Next Sunday at noon, the 100th running of the 500 mile race in Indianapolis will be held at what can be considered America’s most historically significant race track, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The meaning, relevance, social impact, and value of the race have changed a lot over the years and mostly for the worse, but the massive IMS facility with seating for more than 200,000 people is usually packed to the gills come race day. The race gets prime national TV coverage and is definitely the most popular open wheel event left in North America. Perhaps the coming F1 team and growth of the Austin race will wrest that final piece of glory from the Indy 500, but most likely not.
I don’t know spit about open wheel racing. I know that Chevy and Honda are the battling engine manufacturers in the series, I know that there is a newish body and chassis design being used, I know that nothing matches the history and tradition of this event outside of non-racing stuff like the Kentucky Derby, and I know that I love to watch/listen every year. Next Sunday, instead of announcing the NHRA race in Kansas with one ear on the radio for Indy updates, I plan on taking the whole thing in from home. A couple years ago, Richard Petty admitted that he and the boys would always listen to the race on the radio while prepping for their own longstanding Sunday evening event.
I’ll be tuned in because I like feeling a part of 100 years of history. I have no rooting interest or allegiance (other than the fact that I hope the Chevy powered cars stomp the Honda powered machines into dust) and will just be following along as an interested gearhead/fair weather fan. I don’t give a rip about horse racing but never miss the Derby every year, either. Both still have enough mystique to keep me interested.
Question of the Day: Are you going to watch the Indy 500 this weekend?
But Brian, you are a week early with this post. Or did I lose a week somewhere? I will be heading to Indy for the vintage race car event prior to the race on the 29th.
no, im going to watch it next weekend.
I thought the 500 was on Memorial Day weekend too, so the post confused me. Then I realized its central time, so it makes sense now.
When?
I wish I could watch it this weekend that way I could bet on it next weekend.
Yep, that race is going to be NEXT weekend. The graphic on the post even says “May 29”. I live in Indy. Qualifying is this weekend, the race is next. No, I’m not going. I may watch though … for a few minutes … near the end … if I’m awake.
It was really, really late. Sorry guys. LOL
Racing all day F1 in the morning Indy early afternoon nascar afternoon. Still enjoy indy but it needs change.
I’ve got a whole weekend of racing to watch! Winged Sprint Cars at my local clay track on Saturday night (with fireworks!), get up early for Monaco, then it’s Indy and finally the Coca Cola 600
I haven’t watched a complete Indy 500 in over 15 years and will be doing the same next weekend. It’s not just the sights but also sounds and these cars sound horrible
I’ll be watching. It’s still the biggest motor race spectacle in the US. My Father was there almost from the beginning, have a stack of programs from the early days that he attended as a child. Side note: it’s interesting the broadcasters seem to have a higher definition quality they reserve for major events?
First 10 Laps and last 10 Laps only.
For me, the rest is one loooong commercial, each spot played dozens of times and just when the race may become interesting, there will be another fucking commercial to take you away from the rhythm and pacing of the thing – which is what it is all about. If you MUST put yourself through the whole race, turn off the TV volume and tune into the IMS Radio Network – they do a terrific job and make the race interesting at all times. Many of us that grew up LISTENING to The Race, before the marketers took it over and wrecked the coverage will know what I mean.
Overall, just another poorly staged, over commercialized endurance (viewers vs. the marketers) contest not worth devoting any time to. Thank you, ABC network.
and F*ck the history lessons too. If you claim to be a ‘car guy/person’ whatever and you are a grown adult in the USA and you don’t know this simple racing history by now, you should take your meds and channel the genius Waltrip by reciting Boogity boogity boogity 10,000 times….
I’ll be at the race with my wife and 8 year old daughter. None of us have attended the Indy 500 before, and we hope it will be a good family experience.
My wife and I went to the F1 race there a while back, but that was before our daughter was born.
Your gong to have a lot of fun Brian. The whole area is one big party with something for just about everyone.
I usually record the F1 race, Indy 500, and the Coke 600 Nascar while doing other, more constructive stuff that day. I end up watching/listening to the three races over the following week, skimming through the endless commercials and boring drivel.
I was there back in 1978 but I haven’t ever watched the race on TV. I’ve listened to it on the radio a few times. It depends on what I’m doing if I’ll listen to it this year.
I’ve never watched nor listened to it on the radio (when I was a kid they broadcast ALL of it on the radio). I simply don’t have the attention span. I always said I had a 13 second attention span but I’ve stretched that a bit now that I’m messing with LSR. 500 miles just takes too long.
Dan
I used to be a big fan of USAC open wheel racing and especially the Indy 500 which I attended 6 times during the 60s. Then in the 70s two things happened that made me start losing interest. First it became fashionable. The beautiful people decided Indy was where it was at and the next thing you knew, except for the ticket holders with rights, the stands weren’t filled with true racing fans but those attending because it was suddenly fashionable to go. Then USAC was pushed out and CART entered making every race seemed more of a political event with constant rules changes and whining than pure all out racing. The death knell for me was all the foreign drivers, foreign built cars with foreign engines. And don’t tell me the Chevrolet engine that did so well was a Chevrolet, it was designed and built by Ilmore Engineering who also designed and built the Mercedes engine. The Cosworth engine was actually mostly Ford since Ford supported Cosworth. No, I have a hard time supporting an American racing series that is almost all foreign. Today’s drivers, I don’t know about but it is too late for me to start watching again. I think I’ll just cut the grass or something useful and honor our fallen heroes on May 30, the true Memorial Day.
I grew up at Indy during the fifties. I last attended in 1972 and watched the heartbreak of Gary Bettenhausen. I moved west and only watched it on tv. Now 44 years later , age and health are not what they once were . I decided that nothing will prevent me from going to the 100th. So, me and my family will indeed be there, front row, middle of the front straight , feeling like the 9 year old I was when I saw my first race. The race and drivers have changed over the years. But the magic and pageantry remain. I may never get to enjoy it again but I will forever be able to say I made the 100th! And so did my family! You can’t get much better for a crusty grumpy, broke down racer and lifelong hot rodder. Politics be damned, it is Indy with 100 years of racing history.