I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend, and that you enjoyed all the racing we got to witness. Speaking of the weekend’s racing, what a sensational Indy 500! The final laps were riveting, right until the checkered flag. It was so exciting to watch and to know that my brother, Chris, was a part of the action as a spotter for winner Felix Rosenqvist.
You can catch a unique perspective here with the final restart and laps, which have been overlaid with the team radio feed. It makes those last laps even more exhilarating! It was so exciting for me to see Chris enjoy this tremendous triumph for the team, even kissing the bricks and drinking milk (as I learned, there are three bottles: one each for the driver, team owner, and crew chief). It is so deserved with all the effort, talent, and luck that goes into getting the victory at Indy.
After the checkered flag flew, Chris was still about a half mile away, set up with the other spotters in turn one. He didn’t worry about packing up his equipment: he ran through the grandstands, across the track, and to the winner’s circle for the celebration. It was quite a feat to get through those crowds to meet the team and take part in the prestigious post-race ceremonies. Chris was running his own race to make it in time!
All the following formalities extended Chris’s travel plans. Team photos had to be taken the next day, and those weren’t quick since there were so many team and series sponsor hats to swap out! The champions dinner was that evening, where they announced the record-breaking prize purse for Felix Rosenqvist and the team.
It’s wild to think about having someone in the family with an Indy 500 ring! Considering Chris was also a spotter for the team that won the Rolex 24 at Daytona last year, who knows what’s next for him?