Speeding on the road is normally illegal, but in a race, speed is everything.
The Indy 500–an annual auto race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, and always held over Memorial Day weekend–is planning to wave the green flag at 11 a.m. May 26 for the 108th start of the race. A contested as a part of the IndyCar Series, it is the top level of American open-wheel car racing.
The track itself is comprised of a rounded rectangle with four distinct turns–identical in dimension, connected by four straightaways with an asphalt surface. Traditionally, the start consists of eleven rows in which 33 starters are aligned (three cars per row). Drivers race 200 laps counter-clockwise around the circuit for a distance of—you guessed it—500 miles.
Senior Nathan Kubiak has been following the race for as long as he can remember. “I went to go see it last year,” he recalls, “and I’m going to go see it this year! It’s very exciting; and I’m very excited to go again!” Just the thought of returning brings a smile to his face. “I think it’ll be really cool.”
Of the 33 starters who are going to participate in this year’s race, there can only be one winner. “The great thing about the Indy 500 is its unpredictability,” Kubiak notes. “Somebody could start last but end up winning.” And, although this fact is true, Kubiak still enjoys speculating on who might receive the checkered flag win. “Pato O’Ward definitely has a chance [of winning],” Kubiak states with authority, but adding, “[Alex] Palou always has a good chance of winning, because was last year’s champion.”
Continuing to show his knowledge, Kubiak runs through a list of other possible winners: “[Josef] Newgarden won the Indy 500 last year. Marcus Ericsson also has a chance [to win]. And, Helio Castroneves always has a chance.” Kubiak further lists out those he thinks might be contenders, including “any of the aero drivers like Alexander Rossi; Kyle Larson, who came from NASCAR; Felix Rosenqvist; and Christian Lundgaard.”
For those watching from home, the race is easy to track with slow-motion replays and perfect camera-angle coverage on every turn. But, there is nothing quite as thrilling as viewing it from stands or the Snake Pit, as the cars whiz by in a blur of color. “My favorite part of the race is the start and finish,” Kubiak insists. “At the start, it’s very exciting; everyone is filled with a lot of nerves, and the atmosphere is really fun and impressive,” he adds, as though energetically transported back to the event. “And, of course, the finish is really fun, because that’s when the winner is declared!”
As tradition has it–dating all the way back to the first Indy 500 in 1911–the victor celebrates by chugging a bottle of milk. “Yeah, they dump it on themselves, too! It’s a sight to behold for sure.”
The Indy 500 has been crowned with the title of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” to which Kubiak whole-heartedly approves. “If you haven’t gone, you’ve got to go at least once in your life—especially if you live in Indiana!”
