Indy 500 Fun Facts

It’s almost time for the “greatest spectacle in racing”, the Indianapolis 500. During 110 years of this amazing annual event, many things have changed, many traditions have stayed the same but the race itself is always entertaining.  Here are a few fun facts to share with your racing buddies.

• The first Indy 500 took place in 1911 but actually the track’s first event was on June 5, 1909. The track served as a launch pad for a balloon race. The event drew 40,000 spectators, with the winner landing 382 miles away in Alabama.
• The Indianapolis Motor Speedway spans 253 acres. IMS could contain Churchill Downs, Yankee Stadium, the Rose Bowl, the Roman Colosseum, Vatican City, the White House, the Taj Mahal and Liberty Island with an acre to spare.
• The track was once paved with 3.2 million bricks, giving it the name “The Brickyard”. Today, a 36-inch wide strip of bricks cuts across the front stretch of the 2.5-mile oval.
• The tradition of "kissing the bricks" was started by NASCAR champion Dale Jarrett after his Brickyard 400 victory in 1996.
• Originally Gasoline Alley referred only to the one corner where the fuel depot was located.
• The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the highest-capacity sports venue in the world with seating up to 250,000 fans. It also means that it is one of the hardest sports facilities to exit taking up to 3 hours to leave once the race is over.
• The first race was won by Ray Harroun who was also known as the first person to use a rear-view mirror on a motor vehicle. His take home pay was $14,250. He also started the tradition of drinking a pint of milk in the winner’s circle. His preferred drink was buttermilk.
• In 1977, Janet Guthrie became the first female driver to qualify for and compete in the Indy 500. That same year, she also became the first woman to compete in NASCAR's Daytona 500.
• The Borg-Warner Trophy was first awarded in 1935 when it was valued at $10,000. Today, that same trophy is worth more than $1,000,000. 
• 8 miles of hot dogs and bratwursts are consumed by racing spectators. That means up to 475 gallons of ketchup are also consumed. To drink, how about 16,000 gallons of Coca-Cola products and more than 14,000 gallons of Miller Lite and other beer products.