This is the week prior to Memorial Day. For many, this time simply signifies the end of the School Year and the beginning of Summer. For me, it means “The Race” is upon us. It means that as I type, 33 drivers are preparing to take their qualifying laps to determine who will sit on the Pole. It means a week of practice laps are ahead. For me, this week means it is once again time for The Indianapolis 500. This is the week where IndyCar drivers prepare for the Greatest Spectacle in Sports.

I was born and raised in the state of Indiana. The Sunday of Memorial Day meant we would listen to the Indy 500 on the radio. In later years when the race began to be televised, that didn’t change. You see, the airing of the Race on TV was blocked out to anyone within the defined proximity to the Speedway.

Everyone in my family had a favorite driver. The names changed as we grew up — but the love of the race remained and passed down into the next generation of Carmichael/Clarks. Chicken dinners served just before the military flyover and singing of Back Home In Indiana (by Jim Nabors) were part of that tradition — as were $1 bets on the winners. When the next generation joined in the fun, visits to the Track were added to the agenda. We’d drive down on Legends Day to meet the drivers and get autographs, gathering on the bleachers to watch the presentation of rings and classic car parade. Some years, we even made it down for Carb Day — watching each driver take their final practice laps and getting a look at pit row. My brother and I went down to the Speedway for Legends Day on the 100th Anniversary and, as we were walking around, witnessed the transport of the Borg-Warner Trophy … it went right by me! I could have reached out and touched it.

The Race is a spectacle and an experience. While I’ve never actually attended it, I do know that there is only one way to win. Go very fast and be the one that earns the wave of the black and white checkered flag as you pass over the finish line.

I’ve tried that. No, not suiting up and climbing into one of those million-dollar machines. I’ve tried the “going very fast” part in an effort to make it to the Winner’s Circle. What I’ve discovered is that though I may get there quickly, when I “go very fast” the wear and tear on my own “million-dollar machine” may not be the best use of my own energy.

Today, as I type, a robin is building a nest on one of my garage light fixtures. I’ve not witnessed this process before. Usually, I wake up and discover that the nest has been built and robins are perching on said nest. Today though, I watch as the birds fly up, each carrying one twig or piece of fallen bracken, carefully and strategically placing and securing it in just the right spot to ensure safety in the next phase for this nest. They build it one piece at a time … and it’s a slower process than I realized to craft a secure nest to rest.

I know that the drivers in the Indy 500 are skilled and that they are safely secured into their cars. It’s crazy how the technology and cars have changed since I began listening to this race oh so many years ago. But, I do know that they are connected to and supported by a strong team and that when the car needs fuel or new tires — or a tweak here and there — they veer off the track into the Pits. They just do so at a really high speed. A quick pit and a quick drive is the key to getting to that coveted checkered flag.

Today, I feel a bit like Marco Andretti — the Andretti racing team has always been my favorite, going back to the days when I cheered for Mario to cross the finish line first. Marco sat on the pole once, meaning his qualifying time was the fastest that year. But he hasn’t earned placement of his name on that Borg-Warner trophy. He finishes the race though — just not first. He’s usually ranked 10 – 15 at the conclusion. But he keeps showing up and suiting up. And, each year, he goes round and round that 2 1/2 mile track at his own super fast speed until he at last crosses the finish line.

I find myself learning from Marco. Just keep moving forward — a phrase coined by Walt Disney — and finish the race at your own pace. Maybe I won’t be the fastest and maybe I won’t finish first or get a trophy, but I will stay connected to my team, pull into the pit when I need to rest, and take care of my “machine.” I will fuel up to maintain power and keep my internal engines going. I will choose a good team of people to support me as a driver and my vehicle. And I will navigate the track with care to avoid other drivers and crashing into the brick wall. That way, I will cross that finish line in the manner and time that is best of me.

And that’s okay!

Back in the day when I first started listening to the race, the announcer used to say: “Gentlemen, Start Your Engines.” Then, one year, the first woman driver — Janet Guthrie — joined the lineup, and the phrase became “Lady & Gentlemen, Start Your Engines.” Since that time, the phrase has evolved as more and more females join the competition. Now it’s simply: “Drivers, Start Your Engines.”

Each of us are driving on a track — round and around and around we go. The challenge we face is to figure out how to travel safely and set a speed that we are comfortable with. Maybe going fastest isn’t the right choice for me — or you. Maybe slowing down a bit, taking in the scenery during time on pit row, and watching a robin build a nest is a better choice for my spirit. Only you know how to maneuver your own million-dollar machine around your own personal track.

In a few days, Roger Penske — the owner who purchased the Speedway a few years ago — will utter those famous words … “Drivers, Start Your Engines.” I’ll be cheering for Marco, as I do every year. I’d like to see him cross the finish line first … but what’s really important to the Andretti team and family — and me — is that he crosses it safely, in his time, with his machine intact!

Whether you sit on the Pole or back in the cluster of 33 drivers that begin the race when the Green Flag waves, only you can decide the best way to navigate the track, when to go into Pit Row, and how you will finish your own personal Indy 500 race.

Dedicated to Jeff Carmichael.