Racers gearing up for Indianapolis 500

INDIANAPOLIS (WNDU) - Race weekend for the 107th edition of the Indianapolis 500 is finally upon us, and for the 33 drivers who start their engines on Sunday afternoon, it couldn’t come soon enough.

“It’s a tiring couple weeks of preparation, so I try to just get as much rest as I can,” said Ed Carpenter, an Indiana native who is driving in his 20th-career Indy 500. “Spend a little time with the team every day, just staying in tune with the decisions that we have to make, but just getting your mind and body ready for what’s always a long and hard race.”

“By the time it gets to driver intros on Sunday, we’re just like, ‘Can we get over with this and let’s do what we came here for?’” said Tony Kanaan, who is driving in his last Indy 500 this Sunday.

For those who have been fortunate enough to win the Borg-Warner Trophy, there’s nothing better than the thrill of the victory.

“Check. I don’t need to do anything else in my career. It is complete,” said Kanaan, who won the race in 2013. “This is our Super Bowl. This is what I grew up wanting to do, so nothing you can tell me is going to top — no TV show, nothing in the world, in my world — will top the Indy 500.”

But win or lose, every driver has a favorite part they take away from race week.

“Driver intros are always a highlight for me, being a local guy and the support that I feel from the community and the crowd,” Carpenter said. “It’s special, and I really also enjoy the parade on Saturday. It’s a fun experience that I get to share with my family.”

“Enjoying this with the fans,” Kanaan said. I enjoy meeting them. It’s no secret that we have a very good relationship, me and my fans, and I race for them. So, meeting people, hearing stories, inspiring people. That’s what gets me going.”

WNDU is your home on Sunday for the Indianapolis 500. Pre-race coverage begins at 11 a.m. on WNDU, with the race starting at 12:30 p.m.

You can find more pre-race coverage on Peacock starting at 9 a.m.

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