SPEEDWAY, Ind. — The next generation of racing fans spent part of Thursday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The 500 Festival selected over 100 Indiana elementary schools to participate in a hands-on learning experience at the track.
Indianapolis is all about the month of May, and 4th grade students from across the state got the opportunity to learn why.
"I think it's kind of cool. We are just learning about the racers and what they do here in Indy," said Addison Percival.
For many, the trip was about more than racing.
Pam Todd wasn't able to take her students to visit the 500 Festival at IMS for three years because of the weather and the pandemic. It was a three-hour trip she said was well worth the drive.
"We live in a town where a lot of kids don't get to go much beyond the county. This is really neat for them to experience the speedway and part of history," said Todd.
The kids learned firsthand about one of Indiana's greatest traditions and how they can be a part of it.
"Maybe they want to help a driver prepare their car for racing or be in that pit crew be on that winning crew that wins. They also learned about the nutrition of drivers," said Todd.
"I think I want to be a mechanic if I ever am going to do something like this. A race car driver is too dangerous," said Byron.
Organizers said the event has a special meaning.
"Experiences like this show them there's more than what's in their town or community. You can go much more places," Todd said.
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