I’ve been a fan of IndyCar for most of my life, worked in it across a variety of team and media roles for four decades, and seen just about everything of interest that’s taken place since the 1980s. With that context in mind, when I wind back through all of those years, I can’t think of a single season which tops the non-stop volatility that defined the 2024 championship. It was one step forward, three steps back, two more forward, and constant gaining and losing of yardage with storylines.
The endless eruptions were either humorous, embarrassing, positive, or poignant. And steeped in drama. Good Lord, the drama, and not always the good kind.
It rained on IndyCar in biblical ways. Never boring, and in no particular order, everything below actually happened: • A mannequin hung from a bridge by the eccentric owner of Barber Motorsports Park breaks free and falls during the race, bringing out a caution to clear the female fashion figure from the circuit. Later deposited in the media center, race winner Scott McLaughlin poses with the mannequin, which is quickly turned into an official trading card by the series.
• Waterlogged skies threaten to postpone IndyCar’s crown jewel, but fans are gifted the best Indianapolis 500 in ages which goes down to the wire after an extensive rain delay pushes the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” into an evening thriller. Settling near sunset between Pato O’Ward and new two-time winner Josef Newgarden, it’s also a smash for viewe.