Welcome to Speedway!

Speedway, Indiana....home of the world famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the Indianapolis 500 mile race.

Every May, hundreds of thousands of people flock to this small town in central Indiana to watch the greatest race known to man. (We can't use certain verbiage because we don't wanna get sued.)

Every Memorial day weekend 350,000 people cram inside of the 560 acre track, suddenly making the Indianapolis Motor Speedway the second largest city in the state, behind Indianapolis.

Now, this may be a bold assumption, but I assume most of you have seen the 500, either on TV or have been lucky enough to go.

So we will leave the track and it's amenities for another story. Let's talk the town. Because let's be honest, if you're coming for the race, a mini vacation of the weekend isn't a bad idea.

Being an enclave city of Indianapolis, the town of Speedway is surrounded on all sides by the Capitol city, allowing for easy access into town, and plenty of places to go, within a short distance.

But visitors to Speedway don't even have to leave! If your lucky enough to grab one of the very limited hotel rooms in town.

Sitting right off interstate 465, all along Crawfordsville Rd, you will find your everyday essentials, McDonald's, KFC, Arby's and Taco bell. (Use this taco bell, the one on 16th street is where Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti were robbed in 2017)

You will also have your Applebee's, a Kroger to get the essentials, and McAllisters Deli, complete with its own liveried IndyCar.

Continue down Crawfordsville road for a moment, and you will start to the the Goliath that is IMS. Politely weaving by houses and town hall, you will eventually find Main Street, right across from the track.

Main Street Speedway is not your typical Midwestern Main street. There's no old historical courthouse, and life on Main St. doesn't die down after 6pm.

Main Street Speedway is where the real party will be, especially race weekend. And they have a little bit of everything.

Need to burn some laps? Try Speedway Indoor Karting (1067 N Main St.)

A product of former IndyCar driver Sarah Fisher, SIK has become the premier Karting location in the state.

Breakfast more your thing? Try Charlie Browns Pancake and Steak house.

A Speedway staple, you may even be lucky enough to run into some current or former drivers!

1038 N. Main St.

Okay, you've run some laps, had a delicious breakfast, let's go see what else is around.

A short walk around Main St you will find AJ Foyt Racing, the Dallara IndyCar factory, and just off the road, Juncos Hollinger racing, as well as Abel Motorsports and Force Indy from the NXT series.

Race shops visited, it's time to eat. And drink. And oh boy does Speedway have everything.

Remember SIK? I'm sure you smelt that smell that wasn't gas fumes and rubber. That was Brozinni Pizza, located in the same building, a New York style pizzeria, sure to please the grumble in your belly.

1067 N. Main St.

Are you a true American? Is your alarm clock a bald eagle screaming? Then Barbecue and Bourbon has exactly what your looking for.

Serving up Memphis style BBQ and slinging the best whiskey laden beverages you've ever had, this is a must stop!

1414 N. Main St.

Barbecue not your thing? Trying to Channel your inner south-of-the-border self? Well then Tacos and Tequila is where you need to be, just don't be the person Joe Nichols sang about....keep your clothes on.

Serving up your favorite Mexican foods, and keeping your pallete cleansed with ice cold margaritas, Tacos and Tequila is a local favorite.

1502 N. Main St.

Maybe hard liquor isn't your thing, but you still fancy a shot with your beer. And maybe you want to chase those down with a pizza, well boy does Speedway have a surprise for you!

Big Woods Speedway. Styled like a cabin of delicious libations, Big Woods is the brain child of Quaff On! Brewing company out of Nashville, Indiana.

Try their delicious Six Foot Strawberry Blonde, its a personal favorite of mine, or indulge in any of their many many craft beers, all made by Quaff On! Or maybe you did want some hard liquor, well good news.......Hard Truth Distillery is also owned by them, their bourbon sipping cream, to die for! Try any of their small batch liquors.

Oh and the food. The food is incredible, the fish and chips are some of the best in the metro area, the pizzas are sure to please even Dave Portnoy, and the burgers are big, thick and juicy!

1002 N. Main St.

Beer, a race day staple, the beverage that makes life happy. Hop on down to DareDevil Brewing Co.

The brewery that has been with Main St since it's revival, DareDevil has played host to many delicious beers, even partnering with former IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe for a beer colab, the Hinchtown Hammerdown.......it was soo good, please bring it back! But, DareDevil has its fair share of incredible brews, known far and wide for their flagship beer "Liftoff" an IPA that is as tasty as it is hoppy, they even have a mannequin of the Liftoff guy hanging from the ceiling inside! Just make sure you try the Indy Lager, it's easily a top 10 beer all time!

1151 N. Main St.

Wait a second, Conor Daly has some Irish in him doesnt he? Maybe he would love to join you at O'Reillys Irish Pub.

My personal hang-out in Speedway, O'Reillys has all the charm of a quaint Irish Pub. The food, incredible. The beer. Cold. The view? You can see the main gate at IMS from the bar.

Where else in the world can you have a cheeseburger, cold beer, great service, and a fantastic view?

Yes I said cheeseburger at an Irish place, get it. Lettuce, onion, mustard, pepper jack cheese. Trust me.

1552 N. Main St.

Maybe you brought the kids, and need a more relaxed environment. Try Dawson's on Main, it's like a diner that went to college. All the greasy foods you expect, tenderloins. Burgers. Fried fish and chicken, but nicer. Having a menu that captures all tastes. Your sure to please the entire family at Dawson's. Oh, and its yet another locally owned business, no corporate stuff here.

1464 N. Main St.

Of course. You may want to venture, but maybe not too far. Just a short hop west on 10th st, is Mug-N-Bun drive thru. An Indianapolis Institution, Mug-N-Bun has been serving hungry customers for over 65 years!

The best rootbeer you will ever have. That you can buy by the gallon, the crispiest onion rings on the planet, and of course, Indiana Tenderloins.

5211 W. 10th St.

So we have eaten, drank and been merry, time to fast forward to race day! Didn't buy parking before hand? Not a problem, park in someone's front yard, literally. The residents of Speedway sell spots in their yards to park cars, just have a $20 bill and a spots all yours, obviously only if they are actively parking people.

If you enter through Turn 4 gates, be prepared. The coke lot is right off turn 4. A large plot of land that the Coca-Cola company rents spots out to race fans to camp. It doesn't matter if it's 9AM on race day, someone in the coke lot is hammered drunk and yelling "hell yeah it's the indy500!"

No matter where you park, or enter. Just be ready for massive crowds, I mean, we are parking 350,000 people in here.

And if you are coming for the entire weekend, make sure to stop by Rockin on Main Friday night, to enjoy everything the town has to offer.

Be patient, be courteous, remember people do live here, and tip your servers.

Welcome to Speedway.