The Indy 500 and Indiana Pacers on the same day in 2025? It's happened before
Having the Indianapolis 500 and an Indiana Pacers playoff game (the Eastern Conference Finals, no less) seems like a busy day for the area, right?
That would be correct, but it isn't unprecedented. Before this year, when the Pacers will play on Sunday, May 25, in the conference finals, it has happened on three occasions.
Kenny Brack won the 1999 Indy 500 by chasing down Robby Gordon, who skipped a late chance to take on extra fuel. Brack earned A.J. Foyt Racing its third 500 victory.
For the third time, a driver attempted the Double: racing the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina on the same day. Tony Stewart, a Columbus, Indiana native who switched from full-time IndyCar to NASCAR in 1999, finished ninth in Indianapolis and fourth at Charlotte.
The race was completed just before the Pacers took on the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Market Square Arena. The Knicks would win a tight contest, 93-90. Reggie Miller led the way with 19 points. New York won the series in six games.
Before the game, Bob Arnold, who had tickets to both events, was interviewed for a May 30 IndyStar story. He sold the Pacers tickets.
"I go to Pacer games all the time," Arnold said. "The race only happens once a year."
But Bob Bader, a Pacers season-ticket holder, was determined to see both with his wife.
"It should be a wild and exhausting day, and we're looking forward to it," Bader said.
Buddy Rice won the 2004 Indy 500 for Rahal Letterman Racing after 450 miles due to the rain. Rice's victory lane celebration was moved indoors due to severe weather in the area.
According to a May 31, 2024, IndyStar story, a storm hit Indianapolis just as the race was ending. One person was killed during the storms, which caused significant damage. A tornado also severely damaged a nursing home on Indy's southside.
Like in 1999, a driver attempted the Double. Robby Gordon, who tried to race in both the 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on five occasions, stepped out of Indy during a rain delay in favor of Jaques Lazier and finished 20th at Charlotte.
Later that night, the Detroit Pistons beat the Pacers, 83-65, to take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals at Conseco Fieldhouse. Game 5 of Pacers-Pistons was much more popular than the 500 for ticket brokers, according to the Star. Detroit won the series, 4-2.
Tony Kanaan was considered one of the best drivers to never win the Indianapolis 500, but that changed in 2013 when Kanaan finally stood in victory lane. It was Kanaan's 12th attempt.
The Pacers played the LeBron James-led Miami Heat in Game 3 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Miami won, 114-96, to take a 2-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat would win the series in seven games.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indianapolis Star
an hour ago
- Indianapolis Star
She got her start as Pacers in-arena host. Now she's back in Indy for NBA Finals with ESPN
INDIANAPOLIS – Growing up in Terre Haute, Vanessa Richardson's introduction to sports was through her father. George Richardson, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis while still in his 20s, would take Vanessa to basketball games at Indiana State, Colts' training camp in Terre Haute and high school games. 'My dad was my best friend,' Vanessa said. 'I tell people all the time that a social activity in Indiana is going to a high school basketball game. That's what we did.' Life came full circle this week for the 30-year-old Richardson, who was the in-arena host for Pacers' games from 2015-17 during her junior and senior years at the University of Indianapolis. Now working as a television sideline reporter for Houston Rockets' games, Richardson is back in Indianapolis for the NBA Finals, hosting a digital pregame show for ESPN, 'Hoop Dreams', and working as the radio sideline reporter. 'It's surreal to think eight years ago I was the girl on the jumbotron for the Pacers and now I'm hosting a pregame show for the NBA Finals,' she said. 'I became a sports reporter because of my late father. He would take me to games in my hometown all the time. It's so cool to be back here.' George was a regular at Pacers games during Vanessa's time working for the team. Though he was in a wheelchair, he never let that stop him from getting to games and supporting his daughter. When he passed away in April of 2022 at 62, it was crushing for Vanessa. 'The thing we would do is watch sports together,' she said. 'I've been thinking about him a lot. When I was the in-arena host for the Pacers, he was here all the time.' Richardson, a Terre Haute North graduate, said she thought Indianapolis 'was a massive city' when she arrived at UIndy in the fall of 2013. But she immediately dove into her passion for sports at WICR 88.7 FM, the public radio station owned by UIndy. It was real world experience for Richardson, who worked as a disc jockey and sports reporter. 'Going to the University of Indianapolis was the key to my success,' said Richardson, who was also a freelance sports correspondent for the 'Bob and Tom Show' in college. 'As a 19-year-old freshman, I was in the Colts' and Pacers' locker room interviewing players. Being hired as the arena host was a great stroke of luck.' After Richardson graduated from UIndy, she was hired as a reporter and anchor for WLWT-TV, an NBC affiliate in Cincinnati. At WLWT, she covered high school football, worked as a morning traffic anchor and covered the Bengals and Reds, among other general assignment events. Basically, her duties were whatever needed to be done. Richardson said former Indiana University star and Pacers' TV analyst Quinn Buckner deserves an assist for getting her out of her comfort zone. 'I didn't know if I would leave (Indianapolis) or not and Quinn Buckner pulled me aside and said, 'If you want to be a true journalist, go where nobody knows you and grow as a reporter,'' Richardson said. 'In Cincinnati, I was doing morning traffic and news and came back and did sports. That was an awesome first job. But I wanted to do sports full time.' An opportunity opened in Houston at KPRC-TV, the NBC affiliate, in August of 2019. It was a gold mine for Richardson, who reported on weekdays and anchored on weekends. She hosted a weekly 30-minute sports show and covered the Houston Texans, the World Series, NFL Combine and college football. 'Then I took a leap of faith and started a sports talk radio show in Houston from 10 to 12 every morning,' Richardson said. 'Talking two hours a day helped me grow. It was fun to get back to my radio roots. I grew so much. Then when the Rockets' job opened, I was already in Houston and covered the team, so it felt like a perfect fit.' In October of 2022, she was hired as the sideline reporter for the Rockets for Space City Home Network (the Houston regional sports network, formerly AT&T SportsNet Southwest). 'I would say Houston has become my second home,' Richardson said. 'When you work in this industry, you're lucky if you have a couple places that feel that way.' Indianapolis is certainly home for Richardson, who has felt the pangs of nostalgia during the NBA Finals. When she worked for the Pacers, Myles Turner was a rookie. 'I would see him at Prime 47 after games,' Richardson said. 'I was with my parents and he was with his parents. Neither one of us was 21 yet.' Richardson was originally just supposed to host her new digital show, called 'Hoop Dreams', which is an ESPN pregame show. The radio sideline reporter was added to her plate when television sideline reporter Lisa Salters missed Game 2, 3 and 4 to be with her ailing mother. Radio sideline reporter Jorge Sedano was moved to fill Salters' shoes and Richardson got the call. 'My assignment was hosting 'Hoop Dreams' for the Western Finals and Finals,' she said. 'I'm excited about the show. We're not trying to emulate NBA Countdown. It's more of a free-flowing show with fashion, trends and topics around the league. We had Rick Fox stop by. We're trying to be a good hang.' Richardson is well prepared for such a role. On Wednesday before Game 3, she looked around and took in the moment when she saw Oscar Robertson sitting next to Reggie Miller and Edgerrin James down the row. 'It's been a warm welcome home,' she said. 'It's meant so much to see so many people I used to work with and see regularly at games.' Of course, there was one person she wishes could be here: Her father. She would not have been here without him. He taught her how to treat people well and work hard. Those lessons have served his daughter well. 'Everybody sees what you're doing now,' Richardson said. 'They don't see you shooting high school football games and waking up at 2 a.m. to do morning traffic. You have to have faith because this is a grind of an industry.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Hartenstein back in starting lineup for Thunder for Game 4 of the NBA Finals vs. Indiana
Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) dunks against the Indiana Pacers during the first half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) dunks against the Indiana Pacers during the first half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein warms up prior to Game 4 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the Indiana Pacers, Friday, June 13, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein warms up prior to Game 4 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the Indiana Pacers, Friday, June 13, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) dunks against the Indiana Pacers during the first half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) dunks against the Indiana Pacers during the first half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein warms up prior to Game 4 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the Indiana Pacers, Friday, June 13, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Oklahoma City went back to the lineup it used throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs on Friday night, returning Isaiah Hartenstein to the starting five for Game 4 of the NBA Finals against Indiana. Hartenstein started alongside MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort and Chet Holmgren. The Hartenstein-Holmgren pairing gives the Thunder a pair of 7-footers in the opening five, and Oklahoma City was 12-4 in the Western Conference playoffs when starting that lineup. Advertisement That fivesome was also 9-4 when starting games together in the regular season. The Thunder had Hartenstein coming off the bench for the first three games of the finals, with Cason Wallace starting in his place. Indiana took two of those three games. 'We have a lot of optionality that we draw on, almost nightly,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said earlier in the finals. 'If you followed our team throughout the season, I think you know that flexibility and adaptability is the only constant. We're never staying the same. I know we started the same lineup in the playoffs, but our rotation night to night in these series has been incredibly variant. We think that's a strength of our team.' The change comes after Indiana scored 50 points in the paint in Game 3, after managing only 34 in each of the first two games of the series. ___ AP NBA:
Indianapolis Star
an hour ago
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana Pacers host Oklahoma City Thunder in NBA Finals Game 4
Grace Hollars Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) hugs his daughter, Remi, before Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, June 13, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Christine Tannous/IndyStar John Haliburton, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton's father, (left) fist bumps fan Andy Stocker before Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, June 13, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Christine Tannous/IndyStar Fans start to file into Gainbridge Fieldhouse Friday, June 13, 2025, ahead of Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Indianapolis. Grace Hollars/IndyStar Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) warms up before Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, June 13, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Christine Tannous/IndyStar Fans start to file into Gainbridge Fieldhouse Friday, June 13, 2025, ahead of Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Indianapolis. Grace Hollars/IndyStar Peter SerVaas makes his way into Gainbridge Fieldhouse Friday, June 13, 2025, ahead of Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Indianapolis. Grace Hollars/IndyStar Shirts sit waiting for Indiana Pacers fans before Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, June 13, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Christine Tannous/IndyStar Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard (26) warms up before Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, June 13, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Christine Tannous/IndyStar Indiana Pacers fans file in before Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, June 13, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Christine Tannous/IndyStar David Burton shows off the pins on his hat Friday, June 13, 2025, ahead of Game 4 of the NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Grace Hollars/IndyStar Indiana Pacers center Thomas Bryant (3) warms up before Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, June 13, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Christine Tannous/IndyStar Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) warms up before Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers on Friday, June 13, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Christine Tannous/IndyStar
