The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located just outside of Indianapolis in Speedway, Indiana, is the largest sports venue in the world. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400. Each year, millions of race fans worldwide tune in to see the amazing accomplishments that turn time into history and drivers into legends. It is the Racing Capital of the World – Where Tradition Never Stops.
Originally called Carburetion Day, “Carb Day” used to be a closed practice session in which teams adjusted the carburetors of gasoline-powered engines. Today, there are no carburetors, but the traditional name remains, and it is now open to the public.
Carb Day is a chance for the 33 participating drivers and their teams to perform installation checks on cars that were completely taken apart after the qualifying races and reassembled with fresh engines and components for the Indy 500. Teams make chassis tuning adjustments, make sure the car is as mechanically sound as possible and practice pit stops for speed and efficiency. It’s also a chance for drivers to get in some laps to get a feel for how race day will go. Carb Day typically includes a concert after the race, but in 2021, it was cancelled.
For us, it was a perfect chance to get in the stands and see the final 33 drivers and their crews up close and personal for a fraction of the cost of the main event. Tickets for Carb Day were $25 per adult – the boys were free. Parking is available in several lots around the outside of the track. There is free parking in Lot 7 and various pay parking options in the other lots.
Whether you go on Carb Day or another day, concessions are available throughout the stadium, however, they allow you to bring in small coolers, so pack up all of the drinks and food you need for your day and save loads on overpriced stadium food.
The Pagoda is right at the finish line and is where the race officials and media go for a front row seat. On the back side there is a massive screen that shines over Pagoda Plaza so that you can keep up with the action even if you step away from your seats. There are tunnels that go under the track to seats on the other side. If you’re there on Carb Day be sure to watch part of the race here. It’s a totally different view than being in Pit Row.
We arrived early, so we had a chance to see each of the pit crews setting up ahead of the race. They brought in stacks of tires and we saw each crew set up their pit – some quite different from the others. If there’s a rain delay, you’ll also have a chance to see how they dry the track to ensure it’s safe for the drivers. There was music playing on the speakers and regular interviews with drivers on the big screen to keep us entertained before the race started.
Just before things kicked off, we saw the racers start to drive in. Each car got checked by the crew and some even popped off the outer covering to make chassis tune ups. Because Carb Day is a practice session the cars didn’t line up to start, but rather drove off in order from their pits. They took a lap or two and then returned to the pits for adjustments.
One of the really great things about Carb Day was that there was a ton of action in the pits. Some cars came in every lap or two for adjustments or for the crew to practice the timing of an official pit change and others came in for longer periods of time when bigger changes were made. Seeing a 7-10 second pit stop is really amazing to see in real life and something I don’t think the boys will ever forget. And watching the cars whip around the track and return just seconds later is incredible. We really enjoyed seeing them hit turn 4, right before the straight away we were sitting on, and then whir past. It’s loud, which just adds to the excitement. As the 2-hour practice time came to an end we made our predictions for race day.
It goes without saying that watching the Indy 500 will never be the same for us – we’ll always remember that we were there – right there where they wiz past and right there where Helio Castroneves raised his milk bottle just two days later.
Things to Know Before You Go
The track is 2.5 miles around and circles 253 acres, so there is a lot to take in no matter when you visit. The Museum offers a look back at the history of the Indy race with around 25 former winner cars on display as well as art depicting the races and sometimes you can even see the Indy 500 trophy. There are also a number of track tours that are available.
If you’re there on a race day, bring ear protection. Although they go by quickly, Indy cars are noisy. They do sell earplugs on site, but they are much more expensive than your local Walmart.
You can bring in small coolers, so pack a lunch, drinks (including beer and wine in non-glass containers) and snacks to save money on concessions.
