2024 Indy 500

[Sollozzo]

It’s time for a thread since we are now into the best week of the year.

Penske sweeps the front row.

Larsen has done amazing.

Can’t wait for Sunday.

[Sandman21]

Don't forget to make a special trip to the track for your Pacers n Racers shirt!

https://x.com/IMS/status/1791554393457770936

[Sollozzo]

Weather forecast looking ghastly at the moment. Hopefully we get some 2017/2019 magic.

[Bball]

Weather forecast looking ghastly at the moment. Hopefully we get some 2017/2019 magic.

I've been afraid to look. And truthfully, I had a brutal schedule... originally... that would've made a rainy Sunday not the worst thing for me. ASSUMING the rain was early enough, and predicted to last long enough to make it obvious that there was no need to drive to the track. But my schedule changed. So now I just want a good race day forecast.

[idioteque]

Ooof, the forecast is pretty bad. I am traveling to Indy for the race this year, but my ticket was free and I'm just glad to be spending time with family so if it doesn't work out, not the end of the world for me. But still, I hope the forecast changes.

[Sandman21]

Haven't slept since 5PM yesterday, got in line at the track at 4AM this morning, didn't get off track property until 9:00PM tonight (literally, Kyle Larson was in Charlotte by the time we got off the grounds). May or may not be appearing in this years @Indy500Pics highlights on Twitter. . Didn't get to my hotel until after 10.

BEST. RACE. DAY. EVER.

[Sollozzo]

What a day. Definitely one of the best race days ever. The place looked pretty much completely full to me. I sit right out of 4 into the straightaway. The north end was full (this is where you look to gauge attendance)

[Bball]

Pato and JoNew battling it out at the end was perfect, regardless of who would've won. And Dixon lurking to pick up the pieces and toss out that Andrett... errr... Dixon curse at Indy should those two slip up, just added to the spiciness.

I wonder how the rain delay impacted ratings? On one hand, easy to lose people. OTOH, you gain the chance that west coast viewers might just stumble onto the race who might've ignored it otherwise. At least with that later start.
And then now there should be a decent uptick in WTHR live views. Unless it backfires and the blackout lift was too little too late and instead it's people coming in from their BBQs to see the race has ended when they expected to see a same day replay. Hopefully everyone got word the blackout was lifted.
My DVR didn't get that word...

[Bball]

Several photos, and a couple of videos from the morning wait as well as the race. I tried to post them directly but it kept giving me an error... But the link should work.

https://imgur.com/a/foh2jUc

[Sollozzo]

I wouldn’t want every race day to have a delay like that…..but that just made for a perfect and unique day yesterday with the different sun angles and a very entertaining race. The excitement was incredible once it was obvious that the rain was gone and we were getting a full race in. Like Calabro said on the PA, everyone waited for a while and the payoff was huge.

Some years I feel like raceday goes by too quick. You blink and it’s over. But yesterday, it was kind of a fun change of pace to let the anticipation build.

There has CLEARLY been an uptick in grandstand attendance…and I’m talking about even going back to the years before the lockdowns. The north end is where you look to gauge attendance. For the last couple years, I’ve sat right out 4 going into the straightaway with a clear view of the north end. It looked completely full to me.

I notice tons of young people in the crowds. It’s great to see young generations growing the crowd.

They’ve really marketed the event well in recent years. Seems like Boles and his staff really execute a nice deliberate plan to increase attendance bit by bit every year.

Best event in the world to see in person. Nothing else could possibly come close.

[Sandman21]

I wonder how the rain delay impacted ratings? On one hand, easy to lose people. OTOH, you gain the chance that west coast viewers might just stumble onto the race who might've ignored it otherwise. At least with that later start.

Ratings did gewd.

[Sandman21]

And since I apparently cannot edit the above post since I embedded a Tweet in it....

There has CLEARLY been an uptick in grandstand attendance…and I’m talking about even going back to the years before the lockdowns. The north end is where you look to gauge attendance. For the last couple years, I’ve sat right out 4 going into the straightaway with a clear view of the north end. It looked completely full to me.

Turn 3 infield crowd on the mounds has noticeably spiked the last two years or so as well.

Hell, the early arriving traffic on 30th street to get into Turn 3 and 4 parking was backing things up so badly that they brought that line into the North 40 and began wrapping around in there.

That was at 5 AM.

[Bball]

I put my radio on Newgarden's channel for the last lap or so. So I got to hear his celebration on that cooldown lap. I was HOPING that someone that recorded it would release it...
Here it is (NSFSE (Not safe for sensitive ears)). Do you think he was excited or what?

https://youtu.be/8DSF074ep74?si=eN9WvT5LEE1nWCmF&t=266

[Bball]

And since I apparently cannot edit the above post since I embedded a Tweet in it....



Turn 3 infield crowd on the mounds has noticeably spiked the last two years or so as well.

Hell, the early arriving traffic on 30th street to get into Turn 3 and 4 parking was backing things up so badly that they brought that line into the North 40 and began wrapping around in there.

That was at 5 AM.

The Tower Terrace is always a good gauge of the number of people there. And it was pretty full...

[Bball]

Does NBC stand for "Nothing But Commercials"?
Holy moly today was hard to watch. And with all those yellows, and random cuts to commercial that was just as likely to be during green flags as yellow, you'd think it might at least add up to not many breaks at all left for the second half. But no.
I think I was more watching commercials and catching a race here and there versus watching a race. They need to get this sorted out if they ever want to grow the fanbase and ratings.