AMERICA’S CATHEDRAL OF SPEED. – Rants

SPECIAL EDITOR’S NOTE: We’re thrilled to announce the debut of Peter’s first work of fiction, “St. Michael of Birmingham.” Make no mistake, it doesn’t resemble anything you’ve read from him before. In fact, it is quite a dramatic departure. It is mystical. It is sexy. It is funny. It’s moving. And it is a flat-out wild ride unlike anything you’ve experienced. Having said that, it is definitely not for everyone, but then, it is from PMD, so that probably shouldn’t come as a surprise! Check it out on Amazon Kindle here. -WG

Editor’s Note: This week, Peter reflects on the upcoming Indianapolis 500 and reminds us of the global significance of what is the greatest single motor race in the world and “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” In On The Table, we detail the Temerario, the new HPEV (High-Performance Electrified Vehicle) super sports car from Lamborghini. And we have EV news from Toyota, including the all-new 2026 Toyota C-HR Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) and the new Toyota 2026 bZ Woodland BEV. We also report on a new battery technology breakthrough from General Motors and LG Energy Solution. And, in more from Toyota, we detail updates to the Toyota bZ All Electric SUV for 2026. Our AE Song of the Week is “Everywhere” by Michelle Branch. In Fumes, we have the next installment of Peter’s riveting new series, The Great Races, which this week focuses on memories of the Bahamas Speed Week. And in The Line, we’ll have qualifying results from Indianapolis, and in F1, a report from the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola, Italy. Onward! -WG

Detroit. With another chapter of Indianapolis 500 history approaching next Sunday, I think it’s crucial to understand the importance of the race around the world. The Indianapolis 500 remains America’s most instantly recognizable race – and certainly its most internationally significant – and one of the three greatest races in the world, along with the Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. But from my perspective, the Indianapolis 500 stands alone as the single greatest race in the world, and by a wide margin. The time-honored saying – “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” – remains true to this day, and it’s a moniker well-earned. This race is dripping with history. From euphoric highs to the most devastating and unspeakable of lows, the Indianapolis 500 is revered around the world by racers and racing enthusiasts of all stripes. 

It’s really too bad, however, that in recent times I’ve had the sense that a lot of our homegrown fans were starting to take The Speedway and the “500” itself for granted. Yes, I think to some degree that was true, although certainly not with the hard-core enthusiasts of the race and The Speedway. In fact, the grandstands for this year’s race are sold out, which is heartening to see.

 

As I’ve often said over the years, if you haven’t been to The Speedway in a while, or if you’ve never been, you owe it to yourself to go. And with the completion and grand re-opening of the brand-new Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, which has garnered rave reviews, the reasons to make a pilgrimage to the Speedway have grown exponentially.