What an experience my first Indy 500 was. This was my second IndyCar event, having previously been to the Honda Indy Toronto a few years ago, and my fourth big racing event overall. Of course, the Indy 500 is an animal in & of itself, unlike any other racing experience out there. It’s not often that you get 340,000+ people in one place!
Our group left from Buffalo, NY for Indianapolis on Thursday, May 23. Our first event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was Friday’s Carb Day, catching practice and the Pit Stop Challenge. We returned to the track on Sunday for the Indianapolis 500 main event, taking Saturday to explore the city itself.
Having never been before, I did my research online before, visiting several blogs with tips for first-time Indy 500 goers, but now, having done it, I want to share my own thoughts and tips, including what worked well and what I’d do differently next time.
Keep a weather eye on, well, the weather. Sunday’s race was delayed by a whopping four hours, which meant our day overall was much longer than we’d anticipated. That said, we were about as prepared as you could be for the weather. Pack a poncho just in case. Sunscreen is critical, including reapplying as needed, even on an overcast day. We also packed a bunch of extra snacks and drinks in the car, which ended up being a blessing with the delay.
Infield parking has its pros and cons. Pros of parking in the infield: being able to return to your car as you please. This especially came in handy Sunday when the weather delay struck, because we were able to wait it out in the car as opposed to being jammed in under the grandstands. It also meant we could go back to the car to reload on sunscreen, grab drinks and snacks and just get out of the crowd as needed. In addition, the walk from our car to the seats was minimal. We were also relatively close to the portable toilets. The cons: the traffic. Because you’re parked three vehicles deep, you can’t even begin to think about leaving until the folks around you do, and there’s also just a lot of traffic in there when you do eventually get to leave.
Patience is a virtue. When we got to the track on Friday, the line to get into the infield parking was insane – and not moving. We didn’t know the full procedure, but once we found out, it made a lot more sense. They’d pull up a bunch of cars to the front of the line, then stop everyone and have them turn off all vehicles. Staff/volunteers came through and checked parking passes (to make sure folks were in the right place) and scanned tickets. Security then brought bomb-sniffing dogs through, passing by each car. Once that set of cars was given the okay, we were able to proceed through, and then the next batch of vehicles was stopped. So while it appeared we were stuck in the same spot for a bit, that explained why. Once we knew that, we also knew what to expect going in on Sunday when we faced the same thing.
That said, my patience by the end of the night Sunday was non-existent, and getting out of the speedway was a disaster. We were smart enough to not even attempt to leave for a while, electing to sit outside the car and attempt a game of Cards Against Humanity. Eventually, we saw the lines of cars start to move a bit and figured we’d get in line, and naturally, everything stopped moving then. I read online that there were sobriety checks happening, which would’ve explained the lack of speed, but we never saw any. Once we did start moving, it took a bit to get out, and then it seemed like every street was closed! Finally, we got out of there, after what felt like forever. I have heard from a few multiple-time goers that this was the worst traffic they’ve experienced, so maybe I need to take it with a grain of salt if it’s not normally like that, but man, it was rough. It didn’t help that we’d been there for so long, with the weather delay and all.
Bring your own food, or be ready to wait. The concession lines were not great at times. They ran out of multiple items, multiple times, and you had the choice to either way, get a partial order, or get nothing. By the time the race rolled around on Sunday, the stand I went to was completely out of most condiments and had run out of chicken entirely. Bringing in a cooler (we had a cooler backpack) filled with food and drink is a good idea. Freezing some water bottles beforehand helped too, not only to keep things cool but also as beverages as they defrosted in the heat. I’ve heard the pork tenderloin sandwiches sold at the concessions were delicious; the chicken finger baskets were good (on Sunday) and alright (on Friday). Concession prices weren’t bad, which I was glad about.
Buy your merchandise early. If you’re heading to Carb Day, buy your merch then. The earlier the better, because on race days, those merch tents will get crazy. Heck, even on Carb Day, it was packed and some stuff was already picked over and out of some sizes. That said, not every merch tent has the same stuff, so make sure you look around. We went to one tent on Carb Day and bought a bunch of stuff, but I ducked into another on Sunday and found a few different items, even with how much stuff had been picked over and how much was out of stock completely. We ended up with a few t-shirts, a couple polo shirts, a hat, several lapel pins and magnets. We also swung for the expensive hearing protection Bluetooth headphones, which we can use at races going forward and that also link up to your phone or allow for radio listening. A worthwhile investment, I think.
Book your lodging early, and prioritize comfort. We stayed at this delightful AirBnB in Jamestown, Indiana, about 40 minutes from the speedway. I wasn’t initially crazy about staying so far away, but it was such a wonderful place and I would absolutely stay there again if I find myself in the area. The 1840 Homestead had so much space, a wonderful historic feel, and a beautiful outdoor space. (We unfortunately faced a lot of rain in our time there, so didn’t get to enjoy the outdoor area as much as I’d liked.) The owners were great, and we got to meet one of their dogs and one of their cats!
In other news…
I just want to point out how neat it was to see elf cosmetics at the Indy 500. Their interactive tent featured makeup samples, a brief history of female competitors in the event, and a chance to see Katherine Legge’s actual racing suit. It was also very pink, and filled with punny and short, quirky motivational phrases. I picked up a free magnet that says “Drive Like A Girl” with a pink IndyCar on it, and I like it. Attracting more women to motorsport, and making them feel welcome in the sport, is important, and for an overtly feminine brand like elf to step up to help form that connection while sponsoring a driver? I’m here for it.
In non-Indy 500 events, we spent part of Saturday at the Indianapolis Zoo. It was wonderful, albeit hot. I wish there had been more indoor spots to serve as respite from the sun and humidity; I’d expected some buildings to be more refreshing than they were. We didn’t get to cover the entire zoo, but some of the highlights were the Kangaroo Crossing, where you get to walk through and kangaroos freely roam, and the dolphin area, where you are literally surrounded by them.
We also stopped by the Racing Memorabilia Show, had a delicious lunch at St. Joseph Brewery & Public House in an old church, and popped by places like Zaxby’s, Hardee’s and MicroCenter. Other stops checked off the list included lunch at The Workingman’s Friend, multiple trips to Culver’s, Bojangles (in Ohio), a Sheetz lunch run, and multiple breakfast stops at Waffle House. Yum!
Overall – despite the four-hour delay of the actual race – this was a great trip. I enjoy racing, but I’m not sure if I could become one of those people who goes to the Indy500 every year. Being in a space with 340,000+ people is a lot, and it can get overwhelming quickly. Of course, it can also get expensive, depending on where you stay, where your seats are, etc. (If we’re being honest, my next racing goal would be to see a Formula 1 race, since I’ve now done two NASCAR races, an IndyCar race and the Indy 500. But we’ll see.)
thoughts of Melissa 