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Racers gear up for the Indy 500

Scott Dixon, of New Zealand, drives through the first turn during qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

(NewsNation) — The biggest week in racing is here.

Drivers are starting their engines for the 107th year of the Indianapolis 500 this Sunday.


The iconic two-and-a-half-mile track where the event is held is so large that the Vatican City, Yankee Stadium, the White House, Liberty Island, the Taj Mahal, the Roman Colosseum, the Rose Bowl, Churchill Downs and three holes of golf could all fit inside the track’s oval.

The stadium holds close to 400,000 fans, making the Indy 500 the largest one-day sporting event in the world.

The event is steeped with history and traditions as fans are greeted with Hoosier pride and Memorial Day patriotism.

The race will start Sunday morning at 6 a.m. with those three famous words: “start your engines,” and a cannon blast.

With that, the 33 best drivers in the world will race 200 times around the track at speeds well over 200 miles per hour, for a shot at the winning moment.