The big day is almost here. The Indianapolis 500 is this Sunday on one of the most famous race tracks in the world. Indianapolis Motor Speedway is sacred ground when it comes to the racing world. ‘The Brickyard’ has a storied history unlike any other and is one of the oldest tracks in the world. The track is ready to host the 105th installment of the Indy 500 this weekend.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Overview
Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909. At first, it was opened as a testing facility for new cars. Those days are long gone after years of full-fledged racing. In 1911, the first Indianapolis 500 race was held. The average speed of the first race was just under 75 miles per hour. It took over six hours to complete the entire race. This year we will see speeds of over 230 MPH and a race time of around three hours. It’s pretty safe to say that motorsports have changed and advanced quite a bit in the last 110 years.
The Indianapolis 500 has been run almost every year since that first edition. The only exceptions came in except 1917 and ’18 due to World War I and again from 1942-45 due to World War II. Last year’s race was pushed back to late August and was run in front of zero fans. It was an eerie atmosphere considering the usual floods of spectators that take over the ‘Brickyard’ for the greatest spectacle in racing. In fact, Indianapolis Motor Speedway has the highest seating capacity of any sports venue in the world at over 257,000.
NTT IndyCar Series at IMS | Weekend Racing Schedule
Series: NTT IndyCar Series
Date: Sunday, May 30, 2021
Start Time: 12:20 P.M. EST
Coverage: NBC
Distance: 500 miles
Laps: 200