The Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis gets its name from Indiana, which means “Indian Land,” and the Greek word polis “meaning “city,” and it was founded in 1816. Indianapolis also, known as Indy, is the capital city of Indiana; it has a metropolitan population of over 2 million residents and is located right in the middle of the state on the White River. Indy is a thriving metropolitan city with four university campuses, two major league sports teams, three fortune five-hundred companies, and numerous museums, but the city’s most famous claim to fame has to be the classic Indianapolis 500 automobile race.

In the early 1900s, automobile racing was done on horse tracks or public roads, which had many limitations and was very dangerous. An Indianapolis businessman Carl G. Fisher had attended automobile races in France and imagined building a speedway that would provide a better way to test cars before they were sold to consumers. He envisioned building a circular track at least 3 to 5 miles long, giving the manufacturers a sustained speed, and drivers could learn the car’s limits. Mr. Fisher gathered investors, and in 1909, construction of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway began.

The Indy 500 is the largest single-day sporting event in the world. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was built in 1909 at the cost of three million dollars and was the first racing circuit to be called a speedway. It is a nearly two-and-a-half-mile rectangular, oval track that officially opened August 14, 1909, and had a seating capacity of 257,325. It remains the world’s largest sports venue even today. It is located only six miles from Downtown Indianapolis.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the third oldest permanent race track in the world. The two-and-a-half-mile track has remained virtually unchanged since it was constructed. There are two 5/8 mile-long straightaways, four 1/4 identical turns, brought together by two 1/8 mile short straightaways between the first and second and third and fourth turns. Currently, the Indianapolis Speedway is home to the incredibly famous Indy 500, Penzoil 150, and NASCAR’s Verizon 200 races.

The land had to be reshaped for the speedway and took 500 laborers, a fleet of steam-powered machinery, and 300 mules to create the 2.5-mile oval track. The workers also built several buildings, grandstands, bridges, and an 8-foot fence around the perimeter. A helium gas-filled balloon competition was the first event held at the speedway in June 1909; the oval was not finished until two months later. A crowd of over 40,000 people attended as nine hot-air balloons raced for trophies.

The track was nicknamed “The Brickyard” in 1909 as it was paved in brick, and at the start/finish line, one yard of brick remains. Ray Harroun won the first inaugural race, which took place in 1911.

The grounds originally covered 320 acres but have expanded over time to over 559 acres(2.3 km2). In 1975 the speedway was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1987 it was designated a National Historic Landmark. It is the only historic landmark associated with automotive racing history. The track has adopted the nickname “The Brickyard,” and the garage is called “Gasoline Alley.”

There have been numerous different races at the Indy Speedway, and history has been made there by some of the biggest names in automobile racing. The most successful car owner and team have to be the infamous Roger Penske. Team Penske holds the record at 18 total wins and 18 poles. The driver with the most career pole positions goes to Rick Mears at six. Other top-notch racers include the current champion Helio Castroneves, A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears, and Al Unser.

In 1956 the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum opened and included the Hall of Fame on the speedway grounds. In 1976 the museum moved to its current location in the infield. In 2011 The Indianapolis Motor Speedway celebrated its one-hundredth anniversary.

In 1929 the Speedway Golf Course opened on the grounds, and has now become the Brickyard Crossing Golf Resort and is one of the most visited sites in Indianapolis with over one million visitors each year. The golf course offers an infield lake with 14 holes running along the backstretch just outside the track and four holes in the infield. The course has been host to many tournaments, including the PGA Tour, LPGA events, and the 500 Festival Open Invitation.

The Indy 500 is steeped in tradition with pre-race ceremonies, post-race, and celebrations. Some of the most well-known is the victory lane bottle of milk, the 33 -car field line up three-wide to start, and the singing of “Back Home in Indiana Again” each year.

Traditionally, the race starts on Memorial Day weekend Sunday with 33 starters, lined together in a starting grid of three cars in eleven rows apiece. Drivers speed two hundred laps counter-clockwise around the track for a total distance of 500 miles. In 2011 the total purse for the race exceeded over thirteen million dollars, with the winner walking away with a prize of over two and a half million dollars.

The National Auto Racing Memorabilia show is the longest-running and highest visited Indy racing memorabilia event. Many fans collect and share Indianapolis 500 memorabilia. In 1985 an Indianapolis fan named John Blazier established The National Indy 500 Collector’s Club, which provides experienced members a place to discuss and advise fans on trading or answer questions about the Indy 500.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway boasts “The Greatest Race Fans in the World,” and to show their appreciation, they have created “The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Fan Rewards Program. Loyal fans and even first-time ticket holders are introduced to perks just for attending the race. Unique and exciting benefits are rewarded to those who purchase reserved seating and reorder tickets for other Indianapolis Motor Speedway events.

The Indy 500 race is the highlight event but days leading up to the event have the speedway buzzing with something for everyone. Days before the race, excitement mounts as pre-race activities like the fan Midway, Nerf Nitro Kids Zone, gift and souvenir vendors are open and ready to greet fans. There are live concerts with top-name performers from the likes of the Steve Miller Band, the Bare Naked Ladies, to Dustin Lynch and Keith Urban. There is a massive vintage car show. Hungry and thirsty fans will have an endless assortment of thirst-quenching and mouth-watering options from hundreds of food vendors. 

The City of Indianapolis is home to the world’s largest single-day, iconic sporting event, The Indianapolis 500. It has been one of the most celebrated events of both the city and the State of Indiana for over one hundred years, and with a crowd of over 250,000 fans annually, it shows no signs of stopping.

Check out the Indianapolis Zoo which is in Indianapolis too.

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