How to See the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

I’m an Indianapolis native and was a complete race car geek when I was a kid: I wanted to be the first female 500 Mile Race driver. I loved visiting the Speedway with my dad every May--several times in the month in fact. It isn’t just about the race, which is just one day, it’s about an entire month of cars, speed and excitement.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Visit during the practice days in the first two weeks in May. Dad would take me right after school let out. It’s still dirt cheap (five bucks) and the crowds are small. Start to read up ahead of time about the drivers and pick out some favorites (mine was Mario Andretti when I was a kid).
2. On practice days, hang out in the seats above the main straightaway trying to spot your favorite drivers. When they’re walking from the Pits back to Gasoline Alley, run down and try to get their autograph.
3. Go late in the afternoon on a weekday when the track speeds pick up—records have been known to be broken then.
4. Take in a day of time trials (a mere ten dollars, no reserved seating) on a weekend, but be prepared, crowds are thicker then. We used to park several blocks away and walk, but there is parking near the track. Heads up: you will be caught in traffic, especially at the end of the day.
5. For the time trials, sit in the bleachers in one of the turns—you’ll have a great view of a lot of the track. The straightaway seats above the Pit Area are hard to come by and they are a zoo on qualifying days.
6. Bring the Indianapolis Star’s sports section and fold it open to the time trial chart page. Have your pen handy so you can write down the speeds as they’re announced. Never mind that the whole thing will be printed the next day in the paper, you want to stay on top of the qualifying as it happens.
7. Dig into that picnic lunch you brought. Dig in by 10 a.m., it’s allowed. Get to know your neighbors in the stands, share your pretzels ’n beer.
8. Go on the first day of qualifications to see who gets the Pole Position. Go on the last day to see who gets bumped. Moan with the crowd as time runs out on that last day for the poor driver who couldn’t pull it together for one more run. Cheer wildly with the crowd for the lucky son-of-a-gun who was sitting on the bubble but didn’t get bumped as time ran out.
9. Day of the Race? One option: Do what much of Indianapolis does—stay home and watch it on TV (or as we did when I was a kid, listen to it on the radio). It’s a madhouse out there, streets become one-way to ferry traffic in and out of the track.
10. If you must go, go a few days early and camp ahead of time in the tent or RV camping areas. General admission into the infield is on a first come first serve basis—and you will NOT be able to see much if any of the track. Basically you’re going to party. If you actually want to SEE the race, buy reserved seating in the stands and order tickets WAY in advance. You can still party, plus you’ll be able to see the track.
11. Morning of the Race? Feel your spirits swell when the balloons are released. Cry unabashedly when Jim Nabors sings “Back Home Again in Indiana” (it’s not the state song, “On the Banks of the Wabash” is but no one seems to care). Feel the goose bumps when you hear “Gentlemen Start Your Engines.” Cry unabashedly when there is a woman driver in this, the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, and she holds her own. Dreams can come true.

Tips & Warnings

• Take in the Hall of Fame Museum just inside the track on 16th Street (NOT on qualifying day—are you nuts??). See those historic cars—like Ray Harroun’s Marmon “Wasp” that won the first Indianapolis 500 back in 1911. Buy a souvenir t-shirt to wear and freezer mug to keep your drink ice cold when you return home and remember fondly your trips to The Track.
• Cooler size restrictions: 14” x 14” x 14.”
• Small backpacks and a bag for food are fine.
• No glass containers allowed.