INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – JULY 31: A general view of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Pagoda prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 31, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)
SPEEDWAY, Ind. (NewsNation) — Racing teams for the Indianapolis 500 only have until Friday to work on their cars ahead of Sunday’s race.
It’s a tedious — but critical process — as every millisecond counts.
Currently, the difference between the first driver in line on Sunday and the second is four one-thousandths of a second, making it the closest gap in Indy 500 history.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Gasoline Alley is where the cars truly come to life in a row of garages housing 33 drivers and their teams.
From bolts to brakes, mechanics like Steve Malic are putting the finishing touches on their cars and making sure everything is race day-ready.
“You want to make sure that every button and screw is put down tight on the car,” said Malic. “You want to make sure that all of the stickers are put on.”
But after the cars are ready, Malic admits there isn’t much more they can do than breathe.
“I say a little prayer, cross myself and just say ‘Please don’t let anything go bad,’ honestly,” he said.
The cars this year are expected to be the fastest in the race’s history with an average of 232 mph.
Critically acclaimed actor Adam Driver is the honorary starter for the 107th edition of the race. The flag is scheduled to drop at 12:45 p.m. ET on Sunday.
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