Withstanding the test of time…
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has definitely survived the test of time. In it’s history it has survived through two world wars along with the great depression. It has undergone numerous face lifts and renovations since 1909. It is still host of the largest single day sporting event in the world with over 400,000 people in attendance and millions of others watching in hundreds of countries. It is also the largest sporting facility in the world, able to fit Vatican City, the Rose Bowl, Roman Coliseum, Wimbledon Campus, Kentucky Derby, and Yankee Stadium. The Speedway will mark it’s 100th anniversary in 2009 and it’s 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2016. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a remarkable place and truly is home of the greatest spectacle in racing.
November 13th, 2008 at 18:44
The attendance that the Indianapolis 500 hundred draws every year is something that goes unnoticed. I mean 400,000 people, for one event, jeez it’s so gratifying to me.
As a fan of sport itself and being able to go to several live events including baseball, basketball, and football games, I could not imagine 400,000 people cheering at one event. I believe it ( both the track and race) being around so long has given it a special superiority factor over other venues in the United States. In recent years this is something that other sports have been moving past. We have seen it this past year with even a place like Yankee stadium being left behind.
If the IRL is able to keep its track intact for years, more power to them. They will be able to give fans one hell of an experience…history literally at their finger tips.
November 23rd, 2008 at 22:19
The way the stick and ball sports stadiums are built and replaced after 20 years makes it even more remarkable that Indy has endured for so long. As far as race tracks, how many times do we hear about this speedway or that speedway being reconfigured to “improve” the racing? Other than the track surface, retaining walls and things surrounding the track itself, the Speedway itself hasn’t changed really in 100 years.
Also it’s the true original and goes back almost as far back as the automobile itself. Daytona is a great track and has a lot of history in its own right, but Indy is where it really began. It’s truly the World Capital of Racing.