‘Glory days’ return as Indy revs up for 100th
‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing’
INDIANAPOLIS, May 27, (RTRS): A rich history and uncertain future will collide at the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday when up to 400,000 motor racing fans descend on the famed Brickyard for a high-octane party over 100 years in the making.
After decades of indifference and waning interest, the Indy 500 finds itself back in the motorsport spotlight for the 100th running of what is shamelessly billed as the ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing’.
Run on the Memorial Day holiday weekend in the US heartland, the 500 is a uniquely American event where the race begins with the call, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines’, and ends with the winner chugging from the traditional quart of milk.
Since Ray Harroun nursed his Marmon Wasp to victory in 1911 (the race was not run for five years because of World Wars), the Indy 500 has been a magnet to motor racing giants and thrill seekers eager to test their skill and bravery on the sprawling 2.5 mile oval known as the Brickyard.
A yard of bricks at the start/finish line is all that remains of the original track but it has become a pilgrimage for motor racing fans around the globe who kneel there and kiss the link to the race’s past.
But it is the future that commands the focus for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) with Sunday’s showcase providing either a springboard into a new era or a blip on a continuing decline.
Boles
“The 100th has given us a platform to re-engage fans who have maybe left awhile and are now coming back and bringing new fans in,” hoped IMS president Doug Boles.
“I think when you get people here it captures them, there is something more than just a race that makes this place special.
“We are focused on trying to grow this sport. We aren’t doing this as an end point or a reason to look back, the 100th running for us is a reason to look forward.” IMS officials will, for a week at least, bask in a return to the glory days when the Indy 500 was not just one of the world’s biggest sporting events but the most important.
For the first time in its long history, the 500 has been declared an official sellout with close to 400,000 fans set to fill massive grounds big enough to hold Churchill Downs, Yankee Stadium, the Rose Bowl, the Roman Colosseum and Vatican City.
As always, the 33-car grid is packed with compelling storylines.
Canada’s James Hinchcliffe, who watched last year’s race from a hospital bed after a near fatal crash in practice, will start from pole after a fearless qualifying performance.
Lining up alongside the Canadian in the front row and waving the American flag will be Josef Newgarden, who drives for local outfit Ed Carpenter Racing, and 2014 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay.
No one has been a bigger part of the Brickyard’s history than Roger Penske, who is celebrating his 50th anniversary as a team owner.
Martin Truex Jr, driver of the #78 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Toyota, poses with the Coors Light Pole Award after qualifying for pole position for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 27, in
Charlotte, North Carolina. (AFP)
Harvick will start eighth, followed by Edwards and Trevor Bayne.
Tough qualifying: Dale Earnhardt Jr, who brought a new car to CMS, continued to struggle in qualifying and failed to make it out of the first round. He will start 25th.
“We weren’t good when we unloaded and we weren’t able to get it going,” Earnhardt said.
Matt Kenseth also struggled in qualifying and will start 27th.
Failed inspections: NASCAR announced Thursday night that Johnson, Earnhardt and Aric Almirola all received their fourth warnings this season for failing pre-qualifying inspections. They will be given the three final pit stalls for Sunday night’s race.
However, it does not affect where the drivers start the race.
Hamlin consistent: On the other hand, Hamlin has been terrific in qualifying all year, reaching the final round in every race this season.
The champ: Edwards called last year’s win at CMS the biggest of his career.
“It’s still surreal to be coming here as the defending champion,” Edwards said. “There was a lot of pressure at the time last year and (after the win) the pressure came off.”
Edwards already has two victories on the Sprint Cup circuit this season and should be a major factor on Sunday night.
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