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By Susan McKee
Centennial of the Indy “500”
If you’ve never been to Indianapolis, this is the month, and this is the year. Why? This is the centennial of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, founded in 1909. The famed 2-1/2 mile oval informally known as the Brickyard, is not only the setting for the iconic Indianapolis “500” Mile Race but the reason for an annual month-long city festival dubbed “The Merry Month of May”.
The race itself runs on Sunday, May 24 (it’s always scheduled for the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend – that allows Monday as a “reserve” in case of a rain-cancelled race). However, the first event this year is a Balloon Festival.
Set for May 1-3, the Centennial Era Balloon Festival commemorates the very first competitive event ever held at the Speedway, a gas-filled-balloon race held June 5, 1909.
The famed "Hot Hare" Balloon - the world's tallest hot air balloon - will be among the many colorful participants. The "Hot Hare" likeness of the Energizer Bunny, which has been the star of Energizer Battery commercials for two decades, stands at 166 feet when fully inflated (that’s 15 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty).
The Balloon Festival will feature balloon "glows" open to the public Friday night, May 1 and Saturday night, May 2, plus balloon races May 2 and 3.
 Unless you have your heart set on seeing the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in person, you can catch a bit of Indy’s race throughout May. Official “opening day” at the track is May 6, with the public tickets at $5, to watch rookie orientation and other “500” practice events.
There’s something happening at the Speedway almost every day after that, including the race for “pole position” – the number one car slot on the inside of the tractk, next to the starting pole, in the front row of the 33-car pack on May 9, and the second day of qualifications for the race on May 10.
Qualifications wrap up the following weekend, with “bump day” (May 17) usually the most exciting. If 33 cars have already qualified for the race, others will take to the track, trying to beat their times and “bump” themselves into the race (and others out of the race!) at the last possible moment.
In addition to the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”, which starts at 1 p.m. on May 24, there’s the shorter Freedom “100” race at 12:30 p.m. on May 22 (just 40 laps around the track for these IndyCars). The 500-Mile Festival Parade – featuring the race car drivers -- takes place in downtown Indianapolis beginning at noon May 23.
Unlike at most sporting events, fans can bring their own food and drink to the “500” in small coolers. Tickets start at $20 – no seat, but general admission to the track’s infield (it’s generally known as a somewhat rowdy party central). Reserved seats begin at $40 and top out at $150 although it must be noted that many seats are “legacy” – they’re bought at the end of the last race for the next one, and have been for generations. “Good seats” for those who’ve never been to  the race are probably best purchased from ticket brokers, who certainly add their own fees to the ticket prices.
The centennial of the Speedway is such a big deal that it’s being celebrated over three years: 2009 is the hundredth anniversary of the track, and 2011 is the hundredth anniversary of the first 500-Mile Race.
In 1909, four visionary automotive pioneers in Indianapolis pooled their ideas and their resources to build the Indiana Motor Parkway on the far Westside of town as a proving ground for horseless carriages – a place to test out the latest improvements and changes in engines, tires, chassis, and accessories.
James A. Allison, Carl G. Fisher, Arthur C. Newby and Frank H. Wheeler hoped their facility would help to bolster the state's nascent automotive industry. Little did they expect that their test track would grow to be the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”, attracting race cars and spectators from around the world to an iconic competition held for – thus far – a hundred years. (Note: this isn’t the 100th running of the race, because there were a few years when the “500” wasn’t held – such as during World War II.)
These days, of course, it’s not possible to mention Indianapolis without thinking of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (the “parkway” was renamed soon after it  opened). Indy – the nickname for both the track and the city – means auto racing to a worldwide audience (even the category of car raced at the speedway is termed the “Indy” racer).
The first automobile race at the IMS – the inaugural Indianapolis “500” -- was held May 30, 1911. Winner was veteran driver Ray Harroun, averaging more than 74 mph in his bright yellow Marmon Wasp – the car’s on display in the Hall of Fame Museum on the Speedway grounds.
If you don’t want to visit Indy during “The Merry Month of May”, you can get a flavor of the experience right here. This museum, located inside the famed oval track, has the actual winning cars of many of the races, plus an impressive collection of racing trophies, videos, photographs and other race memorabilia. When the track isn’t in use for testing, special buses take visitors on a narrated trip around the 2-1/2 mile oval.
The Speedway itself said to be the largest and highest-capacity sporting facility in the world. Although exact figures are a closely-held secret, it’s estimated that 257,000 people can sit in the grandstands. General admission tickets to the infield  raise that figure to close to a ½ million spectators for the annual 500-Mile Race.
Yet, the Speedway didn’t start out with an automobile race. The first contest, held in 1909, was the United States National Balloon championships. Then, there were a series of motorcycle races hosted by the Federation of American Motorcyclists. Automobile racing took over in 1911, and there’s been a 500-Mile race every year (except for a gap during World War II).
The IMS hosted the United States Grand Prix for Formula One for eight years (ending in 2007). Each summer, it hosts the Allstate “400” at the Brickyard for the NASCAR circuit – this year it’s July 26. Another annual race, part of a motorcycle road racing series, was added in 2008. This year’s Red Bull Indianapolis GP is August 30.
The Speedway is privately owned. Tony Hulman, a businessman from Terre Haute, purchased the IMS in 1945, and ownership has remained in the Hulman family ever since. Anton H. "Tony" George, grandson of Tony Hulman, was named president of the Speedway in 1990.
DETAILS:
Official site of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
http://indianapolismotorspeedway.com
For details on the “500” Mile Race: http://www.indy500.com
Tourism information on Indianapolis is here: http://www.visitindy.com along with details about hotel and ticket packages for the “500” Mile Race.
© May 2009 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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