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The Indianapolis 500 is most likely the most recognizable race in sports, right along side the Daytona 500. Even some non-sports fans know about the tradition of drinking the milk in victory lane after taking the checkered flag, due to a tradition that started in the mid 1930s after Louis Meyer was photographed drinking buttermilk after winning. The field is 33 cars for safety reasons and is nicknamed “the brickyard” because of the way the track was built. 3.2 Million bricks were paved around the entire track and then completely covered with asphalt (except for a 36-inch strip at the start/finish line).
The IndyCars used to drive the 500 can accelerate from 0 to 100 in four seconds and can hit speeds exceeding 240 miles per hour. At these speeds, a driver covers approximately 350 feet of track per second, and simply blinking your eyes can cause you to miss 50 feet of track. Peanuts are discouraged at the track, a superstition and tradition that started in the 1940s when peanut shells were found in the seat of a crashed car. Prior to the 1960, few drivers drove green cars, also out of superstition. Helio Castroneves took the milk in 2001 and defended in 2002. Teammate Gil de Ferran won the following year, and Buddy Rice won the 88 th running of the Indianapolis in 2004. The 89 th running of the 500 will take place on May 29, 2005.
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