Indy 500 takes spotlight for IndyCar Series on an uptick

The Indianapolis 500 once was considered one of the top sporting events of the year, an iconic, milk-drenched staple of Memorial Day weekend filled with patriotism and nostalgia, triumph and despair.

It is nearly impossible to maintain reverential status for 103 years, and the Indy 500, like almost everything in sports, has had its declines. Huge crowds no longer jam the grandstands to watch qualifying or Carb Day, and the economics of racing and sponsorship has pared down the entry list.

But IndyCar is experiencing a renaissance of sorts, and interest in a series largely supported by “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” is slowly returning. The hype has certainly been high at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this year, where a strong infield crowd attended practice days. The race will draw at least 250,000.

The race, which will be broadcast for the first time by NBC, should be a good one. Qualifying for Sunday’s race produced the tightest Indy 500 field in history with only 2.8 mph separating the pole sitter Simon Pagenaud at 229.992 mph from Pippa Mann, the slowest qualifier at 227.224.

Team owner Roger Penske on the the 50th anniversary of his first Indy 500, is going for his 18th win and has four cars capable of taking the checkered flag. Along with Pagenaud, the team has defending winner Will Power, three-time winner Helio Castroneves and former series champion Josef Newgarden.

Castroneves again will go for a record-tying fourth victory. Penske moved Castroneves to sports cars but keeps bringing him back to Indy, where he is trying to join A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser Sr. as four-time winners.

“Only a few guys have done that. I dream big,” Castroneves said. “I definitely want to make it happen and I won’t give up that easy. Someone can say ‘Nah, it’s never going to happen.’ As long as I have...