Go Fast, Turn Left

If twenty years ago you would have told me I’d be working with Indy road course qualifications on in the background and writing a gushy blog about how much I LOVE the Indy 500 and Month of May in Indianapolis – I would have suggested you take a hike.

The only racing exposure I had growing up was visiting my grandpa in Central Illinois, who would put a NASCAR race on TV and proceed to fall asleep. That’s all motorsport was to me before my move to Indy – napping noise and unsupervised play time.

Post-college, I quickly realized that if I wanted to truly embrace my new hometown and become a real Hoosier, I’d need to understand and champion its most iconic cultural tradition: the Indianapolis 500, the world’s largest single-day sporting event.

Bigger than the Super Bowl. Bigger than the Kentucky Derby. The Indy 500 packs more than 300,000 fans into a venue so massive you could fit Yankee Stadium, Churchill Downs, the Vatican, and a few more inside its infield all at once (check out one of our favorite graphics below!).

While the scale is impressive, my favorite detail about the 500 is that this legendary venue is nestled in the middle of an otherwise-quiet residential neighborhood, meaning that most roads nearby have only one or two lanes heading in each direction. The coordination it takes to pull off a seamless race day — between the track, law enforcement, neighbors and fans — is a logistical miracle. And it happens every single year, 10 minutes from the heart of downtown Indianapolis.

My first Indy 500, I didn’t even go inside the gates. I was managing motorcoaches in the Hulman Lot for a client in a sea of at least a hundred others, and yet, that was enough for me to want more. Driving through the nearby neighborhoods, you can feel the energy — the long-standing traditions, the family gatherings, the shared excitement. You can sense that this race means something to the city without stepping foot inside and even before the engines start. And once they do — the unmistakable roar, like a massive swarm of bees ripping by 250 times at 220+ mph? Simply addicting.

Seeing first-timers experience the 500 is one of my greatest joys – they don’t know they’re about to fall in love, but they undoubtedly leave a fan for life (hey, we say this about coming to Indy for the first time, too!). From the time driver introductions start to the last notes of Back Home Again in Indiana and the ever-famous command (“Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!”), the intentionality and sentiment at the 500 is enough to elicit every goosebump in your body, first out of pure emotion and then quickly out of adrenaline. When the green flag drops? Hold on tight.

Like any great sport, the Indy 500 delivers triumph, heartbreak and edge-of-your-seat moments that make you a lifelong fan. Whether it’s a veteran chasing that elusive first win or a defending champ going for three in a row, their stories will move you because they’re human. And you feel that deeply, because you are too.

13 Indy 500s later, I’ve learned to love so much more than I could have ever imagined about the sport and its nuances (ask me about tire deg and overexposed rears). Having interacted with many different drivers over the years at our events, I wish more people knew how physically fit, extremely intelligent and entrepreneurial-minded they have to be to have a shot at success in this industry. Some drivers are personally cold calling to persuade potential sponsors to believe in them and put their brand on his/her car, having to display knowledge of business acumen and marketing – not something you’d think would be required when their main job is to go fast and win.

One of my favorite Race Weekend moments came just last year. I found myself overlooking Pagoda Plaza on the morning of the 500, the sun rising behind the grandstands, music and pyro starting to pulse from Turn 3 (IYKYK) and fans slowly filling in from gates in all directions. This is when I realized - while there are so many different ways to experience Race Day, sharing this unique event each year with 300,000+ people from all walks of life is simply one of the most beautiful things I’ll ever do.

How lucky are we to have this in our own backyard?

If you’ve ever considered it — even for a second — come experience the Indy 500. But only if you’re ready to fall in love with it, too.

Happy Month of May, Race Fans!

- Kimberly