INDIANAPOLIS | May in Indianapolis moved from anticipation to motion Tuesday as practice opened for the 110th Indianapolis 500 and Indianapolis native Ephraim Owens was announced for another pre-race performance at the Speedway.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway said practice for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge opened on the IMS oval Tuesday. INDYCAR also marked opening day of practice, the moment when teams begin turning preparation into real track work.
The Associated Press reported that Owens, a former contestant on “The Voice,” will sing “America the Beautiful” before the May 24 race. It will be his second consecutive year performing the song before IndyCar’s premier event.
The pairing fits Indianapolis in May. The month is not only about race day. It is a long civic rhythm: practice, qualifying, garage talk, school visits, concerts, family traditions, traffic plans, downtown energy and the final build toward the largest single-day sporting event in the region.
Owens’ return gives the ceremony a local voice. AP reported that Owens gained national attention when all four coaches turned their chairs during his blind audition on “The Voice.” For Indianapolis, the story is more personal: a hometown singer standing inside one of the city’s defining public stages.
Practice matters for fans because it begins the real guessing game. Speed charts are not the race, but they show who is comfortable, who is searching and which teams may have found something early. For crews, every lap is information. For drivers, the track begins to reveal what it will allow.
The 500 has always blended sport and ceremony. Engines are the headline, but the experience is also patriotic music, military recognition, local performers, family tailgates, neighborhood rentals, hotel demand and a city that reorients itself around the Speedway.
For local businesses, practice week is the runway. Restaurants, hotels, rideshare drivers, bars, garages, tourism operators and vendors all feel the build before race weekend. A strong crowd and strong broadcast environment can extend the economic effect beyond the track.
The Speedway also carries generational memory. People remember who they went with, where they parked, what the weather felt like and what song played before the engines fired. Owens’ performance becomes part of that ceremony even before the race starts.
None of that changes the work ahead for teams. Practice opening day is the beginning of a demanding stretch. Mechanical reliability, weather changes, traffic runs and qualifying trim will matter long before the green flag.
Indianapolis gets this combination better than almost any city: sport as civic calendar, music as ritual, and a race track as a gathering place. Tuesday’s news was not just a schedule update. It was the city’s annual reminder that May is officially on.
Additional Reporting By:Indianapolis Motor Speedway; INDYCAR; Associated Press.