SPEEDWAY, Ind — Just a day away from the Month of May, 13News went out to Speedway to show the city some love as they gear up for this year's Indy 500.
There are lots of great local businesses with a big sense of community.
Studio 1432
Studio 1432 on Main Street in Speedway had its grand opening last weekend and hundreds of people from the town of Speedway showed up to show their support.
Lane Warner, who lives in Speedway, owns the studio.
Warner had a studio in downtown Indianapolis for three years, but she wanted to be closer to home so she opened Studio 1432 in Speedway.
She met her husband in Speedway and she doesn't look at Speedway as being a town, she looks at it as one big family.
Warner said the support for local businesses has been better than she could ever have imagined. Other Main Street business owners even her flowers and asked what they can do to help her. It's a true community coming together.
Three Sisters and a Trunk
At one boutique on Speedway's Main Street, a local woman is making quite a fashion statement with her love of racing.
It's very rare that the fashion world can be judged as simply black or white, but it is for Marie Hall because that's all she carries — black and white outfits!
Hall, the widow of a former Indy 500 driver, owns a boutique on Main Street called Three Sisters and a Trunk, where she has all black and white fashions and racing memorabilia.
Hall got into the fashion world by doing some embroidery for some of the racing teams, and everything grew from there.
Three Sisters and a Trunk has plenty of racing collectibles Hall as gathered over the years to check out, even if shoppers aren't looking for Indy 500-inspired outfits.
There's never any pressure to buy anything because Hall just loves visiting with customers.
Wyrk Space
What do you get when you take a more than 60-year-old building located directly across from the track, gut it, modernize it, and rent it out? Well, you get "Wyrk Space," which provides office space for many local businesses.
The main tenant at Wyrk Space is the United States Auto Club, so it has a racing vibe throughout the entire building, from the garage doors on one side of the building, to the cars inside.
The building is newly renovated with a rustic-urban feel, with touches of Indy's racing roots. But it's not just office space. If you want to party, Wyrk Space says "come on in!"
They offer a blank canvas for people to create the perfect event. Rental comes with the flexibility to bring outside food, beverages and alcohol.
Daredevil Brewing Company
If there's going be have a brewery just a few blocks from the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, it's got to have a cool name and feel. Daredevil Brewing Company does not disappoint.
When COVID hit, it gave the owners of Daredevil a chance to revamp their food menu to better serve the people of Speedway. Now with fans back in the stands at this year's Indy 500, Daredevil is ready to serve.
Daredevil Brewing Company is truly utilizing the 2 acres of land it sits on off Main Street in Speedway.
The brewery is putting together an outdoor stage for concerts this summer for all ages, and it even has an area where customers can enjoy some pizza and beer with their dogs.
Speedway Runners Club
The Speedway Chamber of Commerce was looking for a way to encourage the people of Speedway to lead healthier, more active lifestyles, so chamber member Angela Cole started the Speedway Running Club six years ago.
Cole wanted to get like-minded people together to get out and run, so once every Wednesday, Cole leads a group of men and women who all meet at Daredevil Brewing Company at 6 p.m. for a bonding run.
They had to shut down for a bit because of COVID, but they’re back together now and they're having a great time together walking, jogging and running.
The Speedway Runners Club is running the Mini Marathon this year, even though there's no official Mini Marathon this year.
On Saturday, May 8, the Speedway Runners Club is meeting in Speedway. They have a route picked out to run 13.1 miles, filling the virtual Mini Marathon requirement, and will include fellow runners cheering them on.
Founders Grounds Coffee Company
A brand new coffee shop in Speedway is using the traditions of the track to truly stand out.
IMS President Doug Boles heard Founders Grounds Coffee Company was opening up in the shadow of the track, he said, "As someone who consumes way too much coffee, this is pretty exciting!"
And with the Hulman family roasting the coffee for Founders Grounds, they've got a little bit of that Indy 500 spirit in every cup. Speaking of spirits — yep, they're in there too!
Co-owner Marcia Huff really wanted Founders Grounds Coffee to be opened in May in time for the race, but COVID delayed some of the construction, so now they're hoping for a grand opening in June.
The shop will also sell candles and fresh pastries.
Speedway is for "Foodies"
When you think about food in Speedway, you might just think about the delicious tenderloin sandwiches at the track but this town is quickly establishing itself as a headquarters for "foodies."
There are two new coffee shops opening up in Speedway: Founders Grounds and Spark.
Daredevil Brewing Company just added specialty pizzas to their menu.
And for anyone looking to satisfy a sweet tooth, how about Fundae's!
Fundae's first opened in Whitestown in 2017, started by Indiana couple Donny and Kas Miller, who loved how ice cream brings families together. When they wanted to open their second shop, they came right to Main Street in Speedway.
Remember when California Burger opened four months ago in Speedway?
Customers waited in line on 16th Street up to two hours, saying it was "worth the wait." Their burgers are made with the freshest meat and are still on high demand.
And then when we asked Hoosiers where to find the best plate of Nachos in Central Indiana, the overwhelming pick was Big Woods in Speedway. Their Pulled Pork BBQ Nachos must be experienced to be believed.
So whether it’s nachos, burgers, pizza, ice cream or coffee, Speedway is welcoming several mom and pop restaurants.
Parking cars to raise money
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the Indianapolis 500 generates tons of money for the town of Speedway each year, but the simple act of parking cars during the race can be a big help for students raising money for various goals.
For one student, it paid for her dream trip to Europe. For the Speedway High School athletic Department, it helped fund an entire season.
Speedway High School Athletic Director Brian Avery said people love parking at the school because they have a paved lot, so you don’t have to park in the mud, and they open up the bathrooms at the high school, which is a huge convenience.
Avery said people tend to be very respectful because they realize they are parking on school grounds.
It's crazy to think that Speedway High School can fulfill a large portion of their entire athletic department budget just by parking cars for seven or eight hours on race day.
