Am I a NASCAR fan? Nope! Did I seriously enjoy my tour at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? Hell yes! Part of the fun of travel is to push yourself not only outside of your comfort zone, but to do things you wouldn’t otherwise do. When I was planning a day trip to Indianapolis, I knew I had to experience it the right way. After all, it is the Racing Capital of the World! I arrived knowing nothing about racing. When I left, I had a whole new appreciation of the sport and its history. Here’s a breakdown of my behind the scenes tour at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway!
The Tour
The speedway offers a variety of tours, ranging both in price and time. I opted to go big and spring for the 2 hour, semi-private Golf Cart Tour. This is the “granddaddy” of the tours provided and gives you the opportunity to see everything the speedway has to offer. Our guides had a ton of passion for the sport, and knew the answer to every question. Plus, being in a group of only four other people made it a very unique and personal experience. We were able to chat, ask questions, and see things that we wouldn’t have otherwise been able to.
Finding yourself short on time? They also offer quicker tours to limited highlights like the Brickyard, Pogoda Palace, and Gasoline Alley.
Kissing the Bricks
If you visit he Indianapolis Motor Speedway and you don’t kiss the bricks, did you even go?
Before paving over the original track, the speedway was entirely brick (and was appropriately nicknamed “The Brickyard”). Now, one line of bricks marks the finish line to pay tribute to the history. After Dale Jarrett won a race in 1996, he was so overwhelmed with emotion that he knelt down by the line of bricks and kissed them. And thus, a tradition was born. Each driver that wins in Indianapolis pays tribute by kissing the bricks in the same fashion.
Because I was on such a small tour, it was the perfect opportunity to get great photos without other people in them!
Walking the Track
While you don’t get to walk the entire 2.5 mile (4 km) circular track, getting the opportunity to walk down the massive straightaways is truly surreal! The straightaways are lined tall with spectator stands. You really get a sense for how big the sport is!
Though as a fair warning, the track gets HOT. Our tour was the first one out for the morning, and even during the early hours of the day, you could feel the intense heat radiating off the asphalt. Thankfully water was provided on the tour!
Victory Lane
What better way to celebrate crossing the brick finish line than with a walk up to Victory Lane? Grab your camera, because photo ops are necessary here! Stand on top of the podium and celebrate! The group and I had a lot of fun with different poses as our guide snapped away- from being overly celebratory, to channeling our inner Ricky Bobby by “not knowing what to do with my hands.”
Top of the Pagoda
The Pagoda is the iconic building that proudly stands at the start/finish line of the track. It’s home to everything regarding race control, timing, safety, scoring, and media. AKA – everything you need to have a successful race!
The Pagoda was built in 2000 and each floor is covered in floor-to-ceiling glass windows. From the top floor, you can get impressive 360 degree views of the entire track track, the golf course, and the surrounding area. Access to the Pagoda is only included in some of the premium tours and in my opinion, this is not to be missed!
Media Center
After you’re crowned the winner of the Indy 500 on Victory Lane, you make your way up to the media center to speak with the press. As part of the Golf Cart Tour, we were granted exclusive access to this room and got to sit at the press table in a room of chairs where reporters would be. I found it fascinating to see what everything looks like “behind the screen” off camera!
Golf Course
For those with a passion for golf, the Brickyards Crossing Golf Course should be on their bucket list! Four of the holes on the course are located inside the speedway, in the center of the oval track! On our tour, we were able to stop along to some scenic viewpoints along the course, like the one above with the pagoda in the background. If you pass the beer cart, you can always ask your guide to make a quick “pit stop” (pun intended).
Museum
The tour wraps up in the museum, where your entry is included with the purchase of the tour. I didn’t have a ton of time after the tour concluded, but the museum itself isn’t that large. Super fans could probably spend all day inside, while people like me were satisfied with a half hour or so. It was interesting to walk along the row of old cars and see how they have progressed over the years – especially with regards to safety! The Borg-Warner Trophy, which is given each year to the winner of the Indy 500, stands tall and proud right at the entrance to the museum and is a hot spot for photo ops.
Conclusion
Travel is all about experiences, and going behind the scenes at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the only way I could think to experience Indianapolis! It was a great way to spend a morning, and I now have an all new respect for racing! If you have a few hours to devote, I’d recommend the Golf Cart Tour. You’ll get a personal experience and get to maximize your time.
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