WHERE TRADITION NEVER STOPS
JANET GUTHRIE–45 YEARS
Big events attract big people. Sporting events of the magnitude of the Indianapolis 500, international appeal and all, not only draw big crowds, but a star-studded one at that. That’s why Hollywood and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have had a long history together, a match made in heaven dating back nearly a century.
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– Paul Newman
– MATT DAMON
The Speedway has also hosted a concert the
night before the 500, on Firestone Legends Day, with the likes of Zac Brown Band, Sam Hunt, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton and Thomas Rhett taking the stage.
Plus, the Indy 500 Snake Pit presented by Coors Light, an EDM festival during the Indianapolis 500, has brought younger race fans to the Speedway as they experienced international acts such as Martin Garrix, Skrillex, Alesso, Zedd, Marshmello and many more.
The NASCAR weekend at IMS has also featured iconic music acts such as The Chainsmokers, Florida Georgia Line, DNCE,
Kid Rock, Nelly and others.
.– Kelly Hansen,
Foreigner
The movie crew filmed pre-race activities at the track, and they even took a second Studebaker President pace car out during the pace laps and filmed with a 35mm camera. Plus, they affixed 14 cameras at various points around the track to capture the day’s action for their movie.
It took two decades for another Hollywood group to arrive at IMS for filming, and that was for To Please A Lady in 1950. This film starred Clark Gable, Barbara Stanwyck, Adolphe Menjou and Hoosier Will Geer.
Gable was a racing fan, having frequented the famed Legion Ascot Speedway in Alhambra, California, in the mid-1930s. This is where he met three-time Indy 500 winner Wilbur Shaw, who was president of the track when Gable, who was passionate about the move because of his love for racing, came to Indianapolis.
Gable at the Indianapolis 500 was a big deal for its time, with his second trip in 1947 as a guest of Tony Hulman and the third when he returned to make To Please A Lady.
It stars actor-turned-racing enthusiast Paul Newman. It is believed that Newman’s longtime love for motorsports was spurred by the making of this film, as he had little or no interest in racing before this. Newman would go on to be an INDYCAR SERIES team owner with Newman/Haas Racing, which became one of the most successful teams in open-wheel history.
The movie, which was filmed in the summer of 1968 and released in May 1969, features several “500” icons such as Bobby Unser,
Tom Carnegie, Sid Collins, Johnny Rutherford, A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Dan Gurney and more.
The Indianapolis 500 hasn’t just been the subject of movies.
A prominent fixture of society, “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” has been a point of interest on many occasions in pop culture, including in the sitcom “Home Improvement”, “Keeping Up With the Kardashians”, “Grease”, “A Christmas Story” and “Stranger Things” just to name a few.
As Indy 500 references have become a mainstay in Hollywood movies and television shows, celebrity sightings at IMS have soared through the decades as A-listers clamor for a chance to be at one of the biggest sporting events of the year.
From The Beatles to John Travolta, countless celebrities have come to the Speedway to witness "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” National anthem performers in recent years have included Steven Tyler, Jessica Simpson, Jordin Sparks,
Bebe Rexha and Kelly Clarkson, just to name a few.
Other celebrities have shown up to drive the Chevrolet Pace Car, leading the field to the green flag to start the race. Those drivers have included Jay Leno, Morgan Freeman, Patrick Dempsey,
Guy Fieri and Jeffrey Dean Morgan among others.
Plus, there’s the thrill ride that is the “Fastest Seat in Sports,” a two-seater INDYCAR SERIES car that races around the track at speeds near 180 mph before the start of the race. Hollywood icons that have taken a ride with the legendary Mario Andretti include Lady Gaga, Nick Cannon, Matthew Daddario and more.
But one of the biggest pre-race thrills of all has been the honorary starter role of waving the green flag to start “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Jack Nicholson did the honors in 2010 and refused to come down from the flag stand for dozens of laps. In 2019, Matt Damon and Christian Bale rivaled his tenure in the flag stand, awestruck at the sight of the Field of 33 racing beneath them.
Other stars to take on this thrilling honorary role have included
Chris Hemsworth, Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Pine, Mark Cuban,
Kristi Yamaguchi, Nick Lachey and more.
This was just one step in a long lineage of concerts at IMS, which have taken several shapes over the last few decades.
The Miller Lite Carb Day concert has rocked the IMS infield for years now on the Friday before the Indianapolis 500. Headliners that have locked in a spot on Indy 500 race weekend have included The Black Crowes, Foreigner, Journey, Train, Steve Miller Band, Poison, ZZ Top and many more.
Most notably, The Rolling Stones electrified the IMS infield on
July 4, 2015 in the first ever non-race weekend concert at IMS in front of a stunning crowd of 50,000.
CELEBRITIES–A CENTURY
WHERE TRADITION NEVER STOPS
JANET GUTHRIE–45 YEARS
Big events attract big people. Sporting events of the magnitude of the Indianapolis 500, international appeal and all, not only draw big crowds, but a star-studded one at that. That’s why Hollywood and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have enjoyed a long history together, a match made in heaven dating back nearly a century.
The movie crew filmed pre-race activities at the track, and they even took a second Studebaker President pace car out during the pace laps and filmed with a 35mm camera. Plus, they affixed 14 cameras at various points around
the track to capture the day’s action for their movie.
Gable was a racing fan, having frequented the famed Legion Ascot Speedway in Alhambra, California, in the mid-1930s. This is where he met three-time Indy 500 winner Wilbur Shaw, who was president of the track when Gable, who was passionate about the movie because of his love for racing, came to Indianapolis.
Gable at the Indianapolis 500 was a big deal for its time, with his second trip in 1947 as a guest of Tony Hulman and the third when he returned to make
“To Please A Lady.”
It stars actor-turned-racing enthusiast Paul Newman. It is believed that Newman’s longtime love for motorsports was spurred by the making of this film, as he had little or no interest in racing before this. Newman would go on to be an INDYCAR SERIES team owner with Newman/Haas Racing, which became one of the most successful teams in open-wheel history.
The movie, which was filmed in the summer of 1968 and released in May 1969, features several “500” icons such as Bobby Unser, Tom Carnegie, Sid Collins, Johnny Rutherford, A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Dan Gurney and more.
The Indianapolis 500 hasn’t just been the subject of movies. A prominent fixture of society, “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” has been a point of interest on many occasions in pop culture, including in the sitcom “Home Improvement,” “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” “Grease,” “A Christmas Story” and “Stranger Things” just to name a few.
As Indy 500 references have become a mainstay in Hollywood movies and television shows, celebrity sightings at IMS have soared through the decades as A-listers clamor for a chance to be at one of the biggest sporting events of the year.
DIRECTOR
DATE
SCENE
Two decades later, another group with Hollywood backing arrived at IMS for filming for “To Please A Lady” in 1950. This film starred Clark Gable, Barbara Stanwyck, Adolphe Menjou and Hoosier Will Geer.
–PAUL NEWMAN
But one of the biggest pre-race thrills of all has been the honorary starter role of waving the green flag to start “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Jack Nicholson did the honors in 2010 and refused to come down from the flag stand for dozens of laps. In 2019, Matt Damon and Christian Bale rivaled his tenure in the flag stand, awestruck at the sight of the Field of 33 racing beneath them.
Other stars to take on this thrilling honorary role have included Chris Hemsworth, Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Pine, Mark Cuban, Kristi Yamaguchi, Nick Lachey and more.
From The Beatles to John Travolta, countless celebrities have come to the Speedway to witness
"The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” National anthem performers in recent years have included Steven Tyler, Jessica Simpson, Jordin Sparks, Bebe Rexha and Kelly Clarkson, just to name a few.
Other celebrities have shown up to drive the Chevrolet Pace Car, leading the field to the green flag to start the race. Those drivers have included Jay Leno, Morgan Freeman, Patrick Dempsey, Guy Fieri and Jeffrey Dean Morgan among others.
Plus, there’s the thrill ride that is the “Fastest Seat in Sports,” a two-seater INDYCAR SERIES car that races around the track at speeds near 180 mph before the start of the race. Hollywood icons that have taken a ride with the legendary Mario Andretti include Lady Gaga, Nick Cannon,
Matthew Daddario and more.
Plus, the Indy 500 Snake Pit presented by Coors Light, an EDM festival during the Indianapolis 500, has brought younger race fans to the Speedway as they experienced international acts such as Martin Garrix, Skrillex, Alesso, Zedd, Marshmello and many more.
Most notably, The Rolling Stones electrified the IMS infield on July 4, 2015 in the first ever non-race weekend concert at IMS in front of a stunning crowd of 50,000.
This was just one step in a long lineage of concerts at IMS, which have taken several shapes over the last few decades.
The Miller Lite Carb Day concert has rocked the IMS infield for years now on the Friday before the Indianapolis 500. Headliners that have locked in a spot on Indy 500 race weekend have included The Black Crowes, Foreigner, Train, Steve Miller Band, Poison, ZZ Top and many more.
The Speedway has also hosted a concert the night before the 500, on Firestone Legends Day, with the likes of Zac Brown Band, Sam Hunt, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton and Thomas Rhett taking the stage.
–MATT DAMON
The NASCAR weekend at IMS has also featured iconic music acts such as
The Chainsmokers, Florida Georgia Line, DNCE, Kid Rock, Nelly and others.
–Kelly Hansen,
Foreigner
The first movie about the Indianapolis 500 was released in 1929. “Speedway,” a silent film, featured William Haines, Anita Page, Karl Dane, Ernest Torrance and John Miljan. The movie was the first of three that have been filmed at the Speedway.
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TITLE
Big events attract big people. Sporting events of the magnitude of the Indianapolis 500, international appeal and all, not only draw big crowds, but a star-studded one at that. That’s why Hollywood and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have enjoyed a long history together, a match made in heaven dating back nearly a century.
The movie crew filmed pre-race activities at the track, and they even took a second Studebaker President pace car out during the pace laps and filmed with a 35mm camera. Plus, they affixed 14 cameras at various points around the track to capture the day’s action for their movie.
Vollstedt brought Guthrie to Indianapolis 45 years ago this May, making history as the first woman to enter the Indianapolis 500. This feat in 1976 came just five years after women were granted access to Gasoline Alley and pit lane in 1971.
It took two decades for another Hollywood group to arrive at IMS for filming, and that was for
“To Please A Lady” in 1950. This film starred Clark Gable, Barbara Stanwyck, Adolphe Menjou and Hoosier Will Geer.
Gable was a racing fan, having frequented the famed Legion Ascot Speedway in Alhambra, California, in the mid-1930s. This is where he met three-time Indy 500 winner Wilbur Shaw, who was president of the track when Gable, who was passionate about the movie because of his love for racing, came to Indianapolis.
Gable at the Indianapolis 500 was a big deal for its time, with his second trip in 1947 as a guest of Tony Hulman and the third when he returned to make
“To Please A Lady.”
TITLE
DIRECTOR
DATE
SCENE
TAKE
The third movie to be filmed at IMS was “Winning,” starring actor-turned-racing enthusiast Paul Newman. It is believed that Newman’s longtime love for motorsports was spurred by the making of this film, as he had little or no interest in racing before this. Newman would go on to be an INDYCAR SERIES team owner with Newman/Haas Racing, which became one of the most successful teams in open-wheel history.
The movie, which was filmed in the summer of 1968 and released in May 1969, features several “500” icons such as Bobby Unser, Tom Carnegie, Sid Collins, Johnny Rutherford, A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Dan Gurney and more.
–PAUL NEWMAN
The Indianapolis 500 hasn’t just been the subject of movies. A prominent fixture of society, “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” has been a point of interest on many occasions in pop culture, including in the sitcom “Home Improvement”, “Keeping Up With the Kardashians”, “Grease”, “A Christmas Story” and “Stranger Things” just to name a few.
As Indy 500 references have become a mainstay in Hollywood movies and television shows, celebrity sightings at IMS have soared through the decades as A-listers clamor for a chance to be at one of the biggest sporting events of the year.
But one of the biggest pre-race thrills of all has been the honorary starter role of waving the green flag to start “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Jack Nicholson did the honors in 2010 and refused to come down from the flag stand for dozens of laps. In 2019, Matt Damon and Christian Bale rivaled his tenure in the flag stand, awestruck at the sight of the Field of 33 racing beneath them.
Other stars to take on this thrilling honorary role have included Chris Hemsworth, Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Pine, Mark Cuban, Kristi Yamaguchi, Nick Lachey
and more.
From The Beatles to John Travolta, countless celebrities have come to the Speedway to witness "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” National anthem performers in recent years have included Steven Tyler, Jessica Simpson, Jordin Sparks, Bebe Rexha and Kelly Clarkson, just to name a few.
Other celebrities have shown up to drive the Chevrolet Pace Car, leading the field to the green flag to start the race. Those drivers have included Jay Leno, Morgan Freeman, Patrick Dempsey, Guy Fieri and Jeffrey Dean Morgan among others.
Plus, there’s the thrill ride that is the “Fastest Seat in Sports,” a two-seater INDYCAR SERIES car that races around the track at speeds near 180 mph before the start of the race. Hollywood icons that have taken a ride with the legendary Mario Andretti include Lady Gaga, Nick Cannon, Matthew Daddario and more.
–MATT DAMON
Most notably, The Rolling Stones electrified the IMS infield on July 4, 2015 in the first ever non-race weekend concert at IMS in front of a stunning crowd of 50,000.
The NASCAR weekend at IMS has also featured iconic music acts such as The Chainsmokers, Florida Georgia Line, DNCE,
Kid Rock, Nelly and others.
Kelly Hansen,
Foreigner
Plus, the Indy 500 Snake Pit presented by Coors Light, an EDM festival during the Indianapolis 500, has brought younger race fans to the Speedway as they experienced international acts such as Martin Garrix, Skrillex, Alesso, Zedd, Marshmello and many more.
This was just one step in a long lineage of concerts at IMS, which have taken several shapes over the last few decades.
The Miller Lite Carb Day concert has rocked the IMS infield for years now on the Friday before the Indianapolis 500. Headliners that have locked in a spot on Indy 500 race weekend have included The Black Crowes, Foreigner, Train, Steve Miller Band, Poison, ZZ Top and many more.
The Speedway has also hosted a concert the night before the 500, on Firestone Legends Day, with the likes of Zac Brown Band, Sam Hunt, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton and Thomas Rhett taking the stage.
