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KEN WILLIS: After 2 years of restrictions, the Indy 500 truly begins its Penske era

ken willis, the daytona beach news-journal
·4 min read

INDIANAPOLIS — No one knows who they are, but they’re all saying it.

"Gonna be over 300,000 at the track Sunday."

When the track is Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Sunday brings something that feels like a grand re-opening of the Indy 500, you tend to believe them. For starters, there’s a history of such things at auto racing’s famed Brickyard.

After last year’s Covid-induced limited attendance, and 2020’s empty grandstands, the 2022 Indianapolis 500 has proud Hoosiers ready to throw out their chests, pop their knuckles, and fully regain control of Memorial Day weekend’s racing stage.

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And that’s saying something, considering NASCAR’s late-20th century flexing, early-2,000s explosion, and eventual takeover of the bulk of North America’s racing pie. And considering, these days, all that fresh Netflix-infused attention given to Formula One, which hasn’t just rediscovered the American market, but plans to flood it next year with three pond-hopping extravaganzas.

This familiar scene, packed grandstands at Indy, will return for the first time since 2019 as the Indianapolis 500 again throws the gates wide open.
This familiar scene, packed grandstands at Indy, will return for the first time since 2019 as the Indianapolis 500 again throws the gates wide open.

For as long as any of us can remember, a sidelight to Memorial Day weekend has involved fast cars and the daring racers who pilot them to dangerous speeds in search of heroic outcomes. With its first-of-its-kind facility and decades-long head-start, Indianapolis and its 200-lap thriller was the hub of all racing thoughts in late May.

But over time, this particular Sunday brought a morning-to-midnight (or thereabouts) range of racing options on grand stages, and still does: F1 from splashy Monaco mid-morning, Indy after lunch, NASCAR’s Charlotte grind from Happy Hour to bedtime.

Indianapolis long ago gave up sole ownership of this day, and in some circles, the Indy 500, aside from its unmatched pre-race festivities, had become a supporting actor in the big Sunday variety show.

Enter Roger Penske, who rocked the racing industry (hell, the whole automotive industry) 2½ years ago with his purchase of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which had belonged to the Hulman-George family since 1945. Penske isn’t a collector for collecting’s sake, so everyone knew a sea change was coming to Indy and its marquee event.

It’s reported Penske has pumped $30 million worth of upgrades to the Speedway in an effort to bring it closer to the level familiarly known as “Penske Perfect.” Nothing is too small for attention, nothing too cemented. And with Penske, whose legendary energy remains evident at age 85, nothing is off-limits.

Seemingly everywhere you turned during Friday's "Carb Day" at Indianapolis, you'd see Roger Penske making the rounds.
Seemingly everywhere you turned during Friday's "Carb Day" at Indianapolis, you'd see Roger Penske making the rounds.

The upgrades stretch from restrooms to concession stands to lawn care, from entrance lanes to video boards to the media center.

“. . . We need to keep this as the biggest racing product in the world. We have it. We don’t want to lose it," the Captain told NBC Sports this past week. “From my perspective, our goal is to make it even better. 'Good enough' is not good enough as far as I’m concerned.”

Unable to fully bring the goods since his big purchase, Penske used the pandemic months (upon months) to make his desired changes and improvements. This month of May, and this particular Sunday, serve as his official housewarming, and given his reputation for details, let’s assume he’s cooked enough for everyone.

With the famed Pagoda as backdrop, the infield "Indy" sign is always a popular spot for photos.
With the famed Pagoda as backdrop, the infield "Indy" sign is always a popular spot for photos.

The Indy 500 has always been the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, and has always drawn the largest in-person audience. And it still defines a career for racers and race teams.

But it long ago ceased being the be-all and end-all in auto racing. Its history and worldwide acclaim brought plenty of competing interests into the industry, and those interests peeled away bits and pieces, and sometimes chunks, of their own devoted hearts and souls.

That’s the way of the world, of course, and not even Roger Penske can redirect those tides.

But today, right here at the Crossroads of America, a throbbing Indianapolis Motor Speedway figures to remind everyone of the true definition of spectacle.

— Reach Ken Willis at ken.willis@news-jrnl.com

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Indy 500, in all its historic glory, ready to reclaim the stage | KEN WILLIS