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Why go?

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of the greatest sporting venues in the world. It oozes history from every pothole and is quite unlike any other circuit on the Formula One calendar. It is the oldest surviving racetrack in the world, having been built in 1908, when the surface was made up of three million bricks. Ever since then it has been affectionately known as ‘The Brickyard’.

You approach the Speedway through suburban Indianapolis and the vast grandstands are the first thing you see on the approach. The atmosphere on race day is fantastic, largely due to the sheer number of people in the grandstands. The noise from the crowd often drowns out that of the engines.

“It’s undoubtedly a very special place to stage the race and like lots of things in America, the Brickyard is big,” says former Indy 500 winner and one-time Honda sporting director Gil de Ferran. “There's lots to do, like eating at St Elmo’s steak house in downtown Indy, visiting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and going water skiing at one of the lakes around the city.”

Did you know? Since the 1830s the people of Indiana have been known as Hoosiers. No one knows why, although one theory is that when early settlers met up, they greeted each other with, ‘Who’s yere?’

Transport

Indianapolis International Airport is 16 kilometres from the city centre and is well connected to cities across the USA, though it has very few international flights.

Indianapolis is known as the crossroads of America because truckers pass through it en route east, west, north and south. For that reason, it is geared up for road travel and a hire car is generally considered a must. There are, however, plenty of bus services between the airport, the city and the circuit, which is located approximately 11 kilometres north-west of downtown Indianapolis.
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Useful tips

There are two very different types of ticket for Indianapolis. If you want to see the cars travelling at more than 320 km/h on the oval, a grandstand ticket is a must. General admission, on the other hand, will get you even closer to the action in the track's tight and twisting infield section.
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You can keep up to speed with all the action throughout the weekend by hiring a Kangaroo TV handset at the circuit, which offers access to several channels of live video, audio and data content.

Where to go?

Everything happens downtown in Indianapolis. De Ferran recommends St Elmo’s Steak House as a good place to eat, but why not try the Slippery Noodle as well? The Blue’s Bar has a colourful reputation and is now the oldest bar in the state of Indiana.

“The Broad Ripple is also a good place to hang out,” adds de Ferran. “And I should know the good places to go out in Indianapolis because when I was racing, I used to spend the whole of May in the city, prior to the Indy 500!”

Where to stay?

There is accommodation to suit every budget. Hardcore race fans can camp in a field adjacent to the Speedway, but there are Bed & Breakfasts and good hotels available in most areas of the city.

De Ferran used to rent a house for the Indy 500, but now that he's at BAR Honda he stays at the Canterbury Hotel.
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Extended stay

“The joy about the USA,” says de Ferran, “is that you can do anything you like. There are mountains, there are great beaches and some wonderful cities. Some personal highlights are New York city, the scenery Colorado, Los Angeles and the Napa Valley. A good city to go to from Indianapolis is Chicago. It has a lot to offer.”

Within driving distance of Indianapolis there are two world-famous attractions. First, there’s the James Dean Memorial in Fairmount, Indiana, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the actor’s death in September 2005. Second, you can head north to the Niagara Falls, south of Toronto.
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Enthusiasts only

Get your fix of motor racing nostalgia at the Indianapolis Hall of Fame Museum, situated at the track. It gives you a thorough history of the Indy 500, but also has an increasing amount of Formula One memorabilia.

On the Saturday night of the Grand Prix weekend, there is usually a stockcar race on the dirt oval at the Indianapolis Fairground. It’s hugely exciting to watch and the track is a good place to bump into F1 folk who are taking some time out.

For a further automotive fix, after the race head 400 kilometres north east to Detroit, the original ‘Motor City’. Its Henry Ford Museum is a petrol head’s dream and gives a fascinating insight into America’s love affair with the automobile.