Winning the Indianapolis 500 changes you. For life.
There's no reason to underplay the massive personal value of adding one's name to the rostrum of triumph at Monaco, Daytona Beach and Le Mans, and there's also no mistaking how standing in Victory Lane at our oldest and holiest cathedral of speed is a transformational event unlike any other event in motor racing. On Sunday, for the 107th time in its rich history, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will do it again, forever altering whomever climbs from their Indy car in Victory Lane.
"It's weird to talk about yourself this way, but I had this feeling that I was popular prior to 2013 because I was one of the best to never win around this place," says 2004 IndyCar champion Tony Kanaan, whose eruptive 2013 Indy 500 win nearly incited a riot.