SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Lawn chairs, coolers and race fans returned to the mounds in Turn Two at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Friday morning.
There were plenty of fans who needed no excuse to get to the track to see the final time racers would be on the historic oval in 2024.
”It’s hard to explain, I don’t know. Just the sounds, sights, weather. It’s tough to not come out here when you’ve got nothing else to do,” said Nolan Breitbarth, who was there with his young son Grant.
IndyCar drivers won’t be back on the IMS track until next April, and fans took advantage of some great weather.
”We needed this weather last May,” said IMS President Doug Boles about the cloudless and cool Friday morning.
11 drivers hit the track to test out the new hybrid systems in each car. Flying by at more than 200 miles per hour.
”It’s the first time I’ve seen a hybrid live on an oval so I’m excited,” said lifelong Indy 500 fan Angie Holt.
It was quite a list of drivers fans got to see, too. Two-time defending Indy 500 champion Josef Newgarden, runner-up Pato O’Ward, and Indy 500 champions Marcus Ericsson, Helio Castroneves, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Alexander Rossi all hit the track Friday.
“We have a significantly nice lineup of drivers that are here and that’s kind of what makes it fun,” Boles said. “You get to see your defending champion coming back here and getting a chance to run, a local guy like Conor Daly getting a chance to run.”
For the drivers, their cars and their teams, this is a final tune-up of the year.
”This is their last real opportunity to test things in the car,” Boles said. “Everything else between now and April, for the oval at least, will be simulation.”
Boles made his way through the crowd Friday, passing out pizza, pins and stickers to excited fans.
“I think it’s really special because we need them as advocates to continue to remind people how important the Indy 500 is,” Boles said.
Boles even gave Holt a new sticker for her cooler.
Up and down the line of lawn chairs you’ll find plenty of folks who call this a tradition, new or old.
”It’s just fun being with family,” said Indy 500 fan Allie Heath. “Especially with my uncle. I just love seeing a smile on his face.”
Others are just starting to pass down the fandom to the next generation.
”They don’t have a choice but to be addicted to it now,” said Breitbarth, looking at his young son.
Even if his son Grant is too young to have a favorite driver.
”He cheers from the milk heads,” Breitbarth said. “That’s what he calls the winners.”
Friday marks just 226 days until the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 25, 2025.
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