SPEEDWAY, Ind. — The Friday before the Indianapolis 500 is the final day drivers can practice before the big race. For fans, however, the date is best know as Carb Day.
George Thorogood and the Destroyers and Gin Blossoms helped fans kick off the weekend with some Carb Day rock and roll.
“All I expect from them is to turn up,” Thorogood said before the concert. “That’s not too much to ask.”
The fans certainly fulfilled Thorogood’s request when he took the stage.
“This is an American institution, the Indianapolis 500,” Thorogood said. “It’s like the Super Bowl or the World Series. I mean, how could you not be thrilled about something like this?”
“There are so many fans here, and so there’s a measure of excitement that you generally don’t get at a typical Gin Blossoms show,” said Robin Wilson, lead singer of Gin Blossoms.
Naturally, FOX59 and CBS4 crews embarked on a quest deep into the Snake Pit looking for those who were the most excited to be at the Carb Day concert.
“Indianapolis has got to be the best place to visit in May,” one fan told FOX59 and CBS4.
FOX59 and CBS4 found some fans rubbing their enjoyment in the faces of those who didn’t get to attend the concert with them via FaceTime.
“Guys at work,” Dave Moffit said. “They’re at the shop right now. They’re kind of jealous.”
With racing comes revelry, though the energy was contagious for fans of all ages on Friday.
“School also just ended yesterday, so this is a good start to summer,” fan Brendan Melby said.
“It’s a good time to be in Indy,” Brendan’s brother Josh Melby said. “The Indy 500, Carb Day, Pacers playoffs, I’m looking forward to that too. There’s a lot going on.”
Inevitably, you’ll see some of the younger faces coming back for decades to come because Carb Day is a Hoosier tradition that welcomes everyone to the party.
“Eddie’s my oldest, and I just absolutely love everything the track represents for Hoosier hospitality,” Brian Tomlinson said, referencing his son.
“There’s people from all over” Eddie Tomlinson said. “It’s really awesome. I really fit into it, I think.”
