Why the Indianapolis 500 is unlike any other race
Thirty-three cars, eleven rows of three and a bottle of milk. The traditions behind “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
First run in 1911, the Indianapolis 500 is 200 laps of the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway — a rectangular oval with four distinct, slightly banked corners.
Its starting grid is famously unique: 33 cars arranged in 11 rows of three. Qualifying takes place over a full weekend, with the fastest drivers battling in a shootout for pole.
Victory lane has its own ritual. Since the 1930s, the winner has traditionally drunk a bottle of milk, and the winner’s face is sculpted onto the Borg-Warner Trophy.
The race sits at the heart of IndyCar’s season, awarding double-sized prestige, a historic purse and a place among the sport’s immortals.
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