This is a first-person vlog by Nate and Kara Buchanan documenting their insider access to the Indianapolis 500. Key moments: they rode in an IndyCar driven by Mario Andretti (speeds discussed ~180–200 mph); they had suite access and pit access for Elio (Helio) Castroneves during the finish; Helio won his fourth Indy 500; the hosts announced an Omaze partnership to give away a custom electric Land Rover Defender; the video mixes on-track adrenaline, behind-the-scenes pit access, and reflections on the scale of the event (venue capacity, attendance, hospitality).
Questions this video answers
A fully electric, custom-built Land Rover Defender via Omaze (announcement: omaze.com k&n).
About 180 miles an hour (hosts also reference drivers doing ~200 mph).
Stadium full capacity stated as over 400,000 people; this event was at ~40% capacity (over 100,000 attendees).
199 laps to go (they state "just 199 laps to go").
About $1,700 to sit in the suite (per hosts).
Chapters
This might have been the craziest 48 hours of our lives. First, we had the opportunity to ride in an IndyCar with Mario and Ready, aka the greatest race car driver of all time.
Pleasure to meet you. Yeah, you got to ride with Mario.
I know. And we were in Elio Castronova's pit with the crew when he won the Indy 500.
Before we get started, we wanted to let you know that we are partnering with Omaze to give away a fully electric, custom built Land Rover Defender. For more details, just go to omaze.com k&n.
This is a fire suit. Because today we are getting in an Indy car and going around the track at 180 miles an hour.
I cannot believe this is happening. Have we ever worn a fire suit before?
Nope. It's about as real as it gets. Also, Mario Andretti is driving of the cars today, so there is a chance that we are going to get to ride around the track with the most famous race car driver in the world.
I don't feel like we belong here. Pretty sure I went live with a bunch of famous people, but I have no clue who anyone is.
One of the dads from this is us.
Does anyone know who Titus is?
Very nice to meet you.
Also, whoever's singing the national anthem, we were right beside him. Are you nervous? Yes.
I'm so nervous. Got a lot of hair sticking out.
The wind's going to blow it. I'm going to go fast.
This is scary.
I love you.
My heart rate's pounding.
Ladies and gentlemen.
Love you. Good luck.
Couple of times. Perfect.
Car's got the paparazzi on her.
That was s. Thank you, sir. I feel like my body is still moving.
I can't believe that just happened. I thought I was going to fly out of the car.
Oh, my God.
It's so crazy.
I can't wait.
I'm so glad you survived.
Oh, my gosh. I feel like I could go run a marathon right now. Like, let's go. I have so much adrenaline.
You just rode in a car with the most famous race car driver in the world.
I could, like, feel his confidence. He was just like, come on.
Here we go.
Here we go. Nate.
I cannot believe this is happening. Mario, how fast are we gonna go?
I love it.
I feel like I'm being strapped into a roller coaster. More like a jet.
There he go.
Thank you so much. Nice to meet you.
That was the greatest thing I've ever done in my life. What just happened? It's incredible to think that Those drivers do 200 laps of that in a single day. My body is exhausted after two. Probably because I was just. Yes, yes. We left the pit and I thought we were going fast. And then I realized we were still in, like, this skinny lane between the grass. We hadn't even made it to the main track yet. We've got to do a lot of cool things over the last few years, but never in my life did I think I get to do that.
Most 81 year olds are getting their driver's license taken away. It used to be around the track at 200 miles an hour. I was doing everything I could to soak every single second of that in. I just kept telling myself, you're driving around the Indianapolis Speedway with the greatest race car driver of all time. You're doing it. This is real. You're not dreaming.
I don't know what I was thinking about.
We were up bright and early this morning because we don't know if we'll ever have access to the Indy 500 like this again. So we're gonna make the most of every minute of it.
Garrett's still sleeping in the back. I totally could have stuck, like, 10 people into the RA.
Time to wake up. We're here.
Thank you. This is when living in a van really pays off. We drove over here literally half awake, avoided all the traffic, got a great parking spot, and now I'm getting ready right here in the parking lot. All these people walking by. I'm like, good morning.
Oh, mind us.
Anybody want some coffee, deodorant, sunscreen?
Today should be pretty incredible. Not only do we have access to the pits, but we also have a suite that we can watch the race from. So we'll get to show you both experiences. Those are the suites that we're going to be sitting in three hours till the race starts. Don't want to ruin a picture. No, no, don't worry about it.
This day is crazy for so many reasons, but the icing on the cake is that this is the largest sporting event since COVID On a normal year, this stadium could hold over 400,000 people. Today, it's only at 40% capacity, but that still means over 100,000 people are here today. And after spending the last year trying to avoid as many people as possible, this feels weir.
That's the world's largest drum. Kind of smaller than I thought it'd be.
Well, the race hasn't even started yet. My day has already been made. We just got to hang out with two of the five. Dude. Perfect guys. And now we're Just hanging out down on the track until somebody kicks us off.
That might be the most nerve job of the day. Just carrying $3 million of fragile trophy down the stairs.
We are two minutes away from the start, what they call the greatest spectacle in racing. It's crazy how excited I am when just a week ago I didn't even know what IndyCar racing.
The race has begun. Just 199 laps to go.
The only way to get a little bit of an appreciation for the speed is just to watch it straight off. You just have to, like, watch them pass you to blur.
Wow. Helio is moving. He served.
All right, so we have four drivers that we're rooting for. Our top two are a Leo and Jack Harmon because they're with the Meyer Shank team. Maya Shank is the whole reason we.
Get to be down here.
AO's probably our number one, though, because one, he let us go in his RV, and two, it'll be his fourth time winning, and that will make history. Third win is Simona because she's the female and she's a female dominating team.
Which is just awesome and also making history.
And fourth is Joseph Newgarden, who's from our hometown. So we got the room for it. If any of those people win, I'll be super, super happy.
We finally made our way over to our suite. So according to the website, tickets to sit up here are about $1,700. We have a Bloody Mary bar, lots of snacks, nacho station burgers, and hot dogs. These are fancy sandwiches, salad, steaks, quesadillas, an entire car made of Mountain Dew. And this is one of about five full bars. I feel like everybody who's sitting in here either got free T from their work or were given tickets like this. Maybe not.
Crazy.
We have two of our drivers in the top five. Elio is in second, and New Garden is in fifth. Their chances are looking pretty good.
I wonder if there's anyone else sitting in this suite that slept on the street in their car last night, and they got ready in the parking lot this morning. We live such a funny life sometimes.
But I wonder how many of these people got dry with Mario yesterday.
All right, the suite was great, but we like being closer to the action, and Elio is in second, so we're trying to make our way to his pit just in case he wins.
Elio, Elio, let's go.
Elliot was in first place, and we are in his fifth.
Let's go, baby. Come on, come on.
Come on, Elio.
They're about to do the last pit stop of the race. This kids make or break again.
Woo. Only 10 laps to go. I'm pretty sure we're not supposed to be in here right now. And nobody stopped us. And now all the TV cameras are showing up and we're just here. Ready up.
Six laps to go. We're in first.
Three laps. We brought back to second.
2 laughs and we're back and forth.
This is so crazy.
Welcome to the four time club. Helio castro neves.
Yes.
Oh, my.
Oh, my God.
Wow. Just when I thought the highlight of this trip was going to be riding in a race car with Mario Andretti, we had to be in the pit of the winning racer. He just gave us a tour around his RV 48 hours ago. Congratulations, Elio. That was absolutely incredible.
The excitement that just happened in this pit. I will never experience that anywhere else in my life.
He was our number one pick to win the race because if he won today, that was going to be four times winning the Indy 500, which is tied for the most ever. We were in the pit for history today. If I feel this happy, I can't imagine how happy he was.
Well, there, if you didn't know, like.
Me, it's your tradition for the winner.
Of the Indy 500 to pour a.
Melt on their face that.
I am so sad that this weekend is over.
Every day for the last four days, I've just been like, it can't get any better than this. And then it just keeps getting better.
Somehow we managed to be in the right place at the right time, like a hundred times this weekend.
