit stops at the shop and several times during race weekend until the process is seamless.

“With doing it in a matter of seconds, it turns a race strategy into success,” he says.

PACE CAR

1911

2015 PHOTOS BY CHRIS OWENS, JIM HAINES

At this time, the majority of races around the country had standing starts. But track leaders thought that such a beginning packed with 40 cars could lead to disaster. IMS cofounder Carl Fisher proposed they pace the field to the start. To do so, Fisher himself drove a Stoddard-Dayton passenger car from the dealership he owned. It’s believed to be the first time a pace car was used in that manner.

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2015

Former NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon took the wheel of a Corvette Z06. With 650 horsepower, it’s safe to say Gordon’s ride was just a bit more powerful than Fisher’s. Gordon, though, was only the leader of the parade laps. Former winner Johnny Rutherford was at the helm for the remainder of the race.

2015 pace car driver Jeff Gordon Inset: IMS cofounder Carl Fisher steering the 1911 pace car

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Graham Rahal in his driver’s suit

DRIVER ATTIRE

1911

There were no rules stipulating driver dress or safety in 1911. Most men chose clothing primarily for comfort.

“Some actually wore team uniforms with the name of the company on the back,” Davidson says.

“They weren’t fire retardant. Others wore thick sweaters with cloth or aviator helmets. Others just wore caps on backwards and goggles.”

If helmets were worn, most were fairly flimsy and provided little protection against debris kicked up from the track.

Rupert Jeffkins and Howard Hall in 1911

For driver ensembles today, safety may come first, but comfort isn’t far behind—which is important when you’re crammed in a cockpit. Rahal Letterman Lanigan driver Graham Rahal says the suits are lightweight and breathable.

“They should fit like pajamas and be as tight and comfortable as possible,” he says. “With how tight the car is, you want very little extra material, so a lot of drivers wear very tight suits. It’s always hot in the car, so a good suit can make a heck of a difference.”

Shoes are lightweight, too, and, at least for Rahal, the soles are thin. “It’s all about feeling the pedals in the car,” he says. His gloves are custom-fitted and have stitching on the outside to prevent blisters.

Made from carbon fiber, helmets are strong yet light. The foam liner inside is fitted to the driver. Rahal goes through about six helmets each season and wears a special one for both Indy and Mid-Ohio, a race in his home state.

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RAHAL PHOTO BY CHRIS OWENS

2015

PHOTO BY MIKE HARDING

TRACK SURFACE

the IMS. “There’s no science on how often this happens,” he says. “It depends on wear, use, and damage. It’s between every 15 to 22 years.”

1911

SAFETY MEASURES FOR DRIVERS

When motorcycles circled the IMS for the first-ever race in 1909, the surface, a cocktail of tar, gravel, and crushed limestone, created disastrous driving conditions. Track leaders knew a change had to be made. At the time, just about every road in Indiana was dirt, but some surrounding states had started to pave their main streets with bricks.

“A delegate from the national brick-paving association came over and said, ‘Why don’t you pave the track with bricks?’” Davidson says. “Many of the streets in St. Louis and Chicago were starting to use bricks for downtown.”

That fall, Carl Fisher and cofounder James Allison chose to cover the mess with bricks—3.2 million in all—the majority of which came from the Wabash Clay Company in Veedersburg, near the Illinois state line. But even with the relatively smoother surface, the men at the wheel still had a rough go of it.

“The suspensions weren’t worth a darn, so some drivers wore kidney belts,” says Davidson. “Some wore corsets. It was very uncomfortable, with constant shuddering. The engine heat would be pretty intense. They were all pretty hardy souls.”

2015

Since the last of the bricks were covered in 1961, the track has been resurfaced several times, with the last occurring in fall 2004, says Dave Shaw, senior director of facilities at

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1911

Can you imagine driving—let alone racing—a car that didn’t have a windshield? That was reality for many entries in the inaugural 500. Many didn’t have seatbelts, either. It wasn’t until 1935 that helmets became mandatory at the IMS, and by 1959, fire-retardant uniforms and roll bars were par for the course.

2015

Prior to last year’s race, more than 1,500 feet of SAFER barrier was added along a curved wall that acts as an entry point for emergency vehicles on the backstretch and in the short chute between Turns 3 and 4. It was the latest SAFER addition, following the initial installation to the four turns in 2002 and a second-generation version in 2005. Other precautions include head and neck restraints that drivers Evidence of wear, and, new this year, wear on the tethers on cars to prevent airSAFER barrier borne debris after a wreck.

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INDIANAPOLIS 500

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PRESS COVERAGE

1911

Indianapolis’s three major daily newspapers published pages and pages of highly detailed 500 coverage, Davidson says, and journalists from other papers and trade magazines were in town to cover the race, too. The day after, it wasn’t uncommon to read a rundown of society people who were in attendance—“‘Mr. and Mrs. so-and-so and their daughter from New York,’” Davidson explains.

2015

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The IMS hosted more than 1,300 media members from 18 states and 12 countries, not including broadcast teams for both ESPN/ABC and NBC Sports.

QUALIFYING PROCEDURE

1911

Compared to today’s qualifying format, it didn’t take much to put a car into the field of the first 500. Drivers had to maintain a speed of at least 75 mph from a flying start for one-quarter of a mile—that was it. They had three tries. The four-lap format was adopted in 1920.

2015

The morning of Pole Day, Ed Carpenter flipped after making contact with the wall (the third such wreck that week). Qualifying was postponed for several hours while the fence was repaired and officials met to decide how to proceed. Ultimately, teams had to make changes to reduce speeds; they had only one qualifying attempt; and the Fast Nine shootout was scrapped.

NUMBER OF CARS THAT STARTED

1911

Forty cars started the first 500.

Forty-six entered, but for various reasons, six didn’t make it to the start.

2015

After the 1911 race, the Contest Board of the American Automobile Association introduced a rule that limited the number of cars based on the size of the track. For the Speedway, it was determined that the safe distance between cars spread out equally around the 2½-mile oval was 400 feet—thus 33 entries.

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The largest single-day sporting event in the world takes place here each May. We annually host the Brickyard 400. The nation’s premier drag race, the NHRA U.S. Nationals, is here every September. We live racing. We breathe racing. We thank your for joining us in celebrating the historic 100th running of the Indy 500 and hope you enjoy all that the Racing Capital of the World has to offer.

For what to see, do, and eat, go to VisitIndy.com | FOLLOW US: @VisitIndy

QUIZ INDIANAPOLIS 500 TRIVIA

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR INDY 500 TRADITIONS? Over the years, the events leading up to the green flag and those following the checkered flag have become a beloved part of the 500, so much so that we couldn’t fathom our race without them. Answer these 10 questions to see if your knowledge of these special moments is worthy of the pole position—or if you’re in the back of the pack.

The Purdue University Marching Band Golden Girl in 1964

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QUESTIONS 1 the borg-warner trophy was first presented to louis meyer, winner of the 1936 race. meyer was a central figure in what other tradition?

The balloon release Coining the phrase “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” C. Playing taps D. Drinking milk in Victory Lane A. B.

2 which driver caught fl ak for sipping orange juice instead of milk after his win?

Jacques Villeneuve Gil de Ferran C. Emerson Fittipaldi D. Buddy Lazier A. B.

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3 the winner’s wreath features how many miniature checkered ags?

Who wanted to release all these balloons on race day?

500 B. 25 C. 100 D. 60 A.

4 the 500 festival preceding the indianapolis 500 was championed by locals who noticed the success of the celebration leading up to what major event?

The Super Bowl Kentucky Derby C. The Masters D. The U.S. Open A. B.

PHOTO BY BRET KELLEY

5 the idea to launch balloons during pre-race festivities is attributed to whom?

Mary Fendrich Hulman Florence Henderson C. Linda Vaughn D. Mary Hulman George A. B.

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INDIANAPOLIS 500

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6 organizers of the first minimarathon—celebrating its 40th anniversary this year— initially wanted to host what type of event?

A go-kart race A blood drive C. A motorcycle race D. A bicycle race A. B.

7 prior to the safety patrol team wearing yellow shirts, the group’s uniforms were what color(s)?

Black-and-white checkered Red C. Dark blue D. Green A.

Do you know what color Safety Patrol used to wear?

B.

Bobby Darin Dinah Shore C. James Melton D. Mel Torme A. B.

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PHOTO BY MICHAEL ROTH

8 which artist has NOT sang “back home again in indiana”?

9 it’s become a post-win obligation, but kissing the yard of bricks didn’t originate in indycar. which nascar driver started the smooch-fest?

Jeff Gordon Dale Jarrett C. Dale Earnhardt D. Jimmie Johnson A. B.

10 which event has the purdue university marching band NOT been a part of at some point in the 500’s history?

Circling the oval during the prerace Parade of Bands B. Accompanying Florence Henderson during “God Bless America” C. Providing the music during the singing of “Back Home Again in Indiana” D. Welcoming guests along the red carpet at the Snakepit Ball A.

PHOTO BY JOE SKIBINSKI

Juan Pablo Montoya kisses the bricks after his 2015 victory.

See how many you got right!

Answers on pages 22 and 24.

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ANSWERS D Meyer was a three-time Indy winner and regularly drank buttermilk to cool off on a hot day. After the 1936 race, he took a swig out of habit, which happened to be caught by an executive in the milk industry. The businessman ensured it happened the following year, and it continued up to 1947. For several years, milk wasn’t a part of the post-race routine, but it returned in 1956.

2.

C After his victory in 1993, Emerson Fittipaldi paid tribute to the citrus groves his family tended in his native Brazil by sipping orange juice instead of the customary milk. Fans didn’t like it. Emmo, a popular driver, was booed heavily, according to IMS historian Donald Davidson. “He could not have known what a negative effect that would have,” Donaldson says.

3.

D For most of the last 40 years, the floral halo has featured 60 mini checkered flags intertwined with red, white, and blue ribbons, along with 33 ivory Cymbidium orchids with burgundy tips.

4.

B The 500 Festival debuted in 1957 with a parade and gala, inspired in part by the celebration prior to the Kentucky Derby. The premise of the festival was to give visitors a better sense of Hoosier hospitality, industry, and culture.

5.

22

A The balloons were let go for the first time in 1947 at the suggestion of Mary Fendrich Hulman, wife of track owner Tony Hulman. Since 1950, the release has coincided with the last few notes of “Back Home Again in Indiana.”

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Emerson Fittipaldi—not drinking milk

Tony Kanaan and wife Lauren in 2013

Mary Fendrich Hulman

PHOTOS BY JOHN COTE, ERIC ANDERSON

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6.

D Organizers realized that a May bike race might steal thunder from Indiana University’s Little 500, so they scrapped that idea and opted for a halfmarathon instead. Distance running was all the rage at that time.

7.

C In 1948, the IMS established its own Safety Patrol, which wore dark-blue uniforms. The shirts were long-sleeve and made of wool—not a great combination for humid or rainy May days. In the early ’70s, some team members switched to short-sleeve yellow shirts, setting the standard for the garb that’s worn today.

8.

A “Dream Lover” singer Bobby Darin has never done “Back Home Again in Indiana,” but the others have. It was Melton, a singer with the New York Metropolitan Opera Company, who first graced the PA system with the tune back in 1946. The performance was so well received that it was moved up to just before the start of the race.

9.

500 Festival Mini-Marathon

B After taking the checkered flag in the 1996 Brickyard 400, Dale Jarrett and crew chief Todd Parrott headed to the yard of bricks, knelt down, and gave it a kiss. Today, it’s practically a requirement for winning drivers and their families and team members to continue the tradition.

10. D But who needs the Snakepit Ball when you have a central role in so many other 500 traditions? Since 1919, the Purdue band has been the official band of the Indy 500. The ensemble accompanied “Back Home Again in Indiana” from 1946 until last year, when a cappella group Straight No Chaser took over, and has played “God Bless America” with Florence Henderson since 1995. The band also leads high-school groups during the pre-race Parade of Bands, and has been in the 500 Festival Parade every year since the event’s inception.

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Dale Jarrett in 1996

BORG IDENTITY

A closer look at the quirks on Indy’s shiny carrot-ona-stick.

BY LAURA KRUTY

W

when louis meyer was presented with the Borg-Warner Trophy after his 1936 win, he likened it to winning an Olympic medal.

So began drivers’ quest for the Art Deco–style prize, valued at $3.5 million. Like many objects nearing 100 years old, the Borg boasts plenty of interesting characteristics. Here, a breakdown of some of its more notable points.

STYLE POINTS

In 1935, the Borg-Warner Corporation commissioned Chicago-based Spaulding-Gorham Inc. to create the trophy. Initial guidelines called for the piece to represent the spirit of world-class racing—see the “wings” on the side— EMPTY INSIDE and be of “heroic” proportions.

The Borg is hollow, but it still tips the scale at more than 100 pounds.

GOOD AS GOLD

The only 24K gold likeness is of Tony Hulman, who was added in 1987 to honor his post–World War II revitalization of the Speedway. All of the other faces are sterling silver.

SUPPORT SYSTEM

A new base was added in 1987, but those spaces were filled after the 2003 race. A second one was then tacked on, leaving enough room until 2034. After that? “I would imagine they’d just build a bigger base,” says IMS historian Donald Davidson.

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TOPLESS The dome can be removed for easier transport.

DOUBLE EXPOSURE

Who’s the nude Greek god–like man at the top? Davidson doesn’t know, but he has a request: “I wish they’d put a loincloth on him. You get mooned and worse. I wish I could go back in time and say, ‘Can you dress him up a bit?’”

THE BORG-WARNER TROPHY DEBUTED IN 1936 HEIGHT AND WEIGHT Just over 5 feet tall with base and about 110 pounds DID YOU KNOW? The Borg made an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1957 and in the 1969 movie Winning with Paul Newman.

Per his request, Tom Sneva, winner of the 1983 Indy 500, is the sole driver shown wearing glasses.

OOPS!

The only typo on the Borg is “Johnny,” likely an assumption about how to spell the first name of 1950 winner Johnnie Parsons.

LAST-PLACE FINISH

NHL THE STANLEY CUP DEBUTED IN 1892 HEIGHT AND WEIGHT Just shy of 3 feet tall and about 36 pounds DID YOU KNOW? The Cup is disassembled for the engraving process, which is completed by hand and takes about 30 minutes for each name.

NBA

1986 winner Bobby Rahal was the final driver to have his face on the original trophy.

THE LARRY O’BRIEN TROPHY DEBUTED IN 1978 HEIGHT AND WEIGHT 2 feet tall and about 15 pounds DID YOU KNOW? The ball at the top is regulation-sized.

FAMILY AFFAIR

There are nine Unser faces on the Borg—two for Al Jr., three for Bobby, and four that represent Al Sr. Bobby 1968

Al Sr. 1970

Al Sr. 1971

Bobby 1975

Al Sr. 1978

Bobby 1981

Al Jr. 1992

HOW THE 500’s HARDWARE STACKS UP AGAINST OTHER MAJOR PRIZES.

INDYCAR

THE GREATEST SPECTACLES

Al Sr. 1987

Trophy Case

Al Jr. 1994

MLB THE COMMISSIONER’S TROPHY DEBUTED IN 1967 HEIGHT AND WEIGHT 2 feet tall and roughly 30 pounds DID YOU KNOW? There are 30 flags, one for each team.

NFL THE VINCE LOMBARDI TROPHY DEBUTED IN 1967 HEIGHT AND WEIGHT About 22 inches tall and 7 pounds DID YOU KNOW? With such a simple look, perhaps it’s fitting that the trophy’s design was supposedly sketched out on a cocktail napkin by a former Tiffany & Co. VP who was having lunch with then-NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle.

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INDIANAPOLIS 500

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Official Vodka of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and Grand Prix of Indianapolis ®

Ask your local retailer for Fuzzy’s Vodka.

TRUST YOUR PIT CREW. PLEASE DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE FUZZYVODKA.COM Made in the U.S.A. 40% Alc./Vol. ©2016 Fuzzy’s Spirits. Bottled exclusively for Fuzzy’s Spirits, LLC., Bend Distillery, Bend, OR.

TM

100 INDIANAPOLIS 500s, ENDLESS STORIES.

As the Indianapolis Motor Speedway prepares to wave the green flag on its red-letter running, we caught up with some of the most famous names to ever steer a car around the Brickyard. Here, they talk breaking barriers, battles to the finish, favorite (and not-so-favorite) race moments, and what The Greatest Spectacle in Racing means to them.

MEMORY LANE PHOTO BY ERIC ANDERSON

INTERVIEWS BY LAURA KRUTY AND KATE SHOUP

Al Unser Sr. at the wheel of a historic car at the 2015 Indianapolis 500.

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At some of these races the pack racing is so intense. The slightest mistake could be a big one. You hope and pray. Realistically, the spectrum of danger is there, and that’s what makes it exciting.”

ANDRETTI ask any non–race fan to name a driver, past or present, and there’s a strong likelihood their answer will be MARIO ANDRETTI, a man who transcends the sport of racing. although he has just one indy 500 win (1969), the patriarch of the andretti family of racers holds the most poles in indycar history with 67 and the most laps led with 7,595. he is the only driver to win an indycar race in four different decades. mario may not be behind the wheel anymore—aside from the two-seater—but he hasn’t slowed down one bit in pseudo-retirement.

ON WATCHING GRANDSON MARCO RACE:

I’m the proverbial Nervous Nellie. I’m not very good at all, mainly because at some of these races the pack racing is so intense. The slightest mistake could be a big one. You hope and pray. Realistically, the spectrum of danger is there, and that’s what makes it exciting, obviously. But sometimes, after the race is over and everything went well, you take a big sigh of relief, and you’re ready for a big glass of champagne.

100TH RUNNING? Oh my gosh. First thing, I’d probably lay down on pit road where the grease and oil are and do a grease angel. That would be huge WHAT IF MARCO WINS THE

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PHOTO BY ERIC ANDERSON

WINNER: 1969

for us as a family; you can imagine that. It would be the ultimate satisfaction to see the third generation coming through with that.

We know how close he came, and we know that feeling—we just have to bring it home.

ON HIS NO.

1 MEMORY AT INDY: That’s easy. Crossing the finish line first. There’s no better feeling than that. That’s the race that I fought, fought, didn’t think I would finish; the car was overheating. In 1987, at one point, I’m 69 two laps in the lead. With 23 laps to 19 go, I have a comfortable lead, and I’m trying to be easy on the car but it breaks anyway. [He finished ninth.] Looking back, I led the most laps during the entire race from the beginning. But I still came away satisfied because I knew that day, nobody could beat me. That’s a great feeling. That doesn’t happen very often, I can tell you that. It’s the best race in the world. It can make your career instantly. Can you imagine the fight to win the 100th running? A fight for the ages, that’s for sure.

GALA PHOTO BY SHAWN PAYNE

the name A . J. FOYT is practically synonymous with the indianapolis 500. and it’s no wonder. he drove in the race a record-breaking 35 consecutive times, from 1958 to 1992, clocking an astonishing 4,909 competitive laps (12,272.5 miles—almost halfway around earth) on track. he is just one of three drivers to win the race four times, in 1961, 1964, 1967, and 1977. he also won the pole four times.

If you’re fortunate enough to win the race, the whole world knows you won it. That’s what people know me from, as an Indianapolis 500 winner.”

I won races pretty much all over the country: Daytona, Sebring, and Le Mans, and all that stuff. But it’s like the Kentucky Derby. You can have one horse, and there’s a lot of great race tracks, but if he wins the Kentucky Derby, that’s all you know about him—the horse won the Kentucky Derby. That’s like the Indianapolis 500. If you’re fortunate enough to win the race, the whole world knows you won it. That’s what people know me from, as an Indianapolis 500 winner. So that’s what it really means to me.

My most favorite 500 was the first year I qualified [1958]. I knew how hard a race it was to make because you always had 75 or 100 cars.

You had to have a good chief mechanic who knew what to do. That was my favorite race— just to be good enough to qualify.

LEGENDARY DRIVER AL UNSER SR. WON HIS FIRST INDIANAPOLIS

500

1987

IN 1970, BUT HE WAS NOT THE FIRST UNSER TO DO SO—NOR WOULD HE BE THE LAST. THAT HONOR WENT TO AL’S BROTHER BOBBY, IN

1968.

1975 AND 1981. AND AL’S SON, AL JR., WAS THE LAST, WINNING IN 1992 AND 1994. BUT AL SR. REMAINS ONE OF BOBBY ALSO WON IN

JUST THREE DRIVERS TO WIN THE RACE FOUR TIMES

(1970, 1971, 1978, AND 1987).

AND THERE’S ONE RECORD AL SR. HOLDS ALL ON HIS OWN: HE’S THE OLDEST DRIVER EVER TO WIN

(47

YEARS, 360 DAYS).

In ’87, I didn’t have a ride. I had many offers, and I turned them down because I didn’t feel they had the makings to win the race. I didn’t want to go back there just to run fifth or sixth or 10th or

whatever. You want to win that race. So I made up my mind that I’d stay for the first week, the end of qualifying, and if I didn’t have a ride that I liked and thought could win the race, I was going to go home. But my son was running, and he didn’t qualify the first weekend, so I decided to stay and try to help him. I didn’t have any inkling that I would get a ride. And then Roger Penske called me. He says, “We got an ’86 March. It’ll have a brand-new Cosworth engine in it, and we think it’s a first-class car.” And that’s what I was looking for.

So I said, “Yes, I’ll do it.” They brought the car from Reading, Pennsylvania, from a hotel—it was a show car there.

I qualified [20th position] the second

weekend. And then we end up winning the race. I mean, nobody gave me a chance to win. They thought I was too old. And all of the sudden, I end up winning the race. Suddenly, I’m not too old!

When I first went to Indianapolis in 1965 and walked in there—you can’t conceive how that feels, seeing all those grandstands. You look around, and you think, Golly, I’ve never seen anything this big. How can they fill all those grandstands with people? It’s amazing.

It’s just a fantastic place. And to be able to go there and make the race, and then finish the race, and then end up winning it—it just sticks in my mind and my heart. I mean, it’s just a really great feeling. It is The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

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Janet Guthrie receives 188 silver dollars from sponsor Phil Hedback to mark her qualifying speed in 1977.

FIRST FEMALE QUALIFIER

GUTHRIE

8

For any driver of that era, the first time you put a car in the field at Indianapolis—to be one of the fastest 33 of, at that time, as many as 85 or 90 cars entered—is a moment you’ll remember until your dying day. [But] my favorite 500 would have to be in 1978, when I finished in the top 10 with a team I formed and ran myself, at the very last minute, with about 5 percent of the budget of a toprunning team. I’m glad I was able to participate at what was arguably the highest point of the Indianapolis 500, the middle ’70s, with

A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti and Johnny Rutherford and so on.

I loved Indianapolis. I loved Monument Circle. I loved the Columbia Club and the race functions held there. I loved the civic spirit of the city. I loved the old wooden garages that looked like stables on a well-tended horse farm. And I loved the historic significance and traditions of the race itself, even though I was breaking one or two of them. At that time, so many people said to me, “Do you know what’s going on in your wake?” If what I did turned out to be helpful to other women, then I am glad of that.

But that is not why I did what I did. I did it because I was a racing driver through to my bone marrow. The newspapers were just full of drivers saying I was going to kill them all and that kind of thing.

Mostly I could laugh at it, and sometimes it made me mad. But the important thing was to get my hands on that racecar on the race track. That was the only thing that really counted.

7 19

in 1977, JANET GUTHRIE became the first woman ever to compete in the indianapolis 500—no minor feat when you consider that until just a few years prior, women had been banned not just from driving but from entering the press box, garages, and pits. many believed that women simply couldn’t handle the horsepower and speed of an indycar. but guthrie—by then a 13-year veteran of the sports-car circuit (she had raced the 24 hours at daytona multiple times and twice won her class at the 12 hours at sebring)—proved them wrong.

If what I did turned out to be helpful to other women, then I am glad of that. But that is not why I did what I did. I did it because I was a racing driver through to my bone marrow.”

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at a time when others her age were slogging through college, SARAH FISHER was turning laps at 200-plus mph at the indianapolis motor speedway. her best finish at indy was a middle-of-thepack 17th, but her nine starts and her 2003 qualifying average of 229.4 mph are both records for female drivers at the track. in 2008, she became a driver/team owner, and scored her first series win in 2011 with ed carpenter driving. now, she and her husband are steering a new venture, speedway indoor karting.

I felt really comfortable and confident behind the wheel. That was where I was most relaxed, when I was in the racecar itself. It was everything else that was a whirlwind. At 19 years old and being a girl, it was, at the time, unheard of. So there was a lot of attention on that and a lot of questions to be answered about it, which was great. It shed a lot of light on IndyCar racing in general. It was something I had always wanted to do and always something I dreamed about doing, so to make that happen, it was just really an awesome opportunity.

2009

The criteria [for the Rookie of the Year Award] were that you had to show up for all the meetings, you had to get media, they had other events you had to go to. And then it was who was the fastest-qualifying rookie and who was the highestfinishing rookie in the race.

But they had like 20 people that were going to evaluate all those pieces of the criteria. I looked at all those names, and A model of I didn’t know who Lyn St. James’s any of them were. I’m like, restored rookie car, mounted in Forget this, Lyn. [Rookie of her home. the Year] ain’t gonna happen.

After the race, before the Victory Banquet, there was a meeting of all the rookie drivers. There was no way I expected to be selected. And they announced it, and I was tears everywhere— a mess. I found out later that [team owner] Dick Simon had taken more rookies to Indy than any other team owner, and he had never failed to put a rookie in the field. But he had never won Rookie of the Year honors with any of his team drivers. I really felt that that was a tribute to his efforts all those years. When they gave us the trophy, I asked them if they would make a duplicate because I wanted to give one to him. Later, I restored my rookie car. It’s hanging on the wall in my living room.

Well beyond any sort of boundary, well beyond the boundaries of countries in the world, well beyond the boundaries of whether you’re a race fan or not, gender, age—whatever label you want to put on people, I think the Indy 500 transcends all of that. There aren’t many things in the world that have that kind of power or positioning.

2

It’s a lot of responsibility and something I was very proud of, both my husband and I. We took it to heart; we treated our team like family. It was beyond just racing around a track—it was working together to win races. There’s a lot more that comes along with it than people realize. It’s a small business, and you figure it out or you do it yourself. And that was actually a lot of fun. It’s your team; it’s your business. The results are either bad or good, and whatever they are, they’re yours. And it was fun to own up to that, whether it was a good day or a bad day. When it was good, that was a lot fun, and I had a lot of pride in it.

The 500 is such a traditional piece of American history, that to be a part of the class of drivers who are privileged enough to participate in it, it’s an honor. For myself to have done that nine times, it’s just incredible. I remember one of the years I walked out, I think it was 2009 or 2010, it was toward the end of my driving career, and I was starting to take in the fans and the experience. The hundreds of thousands of people that that race touches is just phenomenal.

When you walk out and you hear them cheering, it’s just spectacular. So to be a part of that event and one of the select few to have done that and can 15 add that to their resume 20 is just awesome. It’s on our [state] quarter, for God’s sake.

a successful sports-car driver—she won her class at sebring in 1990—made her debut indy 500 appearance in 1992. she finished 11th, tops among the rookie class. st. james, the second woman ever to drive in the 500 (after janet guthrie), went on to race indy six more times.

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FISHER PHOTOS BY CHRIS JONES, DANA GARRETT

ON BEING A TEAM OWNER:

LYN ST. JAMES,

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INDIANAPOLIS 500

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MEARS WINNER: 1979, 1984, 1988, 1991

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Rick Mears celebrating his fourth win in 1991.

the indy 500 milestones for RICK MEARS are numerous: recordholder for pole positions with six; three wins from the pole position and 11 front-row starts, both event records; and, oh yeah, four wins—in 1979, 1984, 1988, and 1991. he also holds the curious distinction of having four different renderings on the borg-warner trophy for each of his four wins. the hall of famer is now an adviser for team penske and a spotter for helio castroneves on oval tracks.

First of all, I never dreamed of going to Indy. That was way out of my league as far as I was concerned. Then to actually get to go there, period, was unbelievable. Then to actually win it was crazy.

Then when you start looking at multiple wins, and you’re looking at the A.J. Foyt, the Al Unser, and all those guys—they were way out of my league, too. It’s just like, There’s no way that I can be in the same class with those guys. It changes your life completely to be able to win Indianapolis.

Part of that race is to try and not let the pressure get to you.

For me anyway, it was always trying to keep it as just another race

have never won it. There are very few that have gotten here and won it once, so what are the odds of winning it again?

Now I’m starting to under6 stand. I’m getting older, a little 201 wiser. By then, I’ve started learning a lot more of the history of the IMS and all of the drivers who came before us and what they had been through. It’s getting more and more meaningful. When you win the second it’s like, Wow, we’ve won it again. You almost appreciate it even more at that point. So then the same process happens again. You go a few more years again, and you don’t win it. You look around and say, Man, very few have won it more than twice, so what are the odds of that happening? They’re getting very slim. So that made the third one more special. Then the fourth one, you’ve gone years again and you think, Only two guys have ever done this.

So what are the odds of me being able to do that? Plus, you’re getting closer to the end of your career. You don’t know how much longer

INSET PHOTO BY CHRIS OWENS

The ideal win is passing the leader on the last corner of the last lap for the checkered flag. That only happened once in my career—that was at Michigan with Mario Andretti. And who better than one of my heroes to have that battle with?” on another track. You can run yourself ragged if you let the pressure build. At the start of that race, I always wanted to be relaxed.

I’ve got 500 miles to get excited. People think they’ve got to really get themselves psyched up beforehand. I always took the other approach. I always felt I made fewer mistakes that way. At the start of the race, you never know what you’re going to get. You never know what the track conditions are; you don’t know who’s going to be your strongest competitor; you don’t know how your car’s going to handle. The conditions are always changing. Everything’s cold— tires, shocks, everything. Let’s sneak up on it the first couple laps.

The first thing everybody usually asks is, “What’s your favorite win of the four?” A lot of people always expect you to say the first one. And that’s really not the case, for me anyway. The first one has its special place because of being the first one. But it came so early in my career—my second attempt—that I didn’t really understand how difficult it was. The first year we qualified on the front row. We were running competitive enough at times to possibly have a shot at winning it the first year. Then we had some mechanical problems and didn’t finish. The next year, we qualified on the pole, and okay, we got a good shot at winning this thing. And we won it.

So then you go a couple more years, and you don’t win it. And you start looking around and you realize, There’s been a lot of people who have never gotten here who’ve been trying to get here.

And then there’s been a lot of people who have gotten here, but

you’re going to run. So that made the fourth one a lot more special.

But then, what makes the fourth stand out over the others is, you always gear up for that shootout at the end. You spend 500 miles positioning and working with the team and making decisions on chassis changes and conditions to make the car the absolute best after the last pit stop. Of the four wins, it only boiled down to a shootout one time. The ideal win is passing the leader on the last corner of the last lap for the checkered flag. That only happened once in my career—that was at Michigan with Mario Andretti. And who better than one of my heroes to have that battle with? In the fourth win, Michael Andretti was the fastest guy all day. It boiled down to, he was the guy I was going to have to battle with at the end. I kept an eye on him, kept working on our car, not showing our hand. If we showed him we were stronger than him, he was going to work harder on his car to make it better.

But if he thinks he has everybody covered, then why risk making changes, especially in your last stop when the change could go too far and tip it over and maybe be worse? We went in, made the last stop, and now it’s show time. We had the restart. He got by me on the outside in Turn 1 on the restart. And then I had to battle back and get back by him the next lap on the outside. We got to go back and forth and then came out on top at the finish. That made the fourth win more gratifying. That is what makes it the most special of the four.

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Tom Sneva and his crew in 1974

WINNER: 1983

SNEVA

after three second-place finishes in four years (1977, 1978, and 1980), TOM SNEVA finally achieved victory in 1983—but it wasn’t easy. he has three poles to his name (1977, 1978, and 1984), and was the first driver to break 200 mph (1977) and the first to exceed 210 mph (1984).

8 19

We had a pretty good battle going with the Unsers. Little Al was a rookie that year, and he was a bunch of laps down. His dad was leading, so he was doing everything he could to win the race, which was understandable. We had a yellow with about 20 laps to go. Under the yellow, Little Al was able to get between me and his dad. I had concerns as to why that wasn’t noticed by anybody. It was hard to have the patience to understand that as your fuel load went down, you had the opportunity to make some passes and go for the win. We started getting quicker, and I started passing them.

Trying to get around Little Al was interesting, but I finally caught him and was able to get around both of them to win the race.

When you finally get it done, it’s because everything went well that day, and things 3

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went in your direction. I finished second three times prior to that, so you’re wondering if it’s really going to happen. When it finally does, there’s a lot of enjoyment with that. It was just a great day for us.

No. 1 [favorite memory] was just qualifying as a rookie in 1974.

It was one of the most emotional things to happen to me at Indy.

It was such a big deal. Another one was the first 200 mph lap in qualifying in 1977. That was one of those things you never forget.

It came when we were the B driver on the team. My teammate that year was Mario Andretti. Mario and the Unsers, all the big guys in “Happy Hour” during the last hour of practice when the track cools down and speeds go up, were running high 199s during the week. I was doing all my runs in the middle of the day. That was the weather and the time of day you’d qualify at. I was not running as fast as Mario. One Thursday after practice, the team decided that maybe they’d put Mario’s setup on my car to run on Friday before Pole Day to see if it was faster than the setup I was using. So they did that. Back then, they used to clock you just as you popped off of Turn 4 in the pit area. The first hot lap, they had me at about 201 mph, but the problem was, I didn’t make it off of Turn 4 before I hit the wall and knocked the right side off the car. The guys had to work all night to put the car back together. I said, “Guys, Mario’s setup might be faster but I couldn’t run four corners, let alone four laps. So maybe put my setup back on the car.” So they did. The next day, there was only one to run 200 mph. And it wasn’t Mario’s setup, and it wasn’t his car.

SINCE

1995,

CAROL

“COACH ”

PURICHIA—HE WAS

indianapolis native and 500 fan KEN PARKS now lives in mansfield, texas, but he hasn’t lost his love of the indy 500. he says he’s probably the only person in the dallas–fort worth area who has a 500-themed room— complete with a yard of bricks—in his house. he’s probably right.

ONCE HEAD FOOTBALL COACH AT BISHOP CHATARD HIGH SCHOOL—HAS SERVED AS A

“YELLOW SHIRT” (SAFETY

OFFICER) IN VARIOUS AREAS AROUND THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY. HIS FAVORITE INDY

500

DRIVERS

ARE AL UNSER SR. AND A.J. FOYT, AND TOM CARNEGIE IS ONE OF HIS HEROES.

I get chills every time they drop the green flag. If you’ve never seen the drop of the green flag and the first lap in person— you’ve just never witnessed anything like that in your life. I’m proud and privileged to get to work there. I feel like part of my blood’s there. And it’s nice when people know who you are, recognize you, and do everything they possibly can to make your day a better day. Like Brittany Lump [Guest Experience Manager at the IMS], and Sandy Forrest—she works where we check in and check out—every time I go up to her, she’s got a smile on her face. I can’t thank them enough for all the help they’ve given me, and all the other yellow shirts. I just enjoy the heck out of it, and I hope I can continue. I’m looking forward to this year.

I was standing at the finish line during qualifying. Eddie Cheever was standing next to me. And Brian Barnhart kept leaning over the drivers when they were about to qualify. He’d go out and talk to them inside the cockpit. Finally, I said, “Brian!”

And he said, “Yeah, Coach?” And I said, “What do you tell those guys in there?”

And Eddie said, “Keep the thing turning left”—although he used an expletive. I got a big kick out of Eddie telling me that, and Brian got a big kick out of it, too.

HINCHCLIFFE PHOTO BY CHRIS OWENS

1998

young canadian JAMES HINCHCLIFFE, a fan favorite, currently pilots the no.

5 car for schmidt peterson motorsports. he’s won four indycar races, but his quest for his first indy 500 victory was brought short in 2015 by a horrific crash during practice, in which he was impaled (“hinch-kebabbed”) by a piece of his car’s suspension. fully recovered, hinchcliffe is slated to compete in the 100th running of the iconic race.

One of my favorite memories was actually not on track. It was when Jacques [Villeneuve] won the Indianapolis 500 in 1995. That was the race that made me fall in love with Indy, and it’s still my favorite car of all time.

The Indy 500 means everything.

It’s the biggest race of the year, more important than any other race on the schedule, and in some cases, more important than the championship. It’s on the top of every driver’s list.

1964 was a pivotal year for me. I lost my grandmother the first part of May. And I don’t know if it was my whole idea of knowing such things as human mortality or what. Back then, you didn’t watch the race on TV. You either went to the race, or you listened to Sid Collins broadcast it on the radio. You could hear the noise in the background. And the gasps when there was the big crash on the front stretch. Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald were killed in that wreck. I tell my kids and grandkids that when you go there, it’s not just a sporting event. There’s just a presence about the place, a presence of the legends and the traditions. It’s a special place.

I had never heard of a bucket list when I was little. I thought, Man, if I could just meet Mario Andretti once, I would love it. He usually doesn’t come to Texas very often. Years ago, he came when they had a CART race, and they announced that, until 6 p.m., Mario Andretti is going to be signing autographs. I’m standing in line thinking I’m not going to make it by 6 o’clock.

But I did. I told Mario, “You’re at the top of my bucket list.” He said, “You need a bigger bucket list.”

EDDIE CHEEVER

started in every indy 500 from 1990 to 2002, and again in 2006. he holds the record for the fastest race lap ever—just over 236 mph. he earned rookie of the year honors in 1990 and won the 1998 500.

It was a very long three-and-a-half hour event. There were high and lows—car was good, car was bad. I remember pulling away from Buddy Lazier near the end, and the emotions started going through my head. My crew chief wasn’t saying anything over the radio except counting down the laps. Going into Turn 3 for the last time, I saw everyone in the grandstands stand up, and it totally fouled me up. I missed my mark on the track by three or three-and-a-half feet.

When I won, I had this explosion in my mind, and thought back to my dad, who started me racing karts as a kid. When I won my first F3 race in England, I ran to one of those red phone booths and called my dad—“Dad, I won!” He had passed away since then, and when I won at Indy, I remember wishing I could find one of those red booths and call my dad again.

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WINNER: 2013 38

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PHOTO BY SHAWN GRITZMACHER

KANAAN

TONY KANAAN ARRIVED AS A ROOKIE AT INDIANAPOLIS IN 2002 AND QUICKLY ASSERTED HIMSELF AS A DRIVER TO WATCH, FINISHING THIRD IN

2004.

1992: Jimmy Vasser’s rookie year

2003 AND SECOND IN

FOUR MORE TOP-10 FINISHES WOULD FOLLOW

BEFORE TK FINALLY GRABBED THE WIN IN

2013.

YOU

ONLY HAD TO HEAR THE ROAR OF THE CROWD AFTER

201 3

DARIO FRANCHITTI WRECKED, BRINGING OUT THE YELLOW AND ENSURING KANAAN TOOK THE CHECKERED FLAG, TO KNOW THAT HE’S A FAN FAVORITE. THIS YEAR, KANAAN’S AT THE WHEEL OF THE NO.

10 CAR FOR CHIP

GANASSI RACING.

2013 VASSER PHOTO BY ERIC MCCOMBS; DIXON PHOTO BY DANA GARRETT

The Indianapolis 500 has meant so much to me, but I really didn’t understand the meaning of the 500 until after I raced there for the first time. I’d seen it many times on TV, but it wasn’t until my first time racing there in 2002 that I really got it. I told myself I’d never go into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway unless I was racing in the 500, and when it finally happened, it was magical.

Obviously, my favorite memory at the 500 was in 2013, when I won. I was looking at the stands, and it was unbelievable.

I’d spent so much time here chasing that feeling of winning such a big race, and to actually make it happen was amazing. I knew I could do it, but to actually take the checkered flag at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in first place is a feeling that’s hard to describe. I’d also have to say that I really enjoyed watching the fans in the stands during my victory lap riding in the convertible around IMS.

four-time indycar series champion (2003, 2008, 2013, and 2015), SCOTT DIXON is in his 15th year driving for chip ganassi racing. he has the most wins of any active indycar driver through 2015, with 38. he’s also the 2008 indy 500 champ, and is at the helm of the no.

9 car for ganassi this season.

The Indianapolis 500 really speaks for itself. It’s the largest single-day sporting event in the world with over 300,000 people. I’ve been fortunate enough to win once, but it’s been awhile, so I’m ready again. The drivers and teams spend so much time focusing on the

JIMMY VASSER raced the indianapolis 500 eight times. he would have raced in several more if not for “the split” in 1996, when the indy racing league and cart parted ways. irl drivers ran at indy; cart drivers—of which vasser was one—did not. but he won the cart championship in 1996. these days, vasser is the “v” in kvsh racing.

It’s the pinnacle of our sport. It’s everything a young, aspiring race driver wants to achieve. You just want to get there. And for many, that’s enough—to be able to say you got to compete at Indianapolis.

I was leading in 1995 before I crashed out with 20 laps to go. That wasn’t a great memory. I finished fourth twice. That’s not really that great. I would say my rookie year in 1992 was a great memory, being able to race against Rick Mears and A.J. Foyt in their last 500s, but then I crashed midway and broke my leg. So that’s not a good memory. But winning in 2013 [as a team owner with Tony Kanaan] was just fantastic.

It was a great day. I never got to drive into Victory Lane, but I jumped on the car [after the race, as Kanaan steered it through the crowd into the winner’s circle] and got a ride into Victory Lane.

month of May. Anything less than drinking the milk in Victory Lane on race day is a disappointment.

I think [winning the 100th running] would be pretty special. There is so much history at IMS, and this year in particular, they are really making it a big deal.

There aren’t too many sports that have been around 100 years, so it’s really cool to see. I think winning any Indianapolis 500 is special in its own right, but the 100th will probably be one to remember.

2008 was one of the best years of my life—marrying my beautiful wife, Emma; winning the pole for the 500; and then winning the race.

Scott and Emma Dixon in 2008

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My first-ever time to climb the fence in Detroit in 2000 was spur of the moment. I didn’t plan on it becoming a form of celebration. Since that day, people started expecting me to climb the fence.”

with indy 500 wins in 2001 and 2002, HELIO CASTRONEVES became just the fifth driver ever to land in victory lane at indy in consecutive years. the brazilian took another checkered flag in 2009. this year, he’s looking to join the elite group of fourtime indy 500 winners. here, he talks race prep and the origin of his “spider-man” nickname.

I’m approaching [the race] basically the same way I approached it in 2001, 2002, and 2009, the years I ended up being very successful. So we’re looking forward to another big season and, obviously being the 100th, people are really putting a lot more attention on it. As a team, we’re not focused on that number. As a driver, I’m not focused on that number, even though it’s an incredibly special situation, with the 50th anniversary of Team Penske, and myself having an incredible opportunity to join only three drivers able to win four times. Those are scenarios that we can’t control. And that’s, at the moment, the way I’m thinking: what can we do to make the dream come true, and that’s where we’re focused.

The first win is something that you never forget. Obviously, the 40

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last one, it’s the one that’s more vivid in your mind. Just to go through the tunnel of the track, it’s like 09 you’re going back in time. There’s so 20 much history, so many stories. Grown men come to me and say, “My dad used to take me here.” It’s cool to see that. Personally, going to Victory Circle was a very special moment, and the reason I keep going is because I want to have that taste again.

My first-ever time to climb the fence in Detroit in 2000 was spur of the moment. To be honest, it was a small hiccup. I was supposed to go to the pit lane area where the team was waiting for me, the press, everybody. I simply was so happy to finally win my first race that I was just celebrating, and I passed the pit lane area. I just came to the finish line. I’m like, Where is everybody? The crowd was going crazy. I had nobody around me, so I’m like, Okay, I’m going to celebrate with the fans. It turned out to be a very spontaneous doing.

I didn’t plan on it becoming a form of celebration. Since that day, people started expecting me to climb the fence.

INSET PHOTO BY JIM HAINES

Helio Castroneves and crew in 2001

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In 2010, 33 winning cars throughout Indy 500 history were assembled on the track—from Ray Harroun’s 1911 Marmon Wasp to Dario Franchitti’s 2010 Dallara Honda (both in the front row).

BY MARSHALL PRUETT

PHOTO BY RON MCQUEENEY

FUELING INNOVATION As the automobile industry took off, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway quickly became the ideal place for engineers to introduce new—and far more advanced—technology.

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A

number of cities and states might claim that they’re the birthplace of American automotive history, yet only one can declare itself as the epicenter of advancement through motor racing.

On May 29, Indianapolis celebrates the 100th running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. While the 500-mile competition will serve as the event’s centerpiece, its history as a proving ground for innovators and pioneers alike deserves a special commemoration.

The first and most commonly cited breakthrough took place at the inaugural Indy 500 with winner Ray Harroun’s Marmon Wasp.

“Interestingly, Mr. Harroun credited seeing a horse-drawn vehicle, which had a pole sticking out with a mirror on it. He held onto the idea for use in the future,” says Indianapolis Motor Speedway historian Donald Davidson. “The Marmon he drove is recognized by many as the first vehicle to make use of what we’ve come to refer to as the rearview mirror.”

The end of World War I had an immense trickle-down effect on the 500, as technology from the battlefield made its way to the Brickyard. Of particular interest, the nascent practice of forcing compressed air into fighter planes through the use of supercharging was brought to Indy by mechanics 44

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Ray Harroun in the No. 32 Marmon Wasp

1911 L.L. Corum and Joe Boyer split driving duties in the No. 15 car

1924 Freddie Agabashian in the No. 28 Cummins Diesel Special

1952

Parnelli Jones’s No. 40 car in the garage and on the track

1980 Johnny Rutherford with the winning “Yellow Submarine”

1967

and engineers returning home from Europe. With the 500’s early days filled by auto manufacturers seeking to test their latest road-car ideas in competition, the art of supercharging grew at voluminous rates as the Speedway pushed the technology forward.

Drawing back to the late teens and early 1920s, Indianapolis-based Duesenberg used its Indy 500 participation to perfect its supercharged engines. By 1924, the famed “Duesy” became the first car manufacturer to reach Victory Lane at the Speedway using forced induction.

More modern-day automobile developments took root at the IMS as the American economy roared before the stock market crash of 1929. Front-wheel-drive Indy cars, thanks to Harry Miller’s den of ingenuity in Los Angeles, made great strides and found immense success at the 500. Miller’s design team also brought the forerunner of today’s disc brakes to Indy, and produced the first proper rear-engine Indy car in 1938, long before the rear-engine Cooper-Climax made headlines when it debuted in 1961.

The first diesel-powered Indy car appeared in 1931 thanks to Cummins, and the company was responsible for another 500 breakthrough when it raced the first turbocharged car—also a diesel—at the 1952 event. The speedy roadster earned pole position.

From that Cummins turbodiesel, the turbocharging of conventional gas-fueled engines would wait 14 years until the renowned “Off y”—the Offenhauser four-cylinder powerplant—brought a massive spike in power to the Speedway. In an enduring nod to the technology, the supercharged 1924 Indy winner, the turbodiesel 1952 polesitter, and the first turbo Off ys in 1966 deserve credit for blazing a trail that continues throughout the auto industry today. Even within the legendary Speedway, the value of forced induction is still present, as this year’s field of 33 cars will use twin-turbo engines.

1967’s turbine-powered entry from Andy Granatelli’s team serves as a benchmark of sorts—the vehicle helped the 500 reach its far-out peak for adventurous engines—and ushered in the next wave of big ideas.

“In my lifetime, the most polarizing car was the turbine,” says veteran Indy-car reporter Robin Miller. “It was hated; it was loved; and everybody that saw it—even 10 0 T H R U N N I N G

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The Louis Schwitzer Award honors the behind-the-scenes—and often unrecognized—work of engineers.

Trackside Trailblazers

ON AUGUST 19, 1909, THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY HOSTED ITS FIRST CAR RACE , a

two-lap sprint in which the winner averaged about 57 mph. The victor, Louis Schwitzer, wasn’t a driver—he was an engineer. After his brief racing career, he would go on to dream up several major automotive advancements.

Schwitzer helped design the Yellow Jacket engine, which powered Ray Harroun’s Marmon Wasp to the checkered flag in the 1911 Indianapolis 500. Eventually, Schwitzer opened his own business, making cooling fans, turbochargers, and superchargers, and improving the design of water pumps. He also served as the chair of the Speedway Technical Committee from 1919 to 1945.

As tribute to Schwitzer’s industry-changing innovations, the Indiana section of SAE International presents the BorgWarner Louis Schwitzer Award to engineers for their pioneering work in racecar design. Specifically, the prize rewards ideas that increase performance, safety, or energy efficiency. The winner receives a $10,000 check and his or her name on a trophy that resides in the Hall of Fame Museum. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the honor.

Developments that have won in previous years include the HANS (Head and Neck Support) device, the SAFER barrier, the third-generation Delphi Accident Data Recorder, and the Dallara IndyCar simulator.

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INSET PHOTO BY JIM HAINES

Louis Schwitzer at the 1935 Indianapolis 500. Inset: Recipients of the 2015 Louis Schwitzer Award

heard about it—had some kind of opinion about it.”

“The turbine was real popular,” adds its iconic driver Parnelli Jones. “There wasn’t a car that looked like it before, and the new cars look an awful lot different. Of all the things I did as a racecar driver, people want to know about the turbine—that’s the car they still ask me about—more than anything else. I guess it made a lot of headlines for being so much different, and we almost won with it. That showed how many ways you could go fast at Indianapolis.”

As the 500 moved into the 1970s, decades of searching for inventive ways to harness and unleash horsepower gave way to mastering the laws of nature.

“Strictly speaking of the modern times, I would have to say aerodynamics has become the greatest part of racing at Indianapolis, and the greatest area where advancements have been made when the value of wings and downforce entered the equation,” says Derrick Walker, who has run Roger Penske’s Indy 500–winning team, led his own Walker Racing outfit, and served as IndyCar’s president of operations and competition as recently as 2015. “Really, beginning with the introduction of serious wings and ground effects tunnels beneath the cars in the late 1970s, so much of what we do at Indianapolis has been about moving air over and under and past the cars.”

The 1980 Indy 500–winning Chaparral 2K, the “Yellow Submarine,” exploited advanced aerodynamics that, in many ways, continues in the latest Dallara DW12 cars currently used by the Verizon IndyCar Series. Some items have changed and evolved since the 2K, but the same basic aerodynamic concepts— using inverted airplane-wing profiles to pull Indy cars to the ground—are in place.

Examine a Chevy Malibu or a Honda Civic, and the relation to either brand’s Indy car aerodynamic bodywork might be hard to find. But the value between Indianapolis and those auto manufacturers is still firmly in place.

“You could look at an open-wheel Indy car with a Chevy or Honda engine in the back and the different bodywork their Indy cars have, and ask yourself how they’re related,” Walker says. “Well, that’s the brilliance of the Indy 500 as we have it right now. It used

to be the auto brands went to Indy to try a new transmission or maybe a new engine; it could be new brakes, or whatever they wanted. Those companies have become so sophisticated now, much of that work is done on computers in their big research facilities. But what they can’t get there is real-world experience for their engineers.

That’s why they come to Indy.”

The new-era concept of “tech transfer” is what drives manufacturers to the 500—it’s where chassis, engine, electronics, and aerodynamic engineers learn more in a month than they would in a year at a private R&D compound. Their work in making Indy cars faster, more efficient, and more reliable feeds directly back to the production line for tomorrow’s fleet of showroom models.

Indianapolis is where the Chevys and Hondas send their bright young minds to become smarter and to think outside the box.”

DERRICK WALKER

“Indianapolis is where the Chevys and Hondas send their bright young minds to become smarter and to think outside the box,” Walker adds. “It’s a wonderful tradition, and one that was a great aspect of the Indy 500’s foundation. For many years after, and until very recently, Indianapolis was mostly a place where racers went, and we witnessed many amazing things, but now, with how IndyCar has changed, car companies see the 500 in a different light.

“Winning Indy is the biggest prize in the United States,” Walker continues. “The honor and prestige from having your engine or any of your technology come home first will bring great recognition. But I’d wager the biggest value is the one that will come five years from now, 10 years from now, when those engineers use all they learned at the 500 and make the cars future generations can buy, the best they’ve ever produced.”

They work better together.

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It takes both to get the job done.

IBJ Premium digital+print pairs our award-winning print edition with our digital subscription offering unlimited access to IBJ.com.

Sign up today at IBJ.com 10 0 T H R U N N I N G

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START YOUR IF YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE IN THE GRANDSTANDS OR THE INFIELD for the 100th running of

the Indianapolis 500, you can still experience the sights and sounds of IndyCar in other ways. Let us bring you up to speed.

1 2 3 The INDY RACING EXPERIENCE calls it the fastest seat in sports with good reason. Zip around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 200 mph with an IndyCar driver at the wheel—or pick the same encounter but with Mario Andretti piloting the car. Other options let you be a passenger in a two-seater for two laps at up to 180 mph, or allow you to drive three laps at up to 130 mph (after an orientation). 243-7171, ext.

106, indyracingexperience.com

If speeds well over 100 mph are making you mentally pump the brakes, be a passenger for a VICTORY LAP. Select either an Indy car or a NASCAR, and ride around the track at a speed similar to that of a race winner circling the oval after the checkered flag falls—about 60 mph. The slower pace means you can easily soak up the IMS through the same vantage point as a driver. 243-7171, ext. 106,

indyracingexperience.com

Sarah Fisher may not be an IndyCar driver or a team owner any longer, but she’s still making her mark in racing. Her new facility, SPEEDWAY INDOOR KARTING on Main Street, has a two-level road course with multiple turns and a banked oval track. Karts can go as fast as 45 mph. There are even two-seaters for those who’d rather be passengers, as well as hand-controlled versions.

The venue’s 1911 Grill offers family dining and views from two floors.

1067 Main St., Speedway, 870-3780, sikarting.com

Mario Andretti can be your IMS chauffeur.

FULL THROTTLE

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ENGINES

SIX WAYS

to experience racing, from taking the green flag as a driver to walking the greens of a golf course.

4 5 6 Test your skills by climbing into an IndyCar simulator and aiming for the fastest qualifying lap at the DALLARA INDYCAR FACTORY, which showcases the engineering and technology of the cars.

Learn about the history of Dallara Automobili, see IndyCar blueprints and design concepts, and let the kids build a car and race it down a ramp.

Hungry or thirsty? Lino’s Coffee, an authentic Italian import, serves coffee drinks, paninis, pizza, and gelato. 1201 Main St., Speedway, 2437171, indycarfactory.com

For an insider’s look at the IMS, opt for a GROUNDS TOUR . You’ll see the track from the perspective of a driver (albeit at a much slower speed) while on a narrated bus ride.

It stops at the yard of bricks, so get those cameras ready. Tour-goers will also check out the media center, the victory podium, the Pagoda, a hospitality suite, and Gasoline Alley garages. A visit to the Hall of Fame Museum is included, too.

Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait until the calendar turns—no grounds tours are offered in May.

Okay, so it’s not racing. But where else can you play a round of golf with racecars zooming by at 220 mph?

Nowhere but Indy. At the Pete Dye– designed BRICKYARD CROSSING GOLF COURSE , you can practice at the driving range or tee off on 18 holes, four of which are located within the infield of the oval. Golf Digest and Golfweek have lauded it as one of America’s top 100 public golf courses. 4400 W. 16th St., Speedway, 492-6417, brickyardcrossing.com

4790 W. 16th St., Speedway, 492-6784, indyracingmuseum.org

HIT THE BRAKES

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For drivers, owners, and fans alike, the race starts here.

Celebrating 100 years of racing in Indianapolis.

Reservations: (317) 635 0636 StElmos.com

The Speedway’s man in charge explains how the Project 100 upgrades unite the past with the future.

BALANCING ACT

PHOTO BY JOE SKIBINSKI

BY DOUG BOLES, IMS PRESIDENT

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New seating along the front straightaway is only one aspect of Project 100.

he most important thing that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500 have is tradition and history. Without the history and without the 99 races that have come before this 100th running, it’s just another racing event. And much of the 500 is rooted in traditions, some of which we all agree are absolutely essential to the race’s DNA: 500 miles, the yard of bricks, the winner’s bottle of milk, 33 cars, Memorial Day weekend—all those things that we really care about and have to protect.

What makes coming to the Speedway special is when you walk in and you know that you are coming to a place that looks familiar, like it’s historic and a sort of monument. When we started to think about Project 100, we wanted to make sure that the investments didn’t make the Speedway feel like something that it’s not or make it feel like something that’s too new. “New” would completely change the special feeling we all have when we walk on grounds that Carl Fisher walked on before the track was built, or sit in the stands that were built right after World War II or in the early ’50s. Therefore, modernizing the facility in a way that remembered and honored that history was the goal of Project 100.

With history as the backdrop, it was important that we thought about what we could do to give fans a more modern experience without changing the overall feel of this historic venue. A lot of the investments that have been made, especially on the frontstretch, the upper decks, and the penthouse seats, give the fans something new, such as stadium seats like they might expect in a modern setting. But at the same time, 52

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PHOTO BY CHRIS OWENS

When we started to think about Project 100, we wanted to make sure that the investments didn’t make the Speedway feel like something that it’s not.”

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they are anchored on the same decking that was built between 1950 and 1963. You’re sitting on a platform where people have been watching the race for 65 years.

Whether you’re in the penthouse seats or not, the new roofline—retaining that industrial sense you’d expect from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway—is going to change the way the frontstretch feels and offer many fans a fresh view. From the new rows installed at the top of the upper deck, vast stretches of the facility will be in sight that haven’t been available in decades. Even from a driver’s perspective, coming down the frontstretch is going to feel more like a tunnel than it ever has. And all fans can check out those views, even if they don’t have a race-day ticket for those choice seats. We’re going to make sure those seats are open, so fans can come out for a practice day and experience those vistas.

Another improvement that celebrates the past while greatly enhancing our fans’ experience is the new Gate 1, the main entry at 16th Street and the roundabout. While the old gate will be there as a way to pay tribute to our history, there will be a new “Gate 1”

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Construction at the Speedway (left) and the projected end result (below)

Nearing the Finish

PHOTOS BY CHRIS OWENS, JOE SKIBINSKI; RENDERING COURTESY BROWNING DAY MULLINS DIERDORF

Local architectural firm Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf helped the IMS upgrade its Pagoda, Pagoda Plaza, media center, and pit suites back in 2000. Now the company is heading up the architectural design and landscape architecture for Gate 1, as well as improvements along the front straightaway for Project 100. Principal and president JONATHAN HESS offers his perspective on being a part of it all.

How did your work on the Pagoda help when it came to Project 100?

and enjoy it. We saw it not only as a place

that came after the engineering. The excel-

that functions for the event, but an opportu-

lent work of George Fink of the structural-

History and context are always important

nity for folks to come the other days of the

engineering firm of Fink Roberts & Petrie set

when you work on a project. The history of

year and have a feel for what the IMS is all

the precedent for our dutiful interpretation

place is exponentially important at the India-

about.

for the 100th running of the 500. The roof of

napolis Motor Speedway. So our past work

the paddock that was done in the ’50s is a favorite of mine. It’s an honest expression of

mensurate with commemorating the 100th

As an Indianapolis resident, has Project 100 taken on a greater meaning for you?

running of the Indianapolis 500.

I’m grateful to have been able to work at

of the grandstands.

and lessons learned hopefully bring a sense of history to the solution, something com-

a grandstand with a sort of character to it. I appreciate the engineering that went into all

the Motor Speedway. My wife, Jody, and

What are you doing to make Gate 1 more of a grand entrance for fans?

children Catherine, Claudia, and Christian

There will be a new physical structure at

part of their month of May. Any time you

From where do you watch the race?

What’s your favorite Indy 500 tradition?

Gate 1. It’s probably four to five times larger

have an opportunity to add to the fabric of

We are lucky enough to have seats across

than the existing Gate 1, so it has a bit more

a place, it’s special. When it adds to the

from the scoring pylon. As for tradition, race-

character of a gateway. The plaza in front of

collective memory of a community, it’s truly

day biscuits served on a Pagoda plate fuel

that will have a commemorative diagram of

humbling.

the day. [The plate] was a gift from Summit

have all grown up with the Speedway as

Construction, who built the Pagoda, and it’s

the original oval, so there will be opportuni-

etched with the image of the Pagoda. The

down on the plaza. There will be some night

What is your favorite architectural detail of the Speedway?

lighting, trees for shade, and benches to sit

That’s easy—it’s not the architecture, as

comes out.

ties there for fans to have their names put

kids know it’s race day when that plate

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Helio Castroneves visited the Speedway in February to help finish installation of the track’s fence.

200 WEST COMING WINTER 2016 Downtown Zionsville info@twohundredwest.com

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PHOTO BY CHRIS OWENS

that will be the first thing fans notice as they walk up to the Speedway. The old electrical lines that were 20 to 25 feet from the back of the grandstands will be gone, which really changes the way the outside of the facility feels. Where the plaza was relatively small behind Turn 1, now it’s going to be much more open and feel a lot different. We have salvaged the trees that were already there to give a sense of familiarity, and have added some things that really pay tribute to our history. Gate 1, our main race-day entryway, is going to be powerful.

The nice thing about Project 100 is how it’s allowing us to reset the facility in a way in which we can build a thought-out, methodical plan to ensure that the IMS is around for another 50 or 75 years before we have to go through another major overhaul.

Each year, as we go forward, though it won’t be Project 100 anymore, there will be a strategic capital-expense plan and investments that make the facility better and continue to maintain it.

Put simply, we will improve for the future while keeping a firm grasp on our past.

SOCIAL NETWORK

THE

COMPILED BY JJ GRAMLICH AND LAURA KRUTY

PHOTO BY JOE SKIBINSKI

YOUR MONTH OF MAY, ALL PLANNED OUT.

The 2015 Indy 500 Snake Pit with Steve Aoki

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MAY 7 REV 6:30 P. M., INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

PHOTOS BY CHRIS OWENS

Ever wanted to bust a move on the yard of bricks? You’ll get the chance at Rev, which has quickly become one of the city’s must-attend events. Mingle with celebs and drivers while noshing on food and drink from Indy chefs, pose next to the Borg-Warner Trophy, and end the night with a rave-like dance party on the front straightaway. Proceeds support Indiana University Health’s statewide trauma programs. revindy.org

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MAY 7 MINI-MARATHON 7 A . M., DOWNTOWN

The nation’s largest half-marathon turns 40 this year. There’s still time to register, but if 13.1 miles is too daunting (especially if you haven’t trained a lick), there’s always the 5K. It begins at the same start line as the Mini. Everyone can stretch out, refuel, and listen to live music during the postrace party in Military Park. indymini.com

MAY 13 FESTIVAL ON MAIN 5 P. M., MAIN STREET, SPEEDWAY

This free event kicks off a busy month for Speedway’s central thoroughfare. In support of the Indy Family Foundation, which helps those in the racing community in times of need, Festival on Main includes live music, IndyCar drivers, a celebrity dunk tank, food trucks, and craft beer.

MAY 14 ANGIE’S LIST GRAND PRIX OF INDIANAPOLIS GATES OPEN AT 8 A . M., IMS

Think of this as a sneak peek of the 500— except, of course, the cars will navigate the IMS road course instead. Will Power looks to defend as winner. indianapolismotorspeedway.com 500 FESTIVAL KIDS’ DAY & ROOKIE RUN NOON , MONUMENT CIRCLE

This carnival-esque gathering is the state’s largest free outdoor festival for kids. Bring them downtown to bounce around in giant inflatables, play games, and craft a mini racecar or a pageant sash alongside 500 Festival princesses. Future Mini-Marathoners can take part in the Rookie Run, where every participant comes away with a medal and a goodie bag, regardless of their finish. 500festival.com

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MAY 21 BREAKFAST AT THE BRICKYARD Start qualifying weekend off right with breakfast and stories from racing legends. See the crowning of the 500 Festival Queen, tour the garages, and, if weather permits, take your car for a spin around the track. 500festival.com

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PHOTOS BY DOUG MATHEWS

8:30 A . M., IMS PLAZA PAVILION

MAY 20 ROCK IN ROAR 5 P. M., WEST END OF GEORGIA STREET

This free concert includes performances by Living Proof and Zanna-doo—and is a great reason to call a babysitter.

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REQUIRES PRECISION PERFORMANCE

MAY 21 RACING THRU THE DECADES 7 P. M., MAIN STREET, SPEEDWAY

Throw on your bell-bottoms or neon leggings for this free event sure to evoke both nostalgia and fun. Several Main Street eateries will be decorated according to their chosen decade (from the 1960s up to the 2010s), and will serve a drink popular from that time, as well as display a racecar and/or pace car from their era.

MAY 21–22

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QUALIFYING & POLE DAY GATES OPEN AT 7 A . M. BOTH DAYS, IMS

Can Scott Dixon defend his pole position from last year? Who will be in the Fast Nine shootout to fill the first three rows? Find out during this action-packed weekend that also includes a display of more than 200 Indy 500 pace cars, IMS/500 Festival cars, and safety vehicles. indianapolis motorspeedway.com

MAY 26–28 HISTORIC RACING EXHIBITION HALL OF FAME MUSEUM

Dubbed the “world’s second-greatest spectacle in racing,” this three-day event brings together more than 100 historic Indy 500 cars and their owners, drivers, and mechanics for a spin around the IMS.

MAY 27 MEMORIAL SERVICE NOON , MONUMENT CIRCLE

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Welcome Race Fans by Michael Helsley, mixed media

CREATIVE SPINS A citywide initiative and a new exhibit spotlight artistic takes on the Indy 500.

To explore how that vehicle closes the gap between citizen and professional racecar driver, 100 Indianapolis residents were interviewed and photographed over three days at the IMS last October. Each one then got behind the wheel of a Chevy Camaro and took two laps around the track. Collectively, they drove the equivalent of a full Indianapolis 500.

BY LAURA KRUTY

“Rarely have I ever been part of making people so happy in my life,” says exhibit curator

WHEN THE ARTS COUNCIL OF INDIANAPOLIS

met with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last May to discuss how the arts could be infused into the Speedway’s events, the conversation turned to three words often seen around the city: Welcome Race Fans.

“These signs are everywhere,” says Lindsey Lord, public art and artist services coordinator for the Arts Council. “You can’t be in Indy in May without noticing them.”

Thirty-three Indiana artists were chosen to depict “Welcome Race Fans” for signs that will be stationed throughout the city. Aside from a mandated size, the only requirement was for the trio of words to appear in some fashion, allowing for a broad range of interpretations by painters, illustrators,

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sculptors, and other creative types.

Shauta Marsh.

“We have artists who have built their entire careers based upon racing imagery,” Lord says. “We also have artists who have never painted a car in their lives. You will see cars, but you’ll also see landscapes, colorful abstractions, dynamic city scenes, fun conceptual pieces, and more.”

The resulting photographs and interviews will be part of an exhibit that runs May 6– July 16 in the Tube Factory space at 1125 S. Cruft St. in Garfield Park.

“At one point working with Jesse, he called the Speedway a living monument,” Marsh says. “I hadn’t thought about it before

Look for the pieces at the IMS, the airport, and the Artsgarden, among other locations.

PACE YOURSELF For a new exhibit, Big Car Collaborative and California-based artist Jesse Sugarmann turned their focus to a somewhat-overlooked aspect of the race: the pace car.

spending those three days listening to people tell their stories of marriage proposals, deaths, family traditions, fandom, and being nine months pregnant at the 500.

“Right after driving the laps, we took their picture to capture the afterglow. I realized that it was a sacred place for them. I felt in awe of it and the people who love it.”

ceremony, presentation of the colors, and performances by Capital City Chorus and the Indiana National Guard 38th Infantry Division Band, all to honor Hoosier men and women who have died while in the armed forces. 500festival.com CARB DAY GATES OPEN AT 8 A . M., IMS

Carb Day starts with the final Indy 500 practice, followed by the Indy Lights Freedom 100 race, the pit stop challenge, and a concert by Journey. indianapolismotorspeedway.com

ROCKIN’ ON MAIN

5:30 P. M., MAIN STREET, SPEEDWAY

If your preference leans more toward familyfriendly events, take the crew to Rockin’ on Main.

This free event features food and drink, racing simulators, tricycle races, and live music by Not Your Average Boy Band and Zanna-doo.

MAY 28 500 FESTIVAL PARADE NOON , DOWNTOWN

Now in its 60th year, the 500 Festival Parade invites spectators to “Experience the Celebration.”

You can do just that by checking out marching bands, floats, celebs, giant balloons, and all 33 Indy 500 drivers.

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

When and where you need it most.

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LEGENDS DAY GATES OPEN AT 8 A . M., IMS

This year, Legends Day lives up to its name by honoring all of the past champions of the Indy 500. Come out for an autograph session, the public drivers’ meeting, and concerts by Corey Cox, Chris Janson, and Blake Shelton. indianapolis

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• Call center and mailroom operations

SNAKEPIT BALL

PHOTO BY RICHARD DOWDY

6 P. M., INDIANA ROOF BALLROOM

Hosted by Andrew Luck and his girlfriend, Nicole Pechanec, this year’s Snakepit Ball has a theme of Spectacle: A Night Circus and promises enchanting characters and cirque-style performers. Sip signature cocktails, dine on fare from various food stations, and enjoy live entertainment. 500festival.com

• Document management, imaging, processing and conversion • Resources allocation and logistics • Training and workforce development

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2016 INDIANAPOLIS 500 HOST COMMITTEE In the months leading up to this year’s epic 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile race, an all-volunteer 100th Running Host Committee turbo-charged this year’s celebration by delivering dozens of programs aimed at building excitement for The Greatest Spectacle in Racing in every corner of this community – all fueled by the resources of the companies and individuals listed below.

Thanks to these Donors’ generosity, nearly 600 volunteers engaged fans and staged community celebrations across Central Indiana and extending into all 92 counties of the state. Celebrations encompassed everything from youth programs to race day reunions. Porch parties came back into style, and downtown Indy and Main Street Speedway were bathed in colorful décor. Poets, teachers, artists, drivers, musicians, merchants, historians and tens of thousands of people from all walks of life rallied in celebration to honor the wÀÃÌ hundred years of a home-grown icon.

HERE’S TO THE NEXT 100!

DONORS

Calling Indiana home since 1876.

To learn more, visit www.lilly.com.

2016 CA Approved for External Use PRINTED IN USA Š2016, Eli Lilly and Company. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.