Indianapolis 500 fans double up with split loyalties to Pacers, race day traditions
Fireworks are set off behind the Pagoda as the public gates open ahead of the Indianapolis 500 IndyCar auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Artist William Patterson paints in Gasoline Alley before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Fans congregate before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Fans make their way into the track before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Fans waive during parade laps before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Fans waive during parade laps before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Fireworks are set off behind the Pagoda as the public gates open ahead of the Indianapolis 500 IndyCar auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Artist William Patterson paints in Gasoline Alley before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Fans congregate before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Fans make their way into the track before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Fans waive during parade laps before the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Before coming to Sunday's Indianapolis 500, Austin Pettijohn dressed appropriately — checkered flag shorts and an Indiana Pacers jersey.
For the 32-year-old from nearby Franklin, Indiana, it just meshed as it did with so many others in this colorful race-day crowd.
Advertisement
As more than a dozen planes carrying advertising banners flew above Indianapolis Motor Speedway while the sounds and smells of the track wafted through the infield, blue-and-gold jerseys and other Pacers regalia seemed every bit as popular as the driver T-shirts that typically dot Pagoda Plaza.
'It's so ingrained in this town, this state since 1909, 1911,' Pettijohn said rattling off the dates the 2.5-mile oval Brickyard was completed and the first IndyCar race was held here. 'I was born into the month of May and racing, and it holds a very near and dear place in my heart with me and my family. Basketball, too. It's just an emotional, special time.'
Sports fans in Indiana understand because race day is a kind of pilgrimage that binds the generations together. Many families spend dozens of years sitting or standing in the same spot and dress for the occasion in racing garb, a vastly scaled down version of the colorful hats and fancy dresses and suits found at the Kentucky Derby each May.
Those who can't attend often listen to the radio broadcast because the network telecast usually is blacked out and re-aired in full on race night allowing fans who were part of the estimated 350,000 inside the track to go home and watch it all over again.
Advertisement
It's a tradition so revered that when fans weren't allowed to attend in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, speedway president Doug Boles gave viewers and listeners a special dispensation to keep their streaks of consecutive races intact.
This time is different.
The 109th Indianapolis 500 marked only the fourth time the Pacers and racers competed on the same day in Indy, and it was the first time both aired live in Central Indiana.
Race organizers announced earlier this week they were lifting the blackout because the grandstand was sold out for the first time since 2016. The fact some viewers may be more prone to see if the Pacers could take a 3-0 lead over the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals instead of a tape-delayed race may have played a part, too.
Advertisement
Regardless, the fans in this Midwestern town were thrilled with the decision since most couldn't do their version of the Memorial Day weekend double.
Not only was the cost of two tickets to the race and to the Pacers game nearly $4,000 on the secondary market entering, but staying to watch the victory lane celebration combined with traffic leaving the track made it almost impossible to make downtown in time for the opening tip.
'The good news is (the Pacers game) is at 8 p.m. so the 500 will be done by then, and you don't have to worry about going home and watching the race,' said Indy resident Nick Bustamante, who was decked out in a jersey of two-time NBA All-Star Tyrese Haliburton. 'I'll watch it here and then I'll watch the game at home.'
Haliburton might be the best-known Pacers player after making two game-winning shots during this playoff run and a buzzer-beater to force overtime in Game 1 against the Knicks on Wednesday. The jerseys of Pacers forwards Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin, who attended college at the University of Dayton, also found their way to the track as did those of Reggie Miller and Caitlin Clark — both with the WNBA's Indiana Fever and Iowa.
Advertisement
The Fever lost 90-88 on Saturday to defending league champ New York when Clark had the ball stripped on the game's final possession.
By Sunday, that loss seemed a distant memory on one of the city's biggest weekends. After all, this is May — Indianapolis style.
'It's just a great time of year,' Pettijohn said. 'It's just great when you can kind of intermingle the two in the same month. It's such a fun team this year with the Pacers. And it's just such a fast-paced team. So it's very fitting with the theme of Pacers and racers.'
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
11 minutes ago
- New York Post
How Tyrese Haliburton's dad reacted to son's unreal game-winner in Pacers' Game 1 comeback
Tyrese Haliburton's dad had a front-row seat to his son's game-winning shot Thursday as the Pacers opened the 2025 NBA Finals with a thrilling comeback victory. Still fresh off the fan version of a suspension, John Haliburton — who has since returned to arenas following an on-court confrontation with Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier in the playoffs — appeared stunned at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, where Tyrese hit a jumper with 0.3 seconds remaining to give Indiana its first lead in the 111-110 victory against the Thunder. It was nothing but a rather straight face and certainly a lot of internal pride — which became external after the game. Advertisement 5 Tyrese Haliburton rises up for the winning shot in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect 5 Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton's father, John, after his son nailed the game-winning shot against the Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. ESPN The next time John was spotted was postgame, when he released everything that he was surely feeling in the moment of his son's fourth game-winner of the 2025 playoffs. Advertisement 5 John Haliburton celebrates with his son, Tyrese, after the Game 1 win. NBA on ESPN/X 'Yes sir! Yes sir!' he repeatedly yelled when he ran into his son in the arena hallways after the massive Game 1 win. John gave his son a big hug as he broke down in the emotional scene. Advertisement It's a different look than a month ago when John stormed the court following Indiana's elimination of the Bucks in the first round and stood toe to toe with Antetokounmpo — flexing a towel with his son's face on it and directing plenty of taunts his way. John missed several games before the Pacers reversed course on the punishment in late May, permitting him to return to Gaibridge Fieldhouse during Indiana's Eastern Conference Finals triumph over the Knicks. 5 John Haliburton and Giannis Antetokounmpo had a fiery exchange during the 2025 NBA playoffs. X Emotions clearly got the best of John in that moment, but with the run his son and the Pacers are on, who could blame him? He's had a lot to celebrate. Advertisement Indiana came into the postseason as the No. 4 seed in the East, with expectations for its first-round matchup with Milwaukee to be a dogfight. If the Pacers were to get past there, many expected them to fizzle out in the second round against the top-seeded Cavaliers. But Indiana eliminated both teams in just five games apiece. 5 Tyrese Haliburton celebrated the Pacers' NBA Finals berth with his dad. AP The Pacers then got by the Knicks in six games and are now just three wins away from a championship over Oklahoma City. Haliburton's shot to beat the Thunder in Game 1 was his fourth game-winner of the playoff run — his dad's reaction to the shot in the moment says that maybe the Haliburtons are simply used to the clutch shots by now.
Bloomberg
12 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Musk's Empire at Risk After Trump Feud Opens Multi-Front Fight
What began as Elon Musk's embrace of right-wing populism has become a defining — and potentially harmful — chapter in his business career. By endorsing Donald Trump's MAGA movement and far-right parties in Europe, Musk alienated a big portion of his original customer base, eroding Tesla's brand, sales and market share around the globe. Then came this week's rupture: a personal and public breakup with Trump that prompted threats of retaliation from a man with control over the world's most powerful government.
Fox Sports
13 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton is on historic clutch streak; here are his best moments
Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton is having a postseason run for the ages. The funny thing is that Haliburton isn't necessarily lighting up the box score. Across Indiana's 17 postseason games, Haliburton, a two-time All-NBA honoree, is averaging 18.5 points, 9.5 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 46.6/33.1/80.4. Of course, the other side is that Haliburton has led the Pacers to the NBA Finals, and they now lead the Oklahoma City Thunder 1-0 after a fourth-quarter comeback that ended with him hitting a game-winning jump shot with 0.3 seconds remaining. This has been the theme for Haliburton this spring: hitting game-winning jump shots, sending games to overtime and pulling off clutch moment after clutch moment. Here are Haliburton's best moments of the 2025 NBA postseason. Game 5 of Eastern Conference first round The Pacers had the Milwaukee Bucks on the brink, leading the latter 3-1 in the series and having a closeout Game 5 on their home floor — and it turned out to be quite eventful. Milwaukee led 103-99 with 53 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Then, Haliburton connected on a pair of free throws and tied the game with a dunk following a Bucks possession where they came up empty, and the game went to overtime. Haliburton had Indiana's last six points in regulation. The Bucks were looking good in overtime. Even after a missed free throw by AJ Green, the one he knocked down gave Milwaukee a 118-111 lead with 40 seconds remaining. Then, it began to unravel. Andrew Nembhard hit a 3-pointer on the other end and then came up with a steal. Haliburton got an and-1 on the ensuing possession, and Milwaukee turned the ball over once again. With the Pacers down by one, Haliburton brought the ball up the court and went around Giannis Antetokounmpo for a go-ahead layup with 1.3 seconds remaining. No miracle took place for the Bucks, and the Pacers finished off theirs to advance to the semifinals. Haliburton finished with eight points in overtime, and 26 points, nine assists, five rebounds, three steals and three blocks for the game. It's the second consecutive season that the Pacers defeated the Bucks in the playoffs, with Indiana doing so in the first round last season. Game 2 of Eastern Conference semifinals After taking Game 1 from the No. 1-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, the Pacers were going to be in solid shape going home, regardless of how Game 2 played out. This was probably the thought that crossed the state of Indiana's mind when Donovan Mitchell knocked down a pair of free throws to give Cleveland a 119-112 lead with 57 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Then, it started. Aaron Nesmith got a dunk and then forced an offensive foul on Mitchell, which Indiana capitalized on with Pascal Siakam getting an inside bucket, getting the Pacers within three. The Pacers forced a turnover and Haliburton got fouled on the other end with 12 seconds remaining. Haliburton made the first free throw, missed the second but got his own rebound off a deflection. After bringing the ball out to the perimeter, he made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining. Cleveland didn't score thereafter, and Indiana took a 2-0 series lead. The Pacers won the series in five games, going 3-0 on the road. Game 1 of Eastern Conference Finals Jalen Brunson made a 3-pointer with 2:51 remaining in Game 1, giving the New York Knicks a 119-105 lead on their home floor. While this was a high-scoring affair, it appeared to be a game that New York had in the bag. Emphasis on "appeared." On the ensuing possession, Haliburton knocked down a 3-pointer. And while New York scored throughout Indiana's run, Nesmith hit override on all of them, drilling four 3-pointers in the final three minutes and scoring 14 points altogether. Still, the Knicks led by two with seven seconds remaining. But Haliburton sent the game to overtime with a jumper that bounced in. It was originally ruled a 3-pointer, but replay showed that Haliburton's foot was on the line, and the game went to overtime. Indiana proceeded to out-score New York 13-10 in overtime to steal Game 1. Haliburton finished with 31 points and 11 assists. To boot, Haliburton remade Pacers legend Reggie Miller's "choke" symbol, which he did against the Knicks in Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals (however, the Knicks won that series), after the buzzer-beater at the end of the fourth quarter. The Pacers then won Game 2 and went on to win the series, 4-2, eliminating the Knicks for a second consecutive season. Game 1 of NBA Finals With 9:42 remaining in the fourth quarter, Jalen Williams slammed home a bucket for the Thunder, who led 94-79. And then it started to happen. Indiana scraped and clawed its way within striking distance and put pressure on Oklahoma City to close the game out on its home floor. Following a pair of free throws from Nembhard and a block and score on the other end from Siakam, the Pacers trailed by just one point with 48 seconds remaining. The Thunder then had two chances to stretch their lead, but Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander couldn't connect, and the Pacers came down court in the final seconds, with Haliburton getting the honors. Despite Cason Wallace — who started Game 1 for the Thunder over center Isaiah Hartenstein — draped all over him, Haliburton fired a long-range two-pointer off the dribble and connected with 0.3 seconds remaining. That would be all, as the Pacers got a stop and finished off a 111-110 victory. Haliburton only had four points in the final 9:42 and finished with 14 points total, but, yet again, he hit the biggest shot of the game. In the aftermath of his latest crunch-time wonder, Haliburton has made four game-tying or go-ahead shots with under three seconds remaining in regulation or overtime this postseason, which ties him for second all-time in the play-by-play era (1996-97 season to present); LeBron James is first with eight. Haliburton and the Pacers have a 1-0 series lead in the NBA Finals. Who's to say his next heroic doesn't result in the Pacers hosting the Larry O'Brien Trophy? Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience National Basketball Association Indiana Pacers Tyrese Haliburton recommended Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
