What to Wear to the Indy Car Races!
You may not think the Indy Car Races is a place to find a Wardrobe Wire girl, but we love new experiences and are always up for a good time. A chance to see something new and dress the part is always fun for us! And when you attend a new event for the first time, it is shameful to not do your research and fully dress the part! It’s like showing up for a costume party without a costume. Boring!
What to Pack
• Denim shorts
• Capris
• Jeans
• Tank tops
• Hat/visor
• Sunglasses
• SUNSCREEN
• Flip flops
• Tennis Shoes
• Earplugs
• Official Race Gear (pick a team and support them!)
For official race gear you can log onto:
• Store.indianapolismotorspeedway.com
What to Bring TO the Race
Coolers ARE allowed. You can bring your own water, alcohol, and food. No glass products. You also have the option of purchasing it all there. We recommend a backpack to hold everything you bring with you and/or purchase while there. Bring cash for food and drinks. You can use credit cards for clothing or fan purchases.
Hotel/Transportation (for Indianapolis 500)
We recommend the University Hotel and the Downtown Marriot. We always rent a car because the freedom is nice, but you can take a taxi from the airport to your hotel. If you don’t rent a car, I recommend staying in downtown Indianapolis because you can walk to dinner, shopping, movie theater, etc. Then, be sure to find where the local shuttle meets, how much it costs, and when to be there. Certain hotels even offer a free shuttle to and from the race. If you’re driving yourself to the race, be sure to leave EARLY. You’re probably going to sit in traffic!
Tailgating
Race weekend activities begin on Thursday and end after the race on Sunday. Each day up until Sunday is practice, the qualifying race, concerts, and media events. Die hard fans that travel to races typically arrive Thursday night and camp out until Monday morning. It’s basically an entire weekend of tailgate partying, drinking, and cooking out in campers, motor homes, and tents. There is alcohol and grilling going on around the clock the entire weekend. PARTY!
Sun Exposure
The race track and where your seats are located determines if you’ll be sitting in the sun all day or only part of the day. You can always log on to that track's website, pin point your seats, and see if your section is covered. The start time of the race would also be a factor.
-Sunscreen! Bring it, wear it, reapply it!
-Sunglasses
-Hat or Visor. I’m not a fan of hats and I know visors are kind of 2001, but every race day I LOVE my visor! The glare from the track and sun shining down make it difficult to focus on the cars as they go by you at 200 mph!
I choose the visor instead of the hat because it is SO HOT. Also, we wear the ‘Trac Scan Headphones’ which fit easier with a visor. Trac Scanners make it MUCH more fun, I think. I can’t sit through a race without them. These allow you to listen to the radio broadcast, race announcers, track officials, and even the drivers! You can scan the frequency or type in a certain car and hear them talking with their pit/driving crew. You can rent them at the track for each race. You can also purchase them and just program it each weekend you go.
Shoes
There is A LOT of walking! Wear comfortable shoes! The parking lots are spread out all around the track, but unless you show up Thursday night or purchase a closer parking pass, you’re going to a hike! I wear my Reef flip flops. Even with all the walking all day long, the Reefs work well. They’re cushioned enough to walk through the rocky parking lot and cooler (temp wise) than socks and tennis shoes. I wouldn’t wear, for example, Old Navy flip flops because they are not sturdy if stepped awkwardly on the gravel. Also, if they get wet, they are slippery. We don't want you to slip on metal bleachers or hurt yourself in the parking lot.
Final Tips
The closer you are to the track, the louder and the hotter it is! Celebrities attend every year...Patrick Dempsey is part owner of a team and Ashley Judd is married to Dario Franchitti, so be on the lookout! Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, and Mario Lopez have all been spotted there in recent years. Indy Race lanyards are a must! They will hold your tickets and passes – they are nice to have because you have to show your ticket so often going back to your seat (or remembering where your seat is!). Wearing it around your neck makes it much more accessible, and you are less likely to lose it.
Fun Fact
The track at Indianapolis is so big that there is actually a golf course on the inside track!
Written By: Katie Ellis
