The Greatest Spectacle in Racing

May 22, 2009 by MattK

Taking nothing away from the events surrounding the Coke 600 this weekend, there is another American race which will also be held, this one involving Indy Cars. Yes, you got it: the Indianapolis 500 (Indy 500) gets started at 1 pm on Sunday, the second of three big races on that day.

First off is Formula One racing with the Gran Prix of Monaco getting its start at 8 am eastern time. The third race, which is the Coca Cola 600 held at Lowe’s Motor Speedway near Charlotte gets going at 5:45 pm. Thus, if you really want to, you can take in fourteen consecutive hours of racing on Sunday alone, with some overlap too.

A Century of Indy Racing

The Indy 500 dates all the way back to 1911 and is sometimes referred to as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Along with the Monaco Gran Prix and 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Indy 500 comprises what is known as the Triple Crown in Motorsport.

The Indy 500 is raced on a 2.5 mile oval track with 33 drivers qualifying. Of these, quite a few have participated in NASCAR races with some participating in both in the same season.

Events Related To The Coke 600

Though the Indy 500 is on Sunday, many of the events related to the race have already gotten their start including the Firestone Freedom 100 Race which was won by New Zealand’s Wade Cunningham this afternoon. Vintage car laps will be taking place this evening and on Saturday the Indianapolis 500 Starting Field Autograph Session at Pagoda Plaza will take place between 9 am and 10 am. That event will be followed by the IPL 500 Festival Parade in downtown Indianapolis.

On Sunday, gates open bright and early at 6 am and after the drivers are introduced at 12:30 pm, the race will commence at 1 pm. Depending on the number of caution flags given, the race should be over by 4 pm or 4:30pm, giving fans a chance to catch a break before the Coke 600 gets underway.