Few sporting events are as tradition-rich as the Indianapolis 500. From its pre-race spectacle to the winner's ceremonial slurp of milk, "Indy" marks the one-day pinnacle of motor sports for millions of Americans. Bands march. Balloons soar. Drivers crank their Aurora or infinity Indy engines precisely on cue. And there are no champagne showers in Victory Lane; just gurgles of cold milk.
The chore of validating Indianapolis 500 traditions falls to Indianapolis Motor Speedway historian Donald Davidson, who researches both the race and its milieu while operating out of the IMS Museum. It's a never-ending mission that's often punctuated with pleasant, and sometimes astounding, surprises.
"The answer is somewhat inexact," Davidson says of being able to pinpoint dates and inspiration. "Like a lot of things, no one said, 'OK, everybody, pay attention. We're going to start a tradition today.' "
"Back Home in Indiana"
Five songs are usually sung during pre-race festivities, including "On the Banks of the Wabash," "America the Beautiful," "Stars and Stripes Forever," "The Star-Spangled Banner," and "Back Home in Indiana." The last song is the sentimental domain of actor Jim Nabors, who sings it accompanied by the Purdue University marching band about 10 minutes before the green flag. According to Davidson, the song was first performed before the 1946 Indy 500; Nabors first sang it there in 1973, and has performed it every year since the early 1990s.
Balloon release
Thousands of multicolored balloons are released from an infield tent while Nabors sings, "Back Home in Indiana." That's a tradition as old as the singing of the song; Davidson has dated it to the late 1940s Crowds converge from all over the country to Indianapolis Motor Speedway to watch the annual race. Allsport/Allsport
Percussion bomb
This is one of Indy's oldest traditions, believed to be a holdover from the early 1900s, when a percussion bomb was detonated at 5 a.m. to alert fans that the Speedway gates had opened and that general admission areas were accessible. Other bombs have been used to mark important points in pre-race festivities, but today, only the 5 a.m. percussion bomb is fired.
The grandfather of all motor sports pace cars, the Indianapolis 500 tradition dates to 1911. The keys to a replica are awarded to the winner at Monday night's victory banquet, another Indy tradition, and the pace car is always an American car, typically a sports car. On race day, the pace car leads the field for two ceremonial laps and one official lap that brings it to the green flag at 11 a.m. Celebrity drivers have been used for at least two decades, with luminaries like Chuck Yeager, actor James Garner and former winners like Parnelli Jones and Bobby Unser.
Carburetion Day
A tradition now in name only, because Indy cars haven't used carburetors since the 1950s. It's always the Thursday before the race, which is also the last day of practice before the race, thus the last day that the public is allowed to watch practice.
11 rows of three Over its 82-year history, the Indianapolis 500 field has contained more than its 33-car maximum only twice, in 1979 and 1997. The "11 rows of three" tradition -- which specifies 11 rows of three cars to start the race -- dates to 1921, when race officials designated one car for every 400 feet of track.
One of the most recognizable trophies in sports, the 62-year-old Borg Warner dates to 1936. Matthew Stockman/Allsport Borg Warner trophy One of the most recognizable trophies in sports, the 62-year-old Borg Warner dates to 1936, when it was first presented to three-time winner Louis Meyer. Made of solid silver, it was worth $10,000 in its infancy, but, according to Davidson, is "insured for a fairly hefty sum today." The original four-foot-tall trophy contains bas-reliefs of the 58 winners' faces -- 15 more than once. It is housed in the IMS Museum, leaving the premises only for race festivities and ceremonies. Since 1989, a $25,000 replica called the "Baby Borg" has been presented to each winner.
Milk jug Another tradition that dates to Louis Meyer and the 1936 Indianapolis 500. "He drank buttermilk because his mother told him that it would refresh him," Davidson says. "He was going to drink that no matter what [after the race], and a [local] milk federation executive saw it and said, 'Hey, we can do something with this.' " The chilled milk, now anonymous Grade A whole, is presented in an old-fashioned glass quart bottle along with a greenery- and flower-studded victor's wreath. "Rick Mears, who won four Indianapolis 500s, has each one of his milk bottles mounted on plaques," Davidson says.
Victory banquet An almost sacred tradition that follows the Monday night after the race. All participating drivers, owners, crew members and IMS and city officials gather to toast and award the winner at a site in downtown Indianapolis. Appearance is important. According to Davidson, driver Donnie Allison once ran in an Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, flew to North Carolina for NASCAR's 600-mile Memorial Day race on Monday afternoon -- now the Coca-Cola 600 -- then flew back to Indianapolis that evening for the victory banquet.
The Brickyard Possibly the world's most famous racetrack, Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909 with a mixed tar and gravel surface. Today, it boasts more than 250,000 permanent seats, and the manicured infield of the historic 2.5-mile paved oval even includes part of the Brickyard Crossing golf course, which hosts an annual Senior PGA Tour event. The track will add to its history next year when it hosts Formula One's 2000 U.S. Grand Prix. A road course that incorporates part of the existing track and F1 garages and suites are among the multi-million dollar improvements for that occasion. Founders Carl G. Fisher, James A. Allison, Arthur C. Newby and Frank H. Wheeler built the Speedway. World War I hero Eddie Rickenbacker and several associates bought it in 1927, and in 1945, the patriarch of the current ownership family, Tony Hulman, acquired the Speedway. His grandson, Tony George, is the founder of the Indy Racing League and president and CEO of IMS.
