With five laps remaining in the Indy 500, I found myself on the space directly behind the pits. I turned away from the front straight in order to catch the action on the large screen behind me. People started losing their minds, because Takuma Sato had now taken the lead and he was about to win his first Indy 500.
I turned back to watch this crowd of folks gathering directly behind me, then I glanced up to see #26 signifying the pit box location. This was Sato’s pit space.
This was a pretty good place to wind up after taking in nearly 500 miles of pretty amazing racing. Sato fans, Andretti Autosport friends and family, and others with an interest in seeing this 40-year-old racing driver capture a crown jewel of a victory were losing their minds. It was great to watch the end of the race itself and the reaction here in front of this pit space.
It wasn’t just the group of people behind me, however, as it seemed the entire Speedway was thrilled to witness Sato capture the win here. A sea of 400,000 people standing up and cheering under the partly cloudy Indiana sky. The heat in the air was off and on throughout the day, but the action on the track was constant.
At the end of it all, Takuma Sato stood above the others and he took a mighty swig of the milk.