#14 The Indianapolis 500: May 2026
After canceling our Bucket List event in Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics due to a cancer diagnosis and related treatments, we determined the best way to get back up to speed was to attend the Indianapolis 500.
On our Bucket List from day one, we had been looking forward to visiting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), aka The Brickyard, to attend “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” It’s considered one of the three legendary motorsports races in the world, with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix rounding out the “Triple Crown of Motorsports.”
The track’s original purpose was to serve as a common testing facility for the rapidly growing local automobile industry but quickly evolved to host its first race in 1911. With a permanent seating capacity of 257,325, the Brickyard is the largest sports venue in the world. However, actual attendance surpasses this capacity when including those viewing from the infield, which accommodates approximately 100,000 additional spectators. And, for the second straight year, the race was sold out for this, the 110th running of the race, with total attendance in excess of 350,000.
Fun Fact #1: To put the size and scope of the IMS in context, the 560-acre infield is large enough to fit the Roman Colosseum, Vatican City, Yankee Stadium, the Rose Bowl, and the Taj Mahal all inside simultaneously.
Given my ongoing recovery of a badly fractured femur, the venue’s vastness added to the intrigue associated with navigating it in a wheelchair. To his credit, George maneuvered the chair admirably while only receiving a handful of black flags throughout the weekend.
Always intending to be deeply involved in the totality of the events we attend, our immersion began on Friday AM with coveted access to Gasoline Alley, the track’s primary garage and workshop, as well as pit row. Our garage and pit access allowed us to observe race crews as they diligently prepped for Sunday’s race.
Note #1: Having not thought about it beforehand, both of us were literally consumed by the acrid smell of the fumes emanating along pit row while reviewing the race teams’ prep.
When perusing the garages and pit row, many race day storylines emerged, among them was if Helio Castroneves could somehow win his fifth and become the first driver to do so. Notably, the 51-year-old-driver provided hope for the massive amount of AARP members that littered the speedway as they hoped he would become the oldest driver ever to prevail at the Indy 500.
The other hot topic bandied about was whether Alex Palou could defend his championship and become the first driver since 2010 to win both the Indy 500 and the IndyCar championship in the same year. With a pole position qualifying speed of 232.248 mph, the other 32 drivers would have their work cut out for them.
Our Friday at the track ended with a glimpse of the weekend’s truly Big Dogs: the six entrants in the second annual Oscar Meyer Wienie 500. The Wienermobile race covered two laps and elicited a hugely positive response from the crowd. That is, until the winner of the race, the New York Dog, was soundly booed as many were pulling for Corn Dog.
With Saturday upon us, and the buzz continuing to build, we headed back to the track to peruse the Hall of Fame Museum and attend the driver’s meeting, which was then followed by a Dallara IndyCar Factory Garage Tour. These events really helped set the stage for Sunday, as did that night’s reception speaker, former six-time Indy 500 driver Derek Daly, whose son, Conor, was starting from Row 3 the next day.
Despite the green flag not dropping until 12:45 PM Sunday, the IMS gates opened at 6:00 AM, allowing for about two dozen events and related activities to take place throughout the morning. Given the sea of humanity working its way to the track we were delighted to have a police escort. While not arriving quite as the gates opened, our pre-arranged escort to the track, which took less than an hour, saved us several hours of sitting in gridlock.
Note #2: Given our antics over the years, we mused about just how fortunate we were to be voluntarily accompanied by law enforcement.
The choreographing of the pre-race events was nothing short of remarkable. In particular, the three separate military flyovers were most impressive. The remaining lead up to the race itself had a distinct Indiana feel to it. Indiana University’s football coach Curt Cignetti, straight off an undefeated season in which his Hoosiers won the national championship, served as the honorary pace car driver. He was joined by WNBA superstar and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark who performed the grand marshal duties. Not to be outdone – although he was by most accounts – Brendan Fraser, an Indianapolis native and academy award winner, was the race’s honorary starter.
With the collective tip of the hat to the Hoosier state completed following the singing of, “Back Home Again in Indiana,” the race was on as Roger Penske, owner and operator of the IMS, bellowed “Drivers, start your engines!”
Firmly situated in our Terrace Tower suite along the home stretch, we were thrilled to be about to witness “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
And what a race it was! Seventy lead changes, along with numerous red and yellow flags, set the stage for a historic final lap sprint to the finish. David Malukas, looking like the winner after the fourth turn and heading down the stretch, was passed in miraculous fashion at the last possible moment by Felix Rosenqvist. Rosenqvist’s narrow victory, by a mere .0233 seconds at about 230 mph, made for the closest finish in Indy 500 history. Literally, in far less time than a blink of an eye, Malukas had been beaten on a final lap shootout.
The incredible noise emanating from both the crowd and the cars, coupled with and sheer intensity of the moment, will forever define the race as one for the ages.
Then, following the tradition begun in 1936 by Louis Meyer, who drank buttermilk to cool down after his win, Rosenqvist found himself in the Victory Circle hoisting his pint of milk, while awaiting his $4.34 million in prize money.
Fun Fact #2: Although he failed to win the race as a driver, Helio Castroneves indeed prevailed as he is a minority partner in Meyer Shank Racing, the team headlined by Rosenqvist.
With the Brickyard in our rearview mirror, it was time to turn our attention to the only bonspiel on our Bucket List, the World Men’s Curling Championship in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada.
Final Score: Bucket List 14, Rosenqvist 1, Cancer 1
