Kicking off the May festivities is
The Indiana Life 500 Mini-Marathon
7:30 a.m. First Saturday in MayLocation: Starts and ends downtown
Contact: Indy Festivals at (317) 636-4556.
Run 13.1 miles, starting at the Circle (center of downtown), run to the Speedway and make a lap, then run back to the starting line for a awards ceremony and concert. Join approximately 25,000 people for the largest half-marathon in the nation. There is an entry fee for participants but its free to spectators.

Q95 Pole Day Party
11 a.m.- 5 p.m. on First Day of Qualifying
Location: Turn 3 Infield
The rock station is throwing a party in the Turn 3 infield. The day includes live music from Cheap Trick and dAMN dIRTY aPES. Plus there will be contests. More info at: Q95.

Racing To Recovery Party This affair is usually held at a great restaurant and features lots of stars and a charity auction for Sam Schmidt's Paralysis Foundation.
For information call (317) 450-2070. Cost $100.

Breakfast with Andretti-Green
Charity event at the track includes track tour. Sold out.

500 Festival Mayor's Breakfast
8 - 10 a.m. 3rd Day of Qualifying (Saturday)
Location: the Westin hotel downtown
To purchase $60 tickets, call the 500 Festival at (317) 614-6400 or toll free at 1-800-638-4296 or go to 500Festival.com
Join all the mayors from Indiana for breakfast. Tickets get you in for the 500 Festival Queen Coronation, a lap around the famed oval in your own vehicle and a tour of the garages.
2005 keynote speaker - Brent Musberger of ABC Sports

500 Festival Rookie Run and Kids' Day
Noon - Third Sunday in May
Location: Monument Circle downtown
Contact: Indy Festivals, Inc. (317) 636-4556
For the seventh year, kids age 13 and under can be a winner at the Bank One 500 Festival Rookie Run. A non-competitive fun run that complements the Indianapolis Life 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, the Rookie Run is a great way for kids to stay physically fit.
For more info on the Marathon, Kids Run, Parade, and 500 Princesses, go to www.500festival.com

Front Row Party
Tuesday before race weekend
Location: Average Joe's Pub in Broadripple
Party for the drivers who qualify on the front row. Invitation only till 9pm.

CARA Indy 500 Fashion Show
Thursday before Race Weekend
Time: 11 a.m.
See drivers and their families, along with other celebrities on the runway at the Westin Hotel.
$75. Call (317) 299-2277 for information.

Free CARB DAY Concert at the Speedway
2005 - starring The Black Crowes
About 4 o'clock, after the pit stop competition, behind the tower
Held the Friday before Race Day.

Rally in the Alley - Free CARB DAY Concert Downtown
2005 acts - Dane Clark, followed by Rick Derringer and then the annual Carb Day performance by The Bob & Tom Band.
Begins at 5 p.m.
Annual Free concert at Meridian Street and Jackson Street downtown by Ike & Jonesys.

500 Festival Memorial Service
11:00 a.m. Friday before Race Day
Location: American Legion Mall, Meridian St. and St. Clair st., Indianapolis
Contact: Indy Festivals, Inc. (317) 636-4556

The 500 Snakepit Ball
6:00 p.m. Friday before Race Day
Location: The Indiana Roof ballroom
Contact: Indy Festivals, Inc. (317) 636-4556
This high-energy blacktie “preferred” gala takes place the night before the Indianapolis 500 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom, downtown Indianapolis, uniting race fans and celebrities for a spectacular dinner and official race eve party.

Annual National Auto Racing Memorabilia Expo
Thursday to Saturday before Race Weekend
Time: Thurs:4-8pm Fri:2-7pm Sat:10am-4pm
Location: Indiana State Fairgrounds - Pioneer Our Land Pavilion
$10. Largest array of open-wheel auto racing memorabilia in the world.

IPALCO 500 Festival Parade
Noon Saturday - the day before the Race
Location: Downtown
Contact: Indy Festivals, Inc. (317) 636-4556
$15.50 or $30 for Reviewing Stand seating.
The 500 Festival Parade attracts more than 250,000 spectators along its route and features the race drivers who qualify for the Indy 500, over 100 floats, bands, and special units. I've got a map of the parade route. Click HERE to view it. Seats are available by getting tickets in advance, call TicketMaster.

Indianapolis 500 Victory Dinner
Memorial Day
Location: Indy Motor Speedway
Contact: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (317) 481-8500
The race drivers who participated in the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race are recognized and awarded prize money during the Victory Dinner.
You have to have reservation weeks ahead. Televised. $75 tickets.

Also, check out my MAY SCHEDULE

The Hoosier Hundred - Postponed for 2006
Friday, before the Indy 500
Location: Indiana State Fairgrounds, East Pavilion and Grandstand, 1202 E. 38th St., Indianapolis
Contact: Indiana State Fairgrounds (317) 927-7500

The annual Hoosier Hundred (aka Hulman Hundred and A.J. Foyt Hundred) attracts more than 30 dirt car racers on the USAC Silver Crown series. Along with A.J. Foyt, other racing legends such as Johnny Rutherford, Al Unser, Bob Sweikert, Eddie Sachs, Rodger Ward, Parnelli Jones, Mario Andretti, Steve Kinser and Tony Stewart, have all raced on the oval known as the "Track of Champions." Held on the Indiana State Fairground's 1-mile dirt track, the 100-mile race draws more than 15,000 spectators.

The first 100-mile Championship Car race was held here in 1946 In the 60 years which have passed since, the drivers who have churned the Fairgrounds dirt have written the chapters of American open-wheel racing history.
For more interesting details on each of the races at the Fairgrounds, Click here.

Budweiser Night Before the "500"
Location: Indianapolis Raceway Park, 9901 Crawfordsville Road
Contact: Indianapolis Raceway Park (317) 291-4090

The 55th annual Budweiser Night Before the "500" features USAC midgets and the Formula 2000 Championship Series on the oval track at Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP). IRP features a .686-mile oval, a drag course, and a 2.5-mile road course.

Go view Picture of IRP and Drag Strip Seating Chart This is where the U.S. Drag Nationals are held.

The Little 500
The night before the 500 The town of Anderson is about 30 miles NE of Indy and they have a month long festival called "The Little 500". They have a lot of events such as go-kart races, fashion shows, music concerts, etc; but it all culminates with the 53rd runnning of The Little 500 at the Anderson Speedway. This is a sprint car race with 33 drivers, just like the Indy 500. Qualifying is Friday and Saturday afternoon with the race in the evening.

The Little 500 Bike Race
A Saturday in April
There is also a very popular bicycle race held a month before the Indy 500, down in Bloomington (about 30 miles south of Indy) called the Little 500. It is held by Indiana University and mainly consists of Fraternities. It was the focus of the movie "Breaking Away". The women have a race too, but on the day before. Last year, John Mellencamp put on a concert afterward at Assembly Hall.

The Grand Prix
A Saturday in April
To counter, Purdue University (located about 40 miles north of Indy in Lafayette) holds go-cart races that they call the Grand Prix. Contact: Matt Hill; phone: (317)743-5500 for details on tickets. They must party pretty good at Purdue - in 1998 around 240 people got arrested at this event.