June 14, 2024
Memorial Day Weekend brought the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Sports & Entertainment Travel (SET) hosted guests from Oklahoma State University & Ohio State University to Indy for a 4 day, 3 night, up close look at the world’s largest single day sporting event.
For the tour, guests stayed at the wonderful Hilton Indianapolis Hotel & Suites, located in the heart of downtown, which is walkable to many of the great restaurants Indy has to offer. We kicked off the weekend with a Welcome Reception at SILO Auto Club & Conservancy where the group was able to enjoy hors d’oeuvres & drinks and get to meet & mingle with drivers Santino Ferrucci, Jagger Jones & long-time crewman Corey Odenbrett.
SILO is a perfect venue for auto enthusiasts, as it offers guests the opportunity to walk around and view some of the most exotic & luxury automobiles in the world.
On Saturday morning, the group visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Upon arrival, they embarked on a private tour of the Dreyer Reinbold Racing Garage. This provided an up-close look at an IndyCar and offered insights into the inner workings of the car and team, as well as what it takes to participate in the Indianapolis 500.
Following a full-field autograph session, the drivers then go to Pit Lane for their Public Drivers Meeting, where they are given their start rings & receive final instructions and procedures for the race.
When the Drivers Meeting concluded, the group then went to a suite for a “Checkered Chat” with IndyCar Spotters, Logan Gomez & Dave Ramsey, and crewman Norm Hornitschek, where they walked through the biggest race in the world from their point of view. The group arrived to the race in style thanks to a Police Escort and were able to avoid waiting in traffic as 300,000+ race fans descended upon the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A minor rain delay pushed the start of the race back, but sunny skies brought a very action-packed race. In the end, Josef Newgarden was victorious – winning his second straight Indianapolis 500.
