It’s May. The greatest month in racing. And for IndyCar fans, that means endless excitement and attention on the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500. But we’re not here to talk about the 500 today. We’re here to celebrate Indy’s other offering each season, a sometimes overlooked, but always exciting road race that gives us surprises and upsets. That’s right, we’re talking about the Sonsio Grand Prix.
When most people think of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, they think only of the two and a half mile oval and the greatest spectacle in racing, but road racing has been a part of racing’s most famous facility for decades, and that would have been much longer had the founders had their way. The original plans for the speedway included a 5-mile road course that used both the oval and the infield, but construction issues and the need to put enough grandstands in the facility to support the venue financially put a crimp in those plans, and IMS opened with just the oval in 1909. It wasn’t until 2000 when Formula 1 moved the US Grand Prix to Indy, that a proper road course was integrated into the circuit. Unlike the current course which snakes through the infield before coming onto the front straight, the original track had the cars come out of the infield between turns 2 and one on the oval so they carried a lot more speed onto the front straight.
The current IMS Road Course is one of the smoothest circuits on the calendar, and drivers praise it for both its layout and the grip provided by the surface. It uses the same start/finish line as the 500, but the cars are going the opposite direction hitting about 175 miles per hour before diving into turn one. Most lead cars hold the inside line in that corner, but if a driver can brake late enough, they can pull up on the outside of turn 1 and complete the pass on the inside of turn 2. It’s a gutsy move, but one that happens with some regularity during the race. Cars usually then settle down and just try to avoid trouble through turns 3, 4, 5, and 6, which opens up onto the back straight, aka “Hulman Boulevard.” The bulk of the passing on each lap happens in turns 1 and at the end of the back straight going into turn 7. The track is wide enough that if cars carry momentum into turn 7, you’ll occasionally see a pass through turn 8 and into turn 9. Turns 10, 11, and 12 take the cars through Turn 2 of the oval, and back into the infield for turn 13, a tight left hander which is also the entrance to put road. Turn 14 leads the cars back out onto the front straight and at speed the cars drift out to the wall, ready to do it all over again.
Pit stops can be a determining factor in this race. The long pit road means a clean stop will cost you about 38 seconds. The cars will have to stop at least twice during the race and if someone is lucky enough to catch a caution during their pit window, they can make up a lot of ground on the field.
The racing alone makes Sonsio a destination, but its a single piece of an incredible weekend celebrating racing in Indy. In addition to the 500, May is also 500 Festival month. The 500 Festival celebrates the legacy of the race by hosting charity events that give back to the city throughout the Month. Listeners to the podcast have heard Caz talk about the mini marathon, which raises money for IU Health, but other events work with education, public works projects, local veterans organizations and more. And of course there’s also a pretty great parade at the end. The city takes the 500 Festival seriously, and believe us when we tell you the energy and excitement of race day is in the air, even now.
If you’re in Indianapolis for Sonsio you’d be able to check out the 500 Festival Kids Day, an interactive carnival held on Saturday morning before the race, along with the 500 Festival Rookie Run, a kids fun run presented by Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital.
If you’re coming without kiddos, no problem. Just because this is the family weekend for the 500 Festival doesn’t mean it has to be for the city of Indianapolis. The Sonsio Grand Prix is a great weekend to come to Indianapolis and soak up the month of May energy without the Indy 500 weekend pricetag.
There are amazing hotels, restaurants, bars, and venues in downtown Indy, but as far as Caz is concerned you can’t beat dinner at St. Elmo’s and a room at the JW Marriott. During the 500 weekend just the room sets you back well over $1000 per night (that’s estimated from talking to a bartender at their lobby bar, we can’t give you a real quote because they’ve been booked out for some time now), and you might have been able to luck into a St. Elmo’s reservation if you had started trying 5 months ago. That same room this weekend sets you back about half the price, still a luxury trip but not nearly so unattainable.
Don’t worry, there’s no shortage of other comfortable places to stay if you’re not interested in the glitz and glam. A decent chain right by the airport (a very short drive to IMS) would set you back around $200 per night. Not bad for a race weekend in a major city.
IndyCar in May is a beautiful thing, and of course the 500 is the highlight of the month. But don’t let that overshadow what’s going on in front of you right now. It’s the 500 Festival, and this weekend we get to enjoy the Sonsio Grand Prix. Breathe it in guys, we’re happy to be here.
