INDIANAPOLIS – When Dale Earnhardt, Jr. retired after a successful career in racing, he knew that one day he would attend the Indianapolis 500 as a spectator.
Earnhardt might have become a stock car racing star in NASCAR, but he loves big events and when it comes to racing, there is no bigger event than the Indianapolis 500.
“I was going to be here whether NBC was working me or not,” Earnhardt told NTT INDYCAR Mobile at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “But NBC just wants to capture it while I’m here.”
Earnhardt’s first time Indy 500 experience will be legendary. Not only is he seeing the race in person for the first time, heck, he gets to drive the pace car to start the field of 33 on their way in the race.
NBC’s coverage begins at 11 a.m. Sunday with the green flag about 12:30 p.m.
Earnhardt said he was the second choice to drive the pace car.
“They had that weather guy from the TODAY show, Al Roker, and he couldn’t make it. So, they asked me,” Earnhardt said. “I’m here already any ways.
“Me and the track president (Doug Boles) talked on the phone and I said I was worried about the IndyCar drivers being cool with it, and he had the same concerns. He polled the drivers and they were fine with it. That made me comfortable doing it. I was wanting to do it very badly. There is a respect and a tradition here that I’m very mindful of.
“This is their world and only certain people can get into the room.
“Everybody seems to be cool with it and it’s an incredible experience for me and it’s quite an honor.”
Earnhardt is part of NBC’s first-ever telecast of the Indianapolis 500. He will be part of the pre-race show that is anchored by Mike Tirico and 2005 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Danica Patrick.
Earnhardt will venture around Indianapolis Motor Speedway with his TV sidekick, Rutledge Wood, but he will be part of the set with Tirico and Patrick during the telecast after commercial breaks or during caution periods for his impressions of his first Indy 500.
“I’m a fish out of water,” he admitted. “They are trying to capture my reaction to all of these things. I need to be seeing it for the first time and learning while I’m there in that moment. You balance finding out a little bit, but not too much.
“I don’t need to know the history of every driver and team; that’s for the guys in the booth. I’m not going to be playing that role in this race. During the race, I’ll be on the pit box with Mike Tirico and Danica Patrick and they will be coming to us to get a general reaction of what we think of the event and how it is playing out.
“I’ve been on the pit box before and watching the race and pull things aside that intrigue you. Like an underdog. I love an underdog story. I might pull out who I see that is an underdog and tell that story. It’s never going to be technical or over my head.
“In the NASCAR booth, I need to know the depth of the battle and storylines.”
When it comes to the history of the Indianapolis 500, Earnhardt is a student of the race. As a young boy, he used to watch his father race in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway back when the race was held during the day and come back to watch the same-day coverage of the Indianapolis 500 that night.
When lights were installed at Charlotte Motor Speedway beginning in 1992, the racing went under the lights and the NASCAR drivers and teams would watch the Indianapolis 500 on TV before their race started at 5:30 p.m.
“I got a big, big, giant book about the history of the Indianapolis 500,” Earnhardt said. “That’s fascinating to me. My favorite part about all of this is what this track has been through: Built in 1909 and surviving two World Wars and the Great Depression. It almost didn’t make it back from World War, II. That is really interesting. I like that about a lot of things.
“I love that history knowing that you are somewhere special. That is interesting to me.”
Perhaps one of the most important things Earnhardt brings to the NBC telecast will be the childlike viewpoint of seeing the race in person for the first time. He’s looking at the Indy 500 through an entirely different lens.
“I’m going to see that stuff and say, ‘That’s cool.’ Or, ‘I wish we had this,’” Earnhardt said. “I want people to say after they see me and Rutledge Wood, ‘Man, I want to buy a ticket and go to that race next year.’
“I don’t want to bring in a ton of NASCAR comparisons. This is an IndyCar race. I’m not here to make that translation. I will feel the same way during the race on top of the pit box.
“They want my reaction to something in the moment and what is really on their mind. As I’ve walked around this weekend, my curiosity makes me want to know more than this.”
Earnhardt also wants to bring racers together with other racers. It doesn’t matter what type of car they drive or what series they are part of, it’s all about racers telling their stories.
“I’ve got a lot to learn about these guys, where they are from and their stories,” Earnhardt said. “In NASCAR, everybody comes from the same bubble. Over here, I’ve known Graham Rahal for a long time.
“As you start to talk to these guys, they are racers and have the same drive. They have struggles and transitions and obstacles. Yes, they are driving different cars and how they approach their job.
“At the core, it’s the same objective. You are trying to do the same thing. It’s the biggest race of the year. There is a lot of preparation that goes into this. This won’t be like the next race or any other race the rest of their season.
“I’m just absorbing and getting it started here and learning everything we can.”