The Greatest Spectacle of Racing is upon us, and with a sold-out crowd, the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 will have plenty to offer fans throughout this weekend.
Set in the Motorsports Capital of the World, Indianapolis Motor Speedway will play host to the largest attended sports event in the world once again, with a crowd that’s eager to see both the action on track and the entertainment
The biggest stories for the weekend, no doubt, are Josef Newgarden going for his third Indy 500 win in a row and Kyle Larson‘s second attempt at the Indy 500/Coca-Cola 600 double.
Beyond looking forward to the action on track, fans have the opportunity to catch concert performances and might get to meet their favorite drivers.
Grand Marshals
As the 33 fastest drivers take the green flag for the 109th running, Rob Gronkowski, who works closely with FOX Sports’ NFL team, will take grand marshal duties from the Snake Pit, and Casey Irsay Foyt, daughter of the late Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, will wave the green flag as the honorary starter. Nine-time Grammy nominee Natalie Grant will sing the national anthem.
Weekend Concerts
Concerts will be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Friday, Bret Michaels and The All-American Rejects will perform from 4 to 6 p.m. ET. The two groups will play after the Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge.
Midland will bring a country streak to Saturday when they headline the Legends Day concert at the Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park in Indianapolis.
On Sunday, the Snake Pit will feature Illenium headlining an electronic music showcase for the thousands of music fans in the turn three infield. Sammy Birji, Two Friends, Kayzo and Oliver Heldens are also scheduled to make an appearance.
Autograph Sessions
Saturday, May 24
Full-field autograph session: 9-10 a.m. ET
Veteran driver autograph session A: 12-1 p.m. ET
Veteran driver autograph session B: 1:30-2:30 p.m. ET
Wrist bands for autograph sessions will be distributed in the IMS Pagoda Plaza. Lines for the veteran autograph sessions will begin forming at 7 a.m. ET with 80 wristbands available. Guests will have to select either the session A or session B line upon picking up their wristband.
Wyatt Watson has followed motorsports closely since 2007. He joined Frontstretch as a journalist in February 2023 after serving in the United States Navy for five years as an Electronic Technician Navigation working on submarines. Wyatt is one of Frontstretch's primary IndyCar correspondents, providing exclusive video content on site. He hosts Frontstretch's Through the Gears podcast and occasionally The Pit Straight.You can find Wyatt's written work in columns such as Friday Faceoff and 2-Headed Monsteras well as exclusive IndyCar features. Wyatt also contributes to Frontstretch's social media team, posting unique and engaging content for Frontstretch.
Wyatt Watson can be found on X @WyattWRacing