Behind the Scenes at the Red Carpet Premiere of ‘100 Days to Indy’

If you're a speed freak with a taste for adrenaline, you've probably heard of the Indy 500 - the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway race in Indiana, USA. It's one of the fastest and most prestigious races in the world, with some of the most talented drivers in open-wheel racing reaching tyre-burning speeds of 230 miles per hour.

But the Indy 500 isn't just a race – it's a major event. Hundreds of thousands of people show up to watch the action live, and the pre-race festivities are a blast. There's a parade, lots of day drinking, and, of course, the Snake Pit - a music festival described as “hell on earth” by Deadspin. And then there are the traditions – like the winner drinking milk in Victory Lane. Yeah, we don't get it either, but it's a thing.

This year, VICE has got the inside track with our new docuseries, 100 Days to Indy. Our talented team, led by Emmy Award-winning director Patrick Dimon, went behind the scenes to get an inside look at the fascinating world of IndyCar racing.

At our LA premiere, we welcomed IndyCar Series champions Will Power, Josef Newgarden, and Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske; Simon Pagenaud of Meyer Shank Racing, and Marcus Ericson of Chip Ganassi Racing – the Indy 500 winners of 2019 and 2022, respectively.  

Dimon said of the quick six-week turnaround in filming: “I think that sometimes the beauty is not having too much time… This is like: ‘Hey, this is what happened in St. Petersburg. This is who we've filmed with so far. This is what we have to show and tell, so there's no getting around it.’”

Pato O’Ward, driver of the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet and championship leader through two rounds, praised this authentic approach: “They showed everything as what it is. Nothing on there is fake. It's legit and raw.”

Check out the scenes of the fans and the stars on the red carpet. 

100 Days to Indy will be available to stream on Thursday 27 April from 9-10PM ET/PT on The CW Network.