Every year, the first wake up of May is the best, beaten only by the race day morning itself.
”At the Indianapolis 500, anything is possible. If you can avoid potential catastrophes, you will be succesful. This takes experience, steady nerves, and attention to both detail and attitude. Maybe even more than that, it takes luck, if not divine intervention.” - Tom Binford, long term chief steward
"Indy makes the race driver. You become famous when you come here." – Rodger Ward, winner 1959, 1962
"Nothing compares to the Indianapolis 500." – Mario Andretti, winner 1969
"I've traveled all over the world, and every place I go, the one thing everyone wants to talk about is Indy, Indy, Indy. What I tell 'em is, yeah, you got it right – there just isn't anything in the world like the Indianapolis 500." – A.J. Foyt, winner 1961, 1964, 1967, 1977 and 1999 as a team owner.
Welcome race fans! It is time for a month of May at Indianapolis! Just hit play and let Paul Page narrate you through what's coming!
It's time to celebrate and enjoy of the Indianapolis 500's 101st edition, a dawn of a new century of the greatest spectacle of autoracing. And what a way to begin with this chapter as Formula One racers are making their comeback to the world famous Brickyard, just a few miles south from downtown Indianapolis! Last year Alexander Rossi caught everyone by surprise by winning the race as a rookie with a cunning fuel saving strategy that he magically pulled off and forever immortalized his name to the short list of rookie winners, right after names like Helio Castroneves, Juan Pablo Montoya and Graham Hill. It is easy to understand what motivated Fernando Alonso to skip ”just one Formula 1 Grand Prix” to pursuit every race driver's dream, own place on the sterling silver Borg-Warner Trophy, a dream so many have graved, but only 68 men have conquered from 1911 to present day. Will we see the 69th winner this year? Or will drivers with F1 experience continue their winning streak that Juan Pablo Montoya and Alex Rossi just started?
But make no mistake, winning the Indy 500 takes more than, great driver, great car, great team, great strategy and the divine intervention levels of luck. It is more than the combination of that, as it seems that this race course picks its worthy winner. You can ask this from numerous winners and runner ups, drivers like Mario Andretti, Danny Sullivan, Scott Goodyear, Michael Andretti and JR Hilderbrand, all quite likely agree on that, maybe even Alexander Rossi, now that active F1 drivers show their interest to the great race to follow his example. Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti certainly can believe in the greater power as they are now forever immortalized side by side with their late friend Dan Wheldon, who never got a chance to defend his 2011 victory.
While the racing world might be on the dawn of a new era, it's also a dusk of another. One dusk certainly will be for the current aero-package, as next year IndyCar is going to update their package to pursuit even greater spectacle. No one knows for sure yet if the change is going to make IndyCar racing great again, but it's going to be helped by the increased international attention and overly complex packages, that the competition in top tier open wheel racing series around the world are offering. Is simplified package the way to go or should the future be more electrified by technological challenge?
What ever the right answer might be, one thing has remained the same for over hundred years – make your way to the victory lane and write history today, be forever introduced as the Indianapolis 500 winner and feel like coming back home the next time. Back Home Again in Indiana. It is time to write a new chapter in the motorsports history, here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Here, where the future eventually becomes glorified history through the adrenaline filled present moment. Get ready for the one hundred and first time for the Indianapolis 500, the greatest spectacle in racing, together with Jim Nabors and the state of Indiana anthem.
2017 Official Pace Car.
The Schedule:
Spoiler:
Highlights and History:
100th Indianapolis 500
99th Indianapolis 500
98th Indianapolis 500
97th Indianapolis 500
Youtube list of the Delta Force Intros
Entries:
- The regular entries of the 2017 IndyCar Series.
- Buddy Lazier is of course, once again part of the race.
- Juan Pablo Montoya is doing IndyCar Grand Prix and Indianapolis 500 only this year in 5th Penske.
- Fernando Alonso, McLaren and Honda will team up with Andretti Autosports.
- Pippa Mann for Dale Coyne Racing Honda's 3rd entry.
- Sage Karam for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet.
- Ed Carpenter is doing the oval only, so he's putting Spencer Pigot out of the car.
- Gabby Chaves for Harding Racing Chevrolet.
- TBA for Juncos Racing Chevrolet.
- Oriol Servia for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda's 2nd entry.
- Jay Howard for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda's 3rd entry.
- Rookie drivers, other than Alonso are Jack Harvey, Ed Jones and Zach Veach.
The total entry list is just one shy from 33 cars at the moment.
