SPEEDWAY, Ind. (WRTV) — Businesses in the Marion County town of Speedway on Tuesday were ramping up operations as they prepare for the arrival of hundreds of thousands of fans for the Indianapolis 500, expecting a good month of sales in May.
Lee Bailey, a hostess at Charlie Brown's Pancake & Steak House, said, "It's amazing that everyone is coming in and that we've even made our hours long for the Indy 500, where we open now at 6 a.m."
David Cecil, owner of Grammy Sue's Cheesecake, said, "It's incredibly busy, a lot of people. We actually spend the night before because parking is so crazy. We sell hot dogs, we sell cheesecakes, we sell parking, and it's just great for business."
Grammy Sue's will spend the next few days baking more than 100 cheesecake slices and hopes to sell over 200 on Sunday on race day.
At Charlie Brown's, race fans and regulars have told the hostess that they love coming back to the restaurant for its unique decorations. Bailey said, "We've been open for almost 40 years, and we've collected so many things. In our hallway, we have pictures of veterans, racecar drivers, and they all donate their things here, and we even have famous people like A.J. Foyt come in here that donated things."
Customer Kirby Smock, a self-described huge racing fan, said Charlie Brown's is his favorite place to eat, to see a part of racing history on the walls, and to meet people from all walks of life. "I went to my first race in 1955, and I haven't missed one since. This will be 72 years in a row that I've been in the race."
At Santa's Pit Stop in downtown Speedway, the store shelves are packed with race gear, ornaments, and something else shoppers may not expect: Santa-themed merch. Dave Wilson, co-owner of the store, said, "Saturday, the day before the 500, it is just wall-to-wall folks. It's just elbow to elbow, and it's just about everything we can do to get out from behind the counter to restock."
