What does Indy mean to you?

During the off-season, we asked our readers to tell us: what does Indy mean to you?

While each response was unique, the common trait in every one was the palpable emotion. And without question, there was a single theme that tied them all together — tradition.

Along with nearly all of the letters we received, Rick Weber told us that Indy to him means memories of family. Rick shared that he attended qualifications for years with his father and uncle. “In 1983,” Rick recounts, “I finally got to go to my first 500 and witness the drama and battle that year between Sneva and Big Al, with rookie Little Al assisting his Dad late in the race.  As a 12 year old that year, I remember thinking that I would totally do that for my dad.”

Sometimes, the simplest stories can be the most descriptive. Patrick Blanchard wrote: “Some of my earliest memories are lying on the floor next to my father listening to the 500 on the radio, one of those large units about the size if a small table. The earliest I recall was Parnelli Jones victory in 1962. A few years later we attended a closed circuit broadcast at the sports arena in LA. The race was rain delayed and we couldn’t come back to watch the actual running of the race the next day (father had to work), but I didn’t really care because I finally got to see the cars lined up, though they were covered. We watched those cars for what seemed like hours waiting for them to run, but I really didn’t care at all because I was finally able to actually see them. What a great day!”

To those from far-flung shores, Indy’s meaning is often held in its distant mystique. Daniele Sanfilippo shared these thoughts: “I live across the ocean, in a state where engines have filled the dreams of millions of children fascinated by the emotion of speed. But Indy is something special with a mysterious attraction. A distant dream thousands of miles away each year lives suspended in the European night. We’re overwhelmed by speed, danger and passion, driven by a century of heroes who have written the pages of history of the one true, incomparable, and inimitable temple of speed. Here’s what Indy means to me: a dream.”

But Indy can also sometimes mean a dream on home soil as well. “Indy has always been what my entire year revolves around,” Tony Wittrien wrote, “but I’ve never been to a race in person. Let me tell you what Indy WILL mean to me one day. I want to watch the race with my Dad on one side and my son on the other. I will probably literally cry at the start of the race because I’ve wanted this moment my entire life. It will happen. I just can’t wait.”

Ken Harvey’s response leaned more toward the philosophical. “To think that history is made there every year — whether it is controversial, sad, predictable, or positively beautiful — is an unbelievable experience when its entire history is examined. We have seen it as a proving ground for innovation, a depot for a war effort, a place with a bleak future, and a renewed world-class and iconic facility for all motorsports enthusiasts. One hundred years and counting for brave, passionate men and women, and the wonderful world of motorsports.”

Many people wrote to us with individual memories to share. But Zachary Houghton of IndyCar Advocate somehow managed to summarize his entire 500 experience in one paragraph. “It’s waking up early and seeing the track in the gray morning light, quiet before the twin roars of crowd and engines. It’s the split second of fear when a car is loose out of the turn. It’s pork tenderloins. It’s J Stand. It’s sitting with my dad talking about AJ, Parnelli, and Mario. It’s Jim Nabors, the Gordon Pipers, and the Purdue Marching Band. It’s the underdog and the champion. It’s Pole Day, Bump Day, Carb Day, Race Day. It’s hearing the proud ghosts of the place and watching the legend endure. It’s the pursuit of greatness and taking one’s measure against all rivals. It’s a love of history, of the American story, and memories of our lost heroes. And it’s the look in my daughter’s eyes as a new generation sees it all for the first time and we share a moment of perfect, bonded understanding. It’s the Indianapolis 500, and I am blessed to have known just a little of what Indy means.”

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Here at More Front Wing, as it turns out, Indy means a lot to us, too.

The Month of May that is upon us now will be unlike any that has come before. Tributes are rolling in from the world over as the motorsport community comes together to celebrate 100 years of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

For our part, we’ll spend this month continuing to seek out what Indy means to all of us. Where many are focusing on the facts and figures, we hope to focus on emotion and take you through the highs and lows that have been experienced throughout the Speedway’s storied 100-year history. On a daily basis, we plan to offer glimpses into the 500 though the eyes of drivers, teams and fans:

– Centennial Interview Series. We’ve spent the last few months gathering interviews with every living winner of the Indianapolis 500 that we could reach. We’ll post a new interview almost every day throughout the Month of May beginning with the one-time winners and concluding with AJ Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears.

– Podcasts with Donald Davidson. To provide insight on some of the Speedway’s earlier historical moments, we spent some time talking with Donald Davidson. Donald shared some memories with us that don’t often come to light, and we look forward to offering those as part of our weekly podcasts during the Month of May.

– Special Featured Team Member profiles. We asked every full-time team to select a team member to share with us what Indy means to him or her, and we’ll roll out their responses all month long.

– Live trackside coverage. Paul will be at IMS on qualifications weekend, and both Paul and Steph will be there from Carb Day to Race Day. We’ll provide daily reports and live updates via Twitter (@MoreFrontWing) every day we’re in attendance.

– Historic Indy 500 journals. If this new content isn’t enough to fill your need for speed, check out Paul’s father’s Indy 500 journals. Paul’s dad has attended every 500 but one since 1954, and he’s recorded his memories of all of them for posterity. These journals are a treasure and are a must-read for any fan of the Indianapolis 500.

This is just part of what we have in store for the coming days, so stay tuned to More Front Wing throughout this legendary Month of May. By May 29th, we hope to have shown the world a little bit of what Indy means to all of us.