Indy 500 live fun report: Relive the fun had at the greatest spectacle in racing
This is the Indy 500 live fun report — everything but the race. If you're into the actual race, too, go here.
5:00 p.m.: Take it all in.
Did you have a good time? We did. This day flew by as quickly as the cars on the track, but there's so much to be thankful for. It didn't rain, for starters. Jim Cornelison killed it with "(Back Home Again) In Indiana." And the race was entertaining if you're into that sort of thing.
But for now, take a look back at all the fun we had during the greatest spectacle in racing.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Let's do it again next year, shall we?
4:40 p.m.: Drink responsibly
Apparently, despite the turnt-ed-ness of most of the Speedway, Speedway Police Department is only reporting four race-day arrests, including one for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
Later (at some point it really all runs together, OK?)
Things got turnt in Turn 3 and Turn 4 as the afternoon went on.
2:15 p.m.: Amy Bartner called this the world's greatest boomerang
"It's fire coming out ... and then going back in."
1:45 p.m.: He's got no comment.
In a sea of rompers, he's a singlet. (But that's like a romper for wrestlers, right?)
Romper or not, the party don't stop.
Oh, man. This guy.
1:00 p.m.: Oh, hey, Dave!
After enduring the heartbreak of seeing so many Not-Daves on Carb Day, David Letterman has finally been spotted!
11:30 a.m.: A bromance for the ages
The award for best red-carpet bromance goes to actor Jake Gyllenhaal and Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff Bauman.
The duo will serve as honorary starters for today’s race, and Gyllenhaal portrays Bauman in upcoming film “Stronger,” based on Bauman’s book of the same title.
Gyllenhaal said he gravitated to “Stronger’s” story. After losing both of his legs in 2013's bombing, Bauman helped law-enforcement officials identify Tamerlan Tsarnaev as one of the terrorists responsible for the attack.
When asked about the fastest car ride of his life, Bauman quickly mentioned a two-seat ride Saturday with Mario Andretti behind the wheel.
“We did like 200 mph coming around,” Bauman said of his Indianapolis Motor Speedway perk. “It’s the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
11:00 a.m.: The Snake Pit
We love the smell of cheap beer in the morning.
The checkered suits
10:30 a.m.: Celeb watching
Pace-car driver Jeffrey Dean Morgan said he is somewhat uneasy about "The Walking Dead" viewers who root for his villainous Negan character — but not that uneasy.
"Negan's a pretty likable kind of guy," Morgan said with a laugh. "My way of always explaining Negan is that I don't think he and Rick Grimes are much different. They survived this apocalypse all on their own, keeping people alive. If we had been following Negan for the last seven years, Negan could be the hero of this show."
And Vice President Mike Pence beat the traffic to Indianapolis Motor Speedway by flying in.
All smiles
10:00 a.m.: Getting turnt in Turn 2 (and everywhere, really)
IT'S LIT, FAM.
9:30 a.m.: Wait ... what?
Ric Flair said he declined a chance to ride in the two-seat car with Mario Andretti.
Marveling at Indy 500 drivers, he said, "To drive 230 mph — and I've done everything there is — is mind-boggling."
OK, while we're trying to wrap our heads around passing up a chance to drive with Mario Andretti, let's check in on the party in and around the Snake Pit:
Nothing more 'Merican than a romper, amirite?
8:10 a.m.: It's not raining!
Festivities have officially kicked off here at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with the Borg-Warner Trophy March to the Bricks starting at 8 a.m. and the celebrity red carpet starting at 8:30.
It’s early, it’s crowded, and it’s muggy. The kind of Hoosier humidity that makes taking each breath feel like a long drink of lukewarm water and immediately causes small, glistening beads of sweat to gather near your upper lip.
Throngs of people filter through the gates at Indianapolis Motor Speedway just after 7 a.m., past a growing line of men waiting to rinse off in a shower trailer and an RV full of people already grilling and chilling, waiting for the festivities to get started.
Just a few hours later, the humidity has subsided and the party is well underway in and around the infamous Snake Pit. Partygoers migrate in clumps toward the thunderous dub-step roaring from massive speakers, stopping every 50 or so feet so one straggler can readjust the grip on a disintegrating case of Budweiser.
"I'm so drunk right now," one bro bellows before grimacing and apologizing for his volume.
Carb Day recap:T-shirts and beer pong and revelry, oh my
7:46 a.m.: This party's just getting started
People are making the most of race day in their own unique ways.
7:30 a.m.: We are LIVING
People are living and moving around Indianapolis Motor Speedway. There's plenty of people watching and other things to watch out for.
6 a.m.: It's happening
It's here! It's here! It's finally here!
Too loud for this early? Sorry. We're just really excited. (And we've already had two cups of coffee.) It's the day we've been waiting for all year: the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500.
And while the race officially starts at 12:19 p.m., we'll be covering every aspect of race day — and having lots of fun along the way. Find us hanging out by the track, shenaniganizing in the Snake Pit and just generally having a good time in the name of news. It's a sacrifice we're willing to make so you don't miss a single second of the action.
More Indy 500 coverage:
Here's the full race day schedule
Indy 500 security: What you need to know
240,000 seats at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. What's the best one?
Chances of rain will linger over Central Indiana for most of the day, with showers and a slight risk of severe thunderstorms (Boo!) this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Isolated tornadoes also will be a threat (What? No!)
Conditions are expected to remain mostly cloudy, with the high temperature reaching 77 degrees.
Festivities kick off at 8 a.m. with the Borg-Warner Trophy March to the Bricks and last until the gates close at 5 p.m.
So finish packing that cooler, chug some coffee and hit the road, race fans. We'll see you there.
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