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The engines have gone silent, empty beer cans have been collected and sunburned skin has peeled. The bone-rattling, electronic-music beats from the Snake Pit have dissipated, and I’m sure even the random couch in the infield has been removed; yes, the curtain has fallen on another May in Indianapolis.
From flying tires to wild last-lap shootouts, there was plenty to enjoy about Sunday’s 107th running of the Indianapolis 500, but the impact of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” goes much deeper than 33 cars taking left turns for four hours. In the wake of the smashing, crowd-bursting success of the latest Month of May, it’s clear that Indy’s love affair with its crown-jewel sporting event has been reignited.
That’s not to say Indianapolis ever fell completely out of love with the city’s most internationally renowned claim to fame. The upheaval in American open-wheel racing in the mid-1990s certainly diminished the event, as did other factors, like Indianapolis becoming more of a sports, convention and travel destination during the other 364 days of the year. The city is a much different place than it was in the early 1980s, days when the Indy 500 dwarfed the Indiana Pacers in their NBA infancy and the Colts had yet to arrive on the Mayflower trucks. Today’s Indianapolis is more than just the 500.
While the race might never again feel like it did at its apex, this is a different era of consumer consumption, and cultural relevancy is more limited across the board—there aren’t just three television channels anymore, and every American sport outside the NFL seems to have become differing degrees of “niche.” We can no longer judge the Indy 500 on what it was in 1983. Instead, we can only grade the health of the event against the context of this century, and on that scale, you can draw only one conclusion: It’s thriving.
The Indianapolis 500 is bucking a trend that’s going in the opposite direction for other culturally significant American sporting events (just look at the cratering relevance of the World Series), as the attention and attendance for the race is clearly on the rise. The buzz for the 107th running was palpable all month long, and the numbers backed that up. An estimated 330,000 spectators attended Sunday’s race, nearly reaching a sellout. Add to the equation 75,000 folks who enjoyed a gorgeous Carb Day and the 85,000 that were there for the two days of qualifying the previous weekend.
Taking the historic 2016 event out of the equation, those totals are the best at IMS in over a decade, but unlike seven years ago, this year’s attendance can’t be attributed to a significant milestone like the 100th running. Practice, qualifying, Carb Day and Race Day drew those eye-popping numbers because people wanted to experience Indy. And, boy, they got their money’s worth.
From Graham Rahal getting shockingly bumped by teammate Jack Harvey by 1/100th of a mile an hour to Kyle Kirkwood’s flailing tire and terrifying overturned ride through fiery sparks, to Sunday’s final-lap duel between defending Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson and two-time IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden, 2023 provided a litany of memorable moments. Even for the tens of thousands of 20-somethings in the Snake Pit, who, due to either intoxicants or ignorance, have no idea any of those things happened, the Indy 500 experience mattered, and they’ll likely be back for more.
Die-hard race fans, electronic dance music enthusiasts, guys, gals, young and old enjoyed this past month, and all can feel like they’re a part of this event again in the future.
So whom to thank for this resounding renaissance of the most important day in the most important month on the Indy sports calendar? Credit the stewardship of Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske, who has poured tens of millions into enhancing the experience for his patrons. Credit the gregarious Doug Boles, the long-tenured IMS president, and the entire crew at 16th & Georgetown for keeping the momentum going after the 100th running and through a worldwide pandemic. Credit the explosion of talent that has infiltrated the IndyCar paddock, with drivers like Ericsson, Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward, and Scott McLaughlin all entering the series in the last few years. Hell, credit the paint job in the bathrooms for all I care. Everything about this race, from the organizers to the drivers to the facility to the fan interest, is burning hot right now.
The spectacular month wound to a close at the annual Victory Banquet Monday night. Josef Newgarden, the new champion, was given a record-setting winner’s purse of $3,666,000, a nice pot-sweetener to the immortality he earned by finally putting his face on the Borg-Warner trophy. Penske was in a jovial mood on the red carpet, and not just because his team had claimed an Indianapolis victory for the 19th time.
When COVID-19 broke out two months after Penske purchased the speedway, the purchase felt like it might’ve been a boondoggle. Even for a multi-billionaire, having no fans for the 2020 event and a limited crowd for 2021 unquestionably hurt the wallet. Now, two years later, business is again booming, the Indianapolis 500 is as healthy as it has been in decades, and a wave of euphoria has washed over The Captain, the paddock and everyone associated with the cherished event.
If you spent any time at the track last month, you felt it, too.•
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From Peyton Manning’s peak with the Colts to the Pacers’ most recent roster makeover, Schultz has talked about it all as a sports personality in Indianapolis for more than 15 years. Besides his written work with IBJ, he’s active in podcasting and show hosting. You can follow him on Twitter, @Schultz975.
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