AUTOGRAPHS, CONCERT&WINNER’SCIRCLE: CHRISOWENS/IMSPHOTO; PARADE:DANAGARRETT/IMSPHOTO
thehysteria, orwishingyouwere.When racewinners
likeMario Andretti and A.J. Foyt were household
names, theIndianapolis500waspartSuperBowl,part
KentuckyDerby, withhorsepower instead of horses.
(Withcrowdsof200,000-plus, thegathering isbelieved
tobetheworld’sbest-attendedannualsingle-daysport-
ing event.) “Race?What race?” emerged alsobecause
the500was theMidwest’sanswer toMardiGras,with
everybitasmuchbare-it-all transgressionastheCajun
bacchanalia.FormostofMay, a largeswathof the IMS
infieldbecame known as the “SnakePit,”where law
andmoralityheld littleswayand local teenagerswould
cutclasstodownsix-packsandwatchtattooedrowdies
engage inbehaviornot suitable fordescription inprint.
Storiesof thoseshameful episodes linger in Indianapo-
lis lore like campfirehorror tales. “Race?What race?”
waswhateveroccurred in theSnakePit,where formal
T
¡,
butifyou’vespentanytimeontheinfieldof
IndianapolisMotor Speedway (IMS)— a
vast expanse of grass, gravel, bodies and
beer encircledby twoandahalfmilesof grandstands
and screaming asphalt— youmight have repeated it
rightaboutthetimeyourealizedyouwerehavingariot-
ouslygoodtimeanditwasmerelyincidentalthataworld-
famousautoracewasrunning fullroarallaroundyou.
AttheIndianapolis500,“Race?Whatrace?”iseither
ironicobservation,mottoorhistoricalfootnote,depend-
ingon thecontext. Itprobablyoriginated sometime in
the1970s,attheheightofIndy’sglory,whentheSunday
beforeMemorialDaymeantwatching theopen-wheel
extravaganza onTV if youwere anywhere inAmer-
icabut theCircleCity, inwhich case youwere either
attherace,campedoutsomewherenearbymarvelingat
CLOCKWISEFROM
FARLEFT:
The Indy
500 is asmuchabout
concerts andother
activities as it is about
the race. JimNabors
serenades the crowd.
BryanClauson signs
autographs at last
year’s race. The IPL
500Festival Parade
is always ahit. Dario
Franchitti celebrates
his 2012victory.
SPORTS
©ª«¬®
Race?WhatRace?
In Indianapolis,Maymeansmusic, celebrities, paradesandparties.Oh, anda little
speed-crazedmotorsportsextravaganzaknownas the
INDY500
.
34
MAY 01, 2013
AA.COM/AMERICANWAY
