The #Indy500MediaTour was once again an undisputed success.
Drivers competing in the 102nd Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil spread out across the nation on Tuesday to talk about "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" and encourage fans to attend or tune into the live broadcast on ABC and the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network (11 a.m. ET Sunday). From New York to Portland and everywhere in between, 33 drivers were spreading the Verizon IndyCar Series gospel heading into their marquee race.
IndyCar.com tracked the exploits of its emissaries via social media and highlights their adventures below. From making media appearances in 20 major markets to visiting landmarks to just plain having fun, the drivers did it all on a long but worthwhile day that has become an annual INDYCAR tradition on Indy 500 race week.
The activities were capped late Tuesday night when Danica Patrick was a guest on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" to discuss the fact that Sunday's race will be her last in competition. Patrick also announced that she will be the first female host of the ESPYs later this summer. (Watch the interview below.)
Here are some highlight social posts from drivers on their portions of the #Indy500MediaTour.
Charlotte: Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud
Team Penske teammates Josef Newgarden and Simon Pagenaud went "home" to North Carolina on their tour. And it looks like Pagenaud collected his first "win" of race week.
Chicago: Helio Castroneves
Team Penske's Helio Castroneves had a whirlwind tour of the Windy City, including a quick stop at Chicago's United Center to see the statue of Michael Jordan. Jumpman, meet Spiderman.
Cincinnati: James Davison, Jack Harvey, Jay Howard
Where do you send an Aussie and two Brits? To the Queen City, of course. No Elizabeth sightings but they did spot some Redlegs.
Columbus: Zach Veach
Zach Veach was given the keys to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course's Twitter account (@Mid_Ohio).
Dallas-Fort Worth: Gabby Chaves, Scott Dixon
INDYCAR drivers Scott Dixon and Gabby Chaves arrived in style at Texas Motor Speedway in style today to congratulate the many winners of the Speed to Read program for students. Was it a new track record?
Dayton, Ohio: Robert Wickens
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports' Robert Wickens started his day in Indianapolis for the American Dairy Association’s 44th annual Fastest Rookie Luncheon, then found his way to Ohio.
Denver: JR Hildebrand, Stefan Wilson
JR Hildebrand and Stefan Wilson have made Colorado their home now, and were happy to return there and rev their engines with a little racing of their own.
Detroit: Ed Carpenter, Max Chilton, Will Power
A trio of Chevrolet drivers visited Detroit – home to the upcoming Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear. Motown’s Supremes have nothing on these crooners. Well, maybe they do.
"It was definitely a fun Indy 500 media day in Detroit," said Ed Carpenter, the pole sitter for the Indianapolis 500. "We got a chance to do a little racing on the Belle Isle track with the media in iRacing simulators, and we had fun on some of the tailgating games they'll have for fans at the track this year in Detroit. Personally, I really liked fowling, though it's more challenging than you think!"
Fort Wayne, Indiana: Zachary Claman De Melo, Kyle Kaiser, Matheus Leist
Three rookies for the 102nd Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil made the short trip to Fort Wayne. Matheus 'Matt' Leist, Kyle Kaiser and Zachary Claman De Melo may be rookies by label, but they are certainly pros when it comes to being interviewed by media.
Houston: Tony Kanaan
A.J. Foyt Enterprises is based just outside of Houston, so who better to have represent the Verizon IndyCar Series in H-Town than one of their drivers, fan favorite and 2013 Indianapolis 500 champion Tony Kanaan.
Louisville: Conor Daly
There are two cathedrals of speed in the Midwest: Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Churchill Downs. Conor Daly knows horsepower when he sees it.
Miami: Carlos Munoz, Oriol Servia
When you send Oriol Servia and Carlos Munoz to Miami for some fun in the sun, the South Florida media are always in for a treat. Let's hope they bring back some pleasant weather for this weekend's race.
Milwaukee: Ed Jones
Wisconsin. Home of Cheeseheads, the "Fonz" and Road America. Chip Ganassi Racing's Ed Jones did the grand tour of Milwaukee.
New York: James Hinchcliffe, Danica Patrick, Takuma Sato
INDYCAR took a big bite out of the Big Apple today. James Hinchcliffe made the trip even though he sadly didn't qualify for the Indy 500 because he is, well, the Mayor.
Danica Patrick started her New York day visiting with Mike Greenberg on ESPN's "Get Up!" Later, she was a guest on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." In between, Danica met, well, herself.
Reigning Indy 500 champion Takuma Sato felt the LOVE of New York, from the famous artwork designed by Robert Indiana, who died earlier this week.
To close the night, Patrick told Jimmy Fallon that she will indeed be the first woman to host the ESPYs. Watch the entire interview here:
Orlando: Spencer Pigot
A long-standing tradition during prerace festivities for the Indianapolis 500 is to sing "Back Home Again In Indiana." In keeping with that theme, Spencer Pigot went back home again to Orlando.
Philadelphia: Marco Andretti, Sage Karam
Marco Andretti and Sage Karam opted for a little Philadelphia freedom on the visit to their home state. In between media visits, they stopped by Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed.
Portland: Alexander Rossi
Alexander Rossi, the 2016 Indy 500 winner, got the jump on the field by starting his tour Monday night at the World of Speed Motorsports Museum outside Portland, Oregon. INDYCAR is eager to race there for the first time in 11 years later this season.
St. Louis: Charlie Kimball
Charlie Kimball made the quick trip from Indianapolis down I-70 to meet media outlets along with our friends at Gateway Motorsports Park, the host track for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 in August. Before Kimball made his return, he added a final stop to his itinerary.
Tampa-St. Petersburg: Graham Rahal
Graham Rahal visited one of the favorite stops on the Verizon IndyCar Series schedule, caught up with an old friend and paid his respects to an all-time INDYCAR favorite.
Washington: Ryan Hunter-Reay
Ryan Hunter-Reay traveled to the nation's capital and was an honored guest of Vice President Mike Pence at the White House.