The Greatest Spectacle in Racing - What Makes Indy Great

It's called the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. But why? What makes the Indianapolis 500 so amazing? Why do the fans keep coming back year after year? 

The answer is: there is no one specific answer. There are so many things about the Speedway and about the race that make it the best. It is the single-day biggest sporting event in the world, with over 270,000 permanent seats that end up filled by the time the green flag drops, as well as the thousands of others who watch from the infield grass. Nothing else comes close. And we'll tell you why!

So, before Mari Hulman George gives the command, let me start you off myself. We're about six hours from the green flag, but the time is now: Ladies and gentlemen, START YOUR ENGINES!

Tradition of the track

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was created in 1909, fitting nearly to the inch the layout of the land on which it was plotted. The four turns are each banked at 9 degrees 12 minutes, the same banking they had back in 1909. Prior to the first Indy 500 Sweepstakes in 1911, the track was paved with 3.2 million bricks, which gave the track its nickname of the “Brickyard.” Over the years, the bricks were covered with asphalt, starting with all turns being covered in 1937. By 1961, the final remaining portion of the track (the frontstretch) was paved. Now, all that is left is a yard of bricks at the start-finish line. Those bricks will be kissed by the driver who crosses them for the 200^th time first.

Weekend Traditions

The Indianapolis 500 is no ordinary race. Everybody knows that, and the series has adjusted accordingly to maintain the great tradition of the 500 and its importance in the world. Instead of a couple of quick practice sessions, qualifying, and then a race like is standard on every other race on the schedule, a more useful and practical schedule is used.

The ENTIRE MONTH OF MAY is dedicated to Indianapolis.

They have a full WEEK of practice before qualifying, with each practice lasting six hours. Cars and drivers actually have a chance to see what their car can do on the track, allowing for the teams to be the very best that they can be.

The qualifying traditions are second-to-none. I discussed the format in an earlier post this month, but it’s worth reiterating. CONSISTENCY is huge, as to qualify you must successfully complete four consecutive laps (10 miles) to determine a qualifying speed. Even over a great ten mile distance, the difference between first and second place was 0.0023 seconds, which is equivalent to 8 inches over that ten mile span!

After Pole Day and Bump Day, the track is quiet until the Friday before the race: Carb Day.  During this final, one-hour practice session, teams give one last shake down for the car and prepare for race day. Also, this is the day for the pit-stop competition.  

To be good at Indy, you have to be consistent for a long time. It’s evident in practice, the most hours on track by far for any race in any motorsports event. It’s evident in qualifying, where four laps are required to make the field instead of just one. It’s evident on race day, where it’s a 500 mile marathon, the furthest in the series.

Race Day Traditions

Back Home Again in Indiana  - To fans watching at home, it’s Gomer Pyle. To those who call the Speedway “home,” it’s Jim Nabors. Indy just is not Indy without Jim Nabors belting out this traditional tune before the green flag drops. In fact, one year when his health was in question, he was assumed and figured by fans to not be able to attend. But then, he showed up! And the roar from the crowd for a man singing a song was louder than the roar of the engines that day. How we all long for our Indiana home, and we long for Gomer to be singing it to us while the traditional balloons are released to his voice. This year, Nabors will not be in attendance due to heart surgery. However, because it’s just not Indy without him, the Speedway traveled to Nabors’s home to record a special performance. It will be a special singing for sure!

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines” – Every year we ask how old Mari Hulman George is. But she looks and sounds better and better each year. Her voice, giving those most famous words in racing, is spine-chilling. Nobody else can make 300,000+ fans fall silent. Yes, I know they do this in every race, but it’s different at Indy. It’s different with Hulman George.

Rows of 3 - This might be my favorite tradition at Indianapolis. In the early 1910s, a rule mandated that only 33 cars could safely drive on the 2.5 mile oval. The result was a field format of 11 rows of 3. The image as those 11 rows of 3 come around to take the green flag is my personal favorite. Those cars are just a few inches from each other, in perfect formation, about to take off at over 200 mph. When I see those rows of three, that’s when I know we’re back and we’re racing. It is the best start to any sporting event in the world.

Milk - In 1936, Louis Meyer won his third Indy 500 on a hot day. He went to Victory Lane and did what he always did on a hot day: he drank buttermilk to cool down. Little did he know that he started one of the greatest traditions in sports. The taste of milk in Indianapolis Victory Lane is something so few have had the chance to experience, yet is the most sought after beverage in the world. It’s unique, it’s tradition, it’s turned a seemingly disgusting drink after driving 500 miles into a non-alcoholic champagne of champions.

Why it’s great

I can talk about speed – there is no faster race in the world.

I can talk about age – it is the oldest auto race in the world.

I can talk about tradition – but I’ve done plenty of that already, as the entire month is full of tradition which brings drivers, crews, and fans back year after year.

But what makes Indy so great is what it takes to win. You need the full package to be successful. You need skill (obviously). You need speed. You need control. You need endurance. It’s a sprint and a marathon. You need good pit stops. You need good strategy. You need consistency. You need patience. You need aggressiveness. You need it all.

 But possibly most of all, you need a little bit of luck.

Yes, I said it, luck. I’ve seen many drivers run an absolutely perfect race and then hit bad luck down the stretch that makes you look for a black cat. I’ve seen Michael Andretti running away with the win and then his engine just quits just ten laps from the finish. I’ve seen Roberto Guerrero winning by a full lap, hitting the pits for the last time, stalling the car, and ending up over a lap behind the leader Al Unser. I’ve seen Tony Kanaan lead his first seven Indy 500s and never finish at the top. And last year, I saw a rookie going to Victory Lane until he had to pass a lapped car out of fuel at just the wrong point in the turn. I saw (and I still can’t believe it) him hit the wall, drive a crippled machine past the line, only then to see that somebody beat him to it.That man: Dan Wheldon.

To win at Indy, with such tradition and lore surrounding it’s 3.2 million bricks, you need to have it all. The question now is, who has it all today? Enjoy the race, stay cool!