By Katy Korstange, Newswire Intern  

The Indianapolis 500, the greatest spectacle in racing, is the largest single-day sporting event in the world. After a month of preparation, nearly 400,000 people descend on Speedway, Ind. to watch a 33 car field race a 2.5 mile oval at over 240 mph.  

There is no question that the Indy 500 is an incredible race, but it is just one race of a 17 event series known as IndyCar, and it is the best racing series in the world.  

  Sure, you may have heard of Formula One (F1) for its glamor and prestige, or NASCAR, which is popular in the United States for its fast oval races. But there’s something special about IndyCar. It combines the best aspects of both racing styles in the perfect way.  

IndyCar is America’s only open-wheel auto-racing series. It features high speed, competitive and close racing on a variety of tracks around North America.  

Building from the history and popularity of the Indy 500, raced annually since 1911, IndyCar has become the greatest racing series. There are many reasons to watch IndyCar, here are a few. 

First is IndyCar’s accessibility. Tickets to IndyCar races are much less expensive than tickets to F1. While the average F1 ticket is $482 for a three day pass, IndyCar tickets average around $150 for three days. 

Additionally, the schedule takes IndyCar to many places on the North American continent, eliminating travel costs as there will always be a race nearby. This allows each race to be different since so many variables go into each race.  

It is much easier to get access to exclusive trackside events, meet the drivers and interact with their teams at an IndyCar race. As a fan, this is awesome because it means you can actually interact with your favorite drivers, who, by the way, don’t act too cool to talk to the average fan like some other series’ drivers do.  

At most races on the circuit, drivers take part in several free driver signing events where all fans, regardless of ticket level, can talk to their favorite drivers, take pictures with them and get signed memorabilia. This accessibility is not something that many other sports offer.  

Off track, drivers are active on social media which allows fans to get a fuller sense of their personalities. There are also countless podcasts made by drivers and IndyCar personnel that allow fans an exclusive view of their favorite sport.  

In IndyCar, every lap is exciting, not just the first lap like in F1. It is also exciting without crashes, something that NASCAR fans could not say for their sport. 

IndyCar races regularly on three types of tracks: oval, street and road courses. This is something that most other series do not do. This really highlights the high performance and versatility of the driver and their team.  The variance of track types allows different drivers to excel where they are comfortable. It also means that if a driver can win many races in a row, like Alex Palou did in 2025, it shows their adaptability.

Each race is exciting for a different reason because of the concept of equal machinery.  Teams and drivers will have competitive cars regardless of their budget meaning, races are able to be won by anyone on the grid.  

The Indy 500 alone would be enough to cement IndyCar’s legacy. Its iconic track and traditions have lasted over 100 years. It blends history, danger, strategy and raw emotion in a way that no other sport can accomplish.  

IndyCar consistently delivers what racing fans desire most: wheel-to-wheel action, an even playing field where every driver has a chance to win, accessibility, clear tests of skill and the unmatched legacy of the 500.  For fans that want everything that makes motorsports great without sacrificing authenticity, IndyCar is the best racing series there is.