It’s been a busy few weeks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as drivers and teams prepare for one of the greatest races in the world – the Indianapolis 500.
The groundskeepers and staff at the speedway are especially busy during this time of year. The crews are prepping the track for optimal racing and making sure the facility is just right for the thousands of fans from all over the world who flock to the racetrack to see this race.
WKVI’s Anita Goodan knows one of the members of the staff who works in the facilities department at IMS and for the past 24 years, Andrew Loviscek has been doing what he can to keep the grounds looking nice. Maintaining the track is a year-round activity. He also has an important job on race day.
“I’m on a sweeper,” explained Loviscek. “I sit at the north end of the track between turns three and four. I’m sweeper two. We have another sweeper that sits on the other end of the track that sits between turns one and two. My job on race day is to go out there on the yellows and sweep up the marbles, which are little bits of rubber that come off the tires, or debris from an accident.”
Loviscek often gets a chance to speak to the drivers and teams that participate in the Indianapolis 500 more than the drivers and teams that participate in the NASCAR races in July.
“I talk to the teams more from the 500 just because they’re here for so long. In NASCAR, those guys just seem to come in out of nowhere. They show up on a Thursday and before you know it, it’s bang and they’re gone!” Loviscek said.
Work at IMS is constantly occurring. The speedway’s museum is open all year-round and many visitors play on a golf course located in the infield of the 2.5 mile track. It’s Loviscek’s job to make sure the grounds look great for your visit to the Indy 500, NASCAR’s Brickyard 400 in July or a track tour and museum stop.
The 97th running of the Indianapolis 500 is this Sunday, May 26 and the green flag will drop at 12:12 p.m. ET.
