A Speedy Day at Indy 500
Bert Nguyen
Associate Language Manager and Copywriter at Flynde
It was midnight in May 2023. My partner and I had just landed at Indianapolis Airport, which felt almost deserted at that hour. As we walked through the hallway toward the main concourse, we were both buzzing with excitement. We were here for it. We’d heard so much about it but had never experienced it ourselves.
Then, a long, sleek vehicle with sporty red and yellow stripes appeared in front of us, getting closer as if it were speeding our way. It was a racing car displayed beneath a giant model of a milk bottle pouring its contents. Above it all, a huge banner jumped into view: WELCOME TO THE RACING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. That’s what we were here for. We had come for the Indianapolis 500.
The Greatest Spectacle in Racing is here.
The Indianapolis 500, or Indy 500, takes place every May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, nicknamed The Brickyard - a massive racing circuit in the town of Speedway, just outside Indianapolis, Indiana (yes, there’s even a whole county named after it). The Indy 500 is considered part of the Triple Crown of Motorsport, alongside the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix. The event is packed with tradition. Activities span the entire month, with the grand finale held over Memorial Day weekend.
Before the final race begins, Purdue University’s marching band performs, joined by a singer who leads the crowd in Back Home Again in Indiana, the unofficial state anthem. After the race, the winner kisses the bricks, a tribute to the track’s early days, and pours a bottle of milk over themselves in celebration.
We arrived at the Brickyard around 6:30 a.m., hoping to beat the crowds. Even so, it took us a while to get to the venue. We followed a group of young people, all hauling iceboxes, clearly planning to spend the entire day at the track. It was a long walk to the entrance, but never dull. Along the way, people climbed out of their RVs, set up tables and BBQ grills, and cracked open beers, already deep in conversation. Remember - this wasn’t just about the race. The Indy 500 draws people from across the country (and the world) for a whole month of celebration and community.
Indy 500 is not only a race, but also a get-together of people from all paths of life.
Once our tickets were scanned, we strolled around the outer perimeter. There were rows of souvenir shops selling shirts and caps emblazoned with the Indy 500 logo, trucks renting out seat cushions (a must if you can’t handle metal bleachers under the summer sun), and, of course, fountains of soft drinks, piña coladas, and beer.
We found our seats, right at Turn 4, giving us a clear view of the final stretch. Tens of thousands of spectators were now in place. Since it was Memorial Day weekend, decorated veterans and soldiers paraded through the track, greeted with applause and salutes. The national anthem had a more country twist this time, and as it reached its final notes, a cannon fired. We went momentarily deaf as fighter jets soared directly overhead.
Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for. From The Pagoda, a towering glass building where race officials oversee the event, the drivers began walking toward their cars. Once everyone was in place, the famous phrase rang out: START YOUR ENGINES.
START YOUR ENGINE!
The drivers warmed up with a few laps around the track. Each time they passed the start line, they glanced up at the tall LED tower in front of the Pagoda, waiting for the green light. Then, guest starter Adam Driver appeared on a high platform across from the tower. He waved the flag, the light turned green, and just like that, the race was on.
The cars were so fast we could barely tell who was in the lead, even with their distinct colours. The roar they made as they zipped by sent chills through all of us, thousands of us. Some fans had rented portable radios at the entrance to listen to real-time commentary.
Bang! “There’s been a collision - your favourite drivers are out!”
Clack! “Oh no, the only female driver had to pull into the pit - mechanical failure!”
Bam! “Disaster! Two cars collided trying to rejoin the track after their pit stops!”
The 2023 race was a rollercoaster. Over a few hours, everything that could happen did, keeping fans on the edge of their seats in the stands and at home. Near the end of the race, one driver hit the corner too hard, crashing straight into the wall. His car disintegrated. One of the wheels flew into the air, over the stands, and landed in the parking lot on someone’s car. Everyone gasped in horror, then again, this time in relief, when the driver stepped out, unharmed.
More bangs, more crashes, more sharp turns. Even in the second-to-last lap, a crash forced a restart. After a few more warm-up laps, the tower turned white: THE WHITE FLAG IS ON - one lap left. It was a neck-and-neck race between the top two drivers. Then, right at Turn 4 - exactly where we were sitting - the second-place driver made a bold move, swung to the outside, nearly scraping the wall, and shot ahead to cross the finish line first.
In a matter of seconds, the race was flipped. That’s the magic, and madness, of the Indy 500.
We left in the late afternoon, merging with the sea of people spilling into the streets. Traffic would trap us for hours, but the thrill lingered. Someone on Reddit wrote: “Once you see the Indy 500, it becomes a lifelong passion.” It’s true, at least for us. It’s not just about cars and speed. It’s about the people, the rituals, the emotions. That’s what made the Indy 500 unforgettable.
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