When I was asked to put into words what the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500 meant to me, many ideas filled my head. I grew up as an auto-racing fan attending stock car races in Iowa on a half-mile dirt track. Every Wednesday night during the summer, we would head to the Southern Iowa Speedway and watch our favorite drivers (and some not so favorite) battle it out. If a driver finished near the top, he might make enough money to pay for the evening, but only if he was fortunate enough to take the car home in one piece.

In the early 70s, I was invited to my first Indy 500. It was magical and, even though I couldn’t return regularly for a number of years, I was hooked! Prior to becoming a ticket holder in 1988, my brother and I attended often and worked hard to find tickets from a private party if we were lucky. But, numerous times we bought from “those guys” with all the tickets. We have attended almost every year since then and it is now a tradition and a highlight of the year.

As many faithful Indy fans will tell you, it’s hard to put into words what makes the Indy 500 so darn special. It spans the last century and is full of history, tradition, memories, tragedy, heartache, and excitement. As a young boy, I remember watching the race on TV dreaming of being at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. On race day, there is an excitement in the air. You see more people than any other sporting event coming together with anticipation to witness history and the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. The call to start engines, the roll off, the parade laps, and the final lap before the green flag waves does something to me deep inside. For me, there is no equal. It is truly special!

Like most loyal fans, I could go on and on with stories about good times with friends, great racing, likely and unlikely winners, and yes . . . even the hours sitting in the rain and watching the track dry (thanks IMS for fixing the weepers!) But, even those times are looked back on with enjoyment and it’s all good. If you haven’t attended, I recommend it highly. From the casual fan to the racing enthusiast, or even if you do it to mark it off your bucket list, a trip to the Indy 500 will be a memorable experience. And, who knows, you might even get bit by the Indy bug like I did and return year after year.