The Indianapolis 500 is steeped in hundreds of years of history. But what makes it special isn't just the history of the race, but the history fans make through being there.
People keep their Indy 500 tickets not just for years, but decades and sometimes even generations. There are families who make coming to Indianapolis Motor Speedway the centerpiece of their year. Only part of it is being a motorsports fan; the other half is carrying on a tradition, and coming together with the people closest to you. IndyCar has become part of the fabric of people's lives and family histories, and you don't have to be able to name every Indy 500 winner to appreciate that.
When I attended my first Indy 500, it was the historic 100th running. I was simultaneously a part of this rich history, and a witness to new history being made when then-rookie Alexander Rossi captured the checkered flag. Three years later, I was able to pass that wonder and excitement on to my father. We don't have a lot of things in common, but I introduced him to IndyCar several years ago and it's the one thing we do together each year. This year I had the opportunity to share with him the most important race, and to see his awe and the way he was nearly lost for words meant the world to me.
As IndyCar fans, we are part of a special community. Every sport has its fan groups but none emphasizes community in the way that the NTT IndyCar Series does. Drivers feel like a unified group even though they compete for different teams, and fans feel like they're part of the world, not just watching it. That's never more obvious than it is at Indy. Whether it's a fan-focused event like the Saturday morning autograph session where I stumbled over words in front of Scott Dixon, or hearing the stories of fans who have come from all over the world, everyone is in this together. And everyone gets to experience something special when a new winner is crowned.
It's not just a race. It's an experience that brings people together, connecting fans with drivers, making friends out of strangers and helping families become even closer. At the Indy 500, I got a chance to share something with my father that neither of us will ever forget. I'm hoping that next May, you'll find us in our same seats on Pit Road Terrace, starting a tradition of our own. This race is now part of our history, not just one for the record books.