Multiple United States Presidents, Vice Presidents, and presidential candidates have attended the Indianapolis 500 and/or visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The following list represents known and confirmed visits, whether at the race, during practice/time trials, or at others times or for other events. Other instances such as planned visits that did not occur, and visits that came prior to serving in office are included as noted.

The Indiana Presidential Primary election is traditionally held in early May (every four years during U.S. presidential election cycles). Owing to this, it has not been unusual for candidates to visit the Speedway if they happen to be in town campaigning for the primary election. In modern times, two U.S. Vice Presidents – Dan Quayle and Mike Pence – have been Indiana natives, and both have attended the “500” multiple times, including during their respective terms as vice president. With the state of Indiana sometimes nicknamed the ‘Mother of Vice Presidents‘, at least one other, Thomas R. Marshall, also possesses an important historical footnote at the Speedway.

The earliest U.S. president known to have attended the Indianapolis 500 was Harry S. Truman. He is reported to have attended the race in the late-1930s, prior to his presidency; possibly during the time that he was a U.S. Senator from Missouri. Several Indy 500 winning drivers have been invited to the White House to meet with the president. In at least one of those cases, the meeting occurred at a different location from the White House. In addition, over the years, some presidents and candidates have made notable appearances at race tracks other than the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, highlighted by President Ronald Reagan’s appearance at the 1984 Firecracker 400.

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President Richard Nixon

In 1971, the city of Indianapolis was scheduled to host the NATO International Conference of Cities. The conference was scheduled for May 24–27, and the race was set for Saturday May 28. Tentative plans were being made for sitting president Richard Nixon to attend the conference, the race, and the “500” Festival Parade along with the numerous delegates in town for the convention. Rumors even circulated that Nixon might recite the starting command, taking the traditional duty away from Tony Hulman.

In the weeks leading up to the race, the Secret Service surveyed the Speedway, anticipating Nixon would be the first sitting president to attend the “500”. Special Bronze Badges were created for the NATO delegates. However, Nixon’s trip to the conference was cancelled. Vice President Spiro T. Agnew represented the Nixon Administration at the conference. However, Agnew did not stay for the race. Some NATO delegates were in the grandstands Friday evening for the “500” Festival Parade, and some stayed Saturday for the race.

Later that same year, Nixon hosted a reception at the White House recognizing members of the auto racing community. Nixon reminiced that he had watched races as a boy at Legion Ascot Speedway, and became particularly intrigued by racing after flying over the Ontario Motor Speedway in 1970. On September 21, 1971, over 125 prominent drivers, owners, officials, promoters, sponsors, sportswriters, and other members of the motorsports industry, representing Indy car racing, NASCAR, NHRA, Formula One, land speed records, off-road racing, and other disciplines, met with President Nixon, and attended a state dinner. The guest list was lengthy, a “who’s who” of racing at the time. Several Indy car drivers were present, including former Indy 500 winners Mario Andretti, Graham Hill, Parnelli Jones, Bobby Unser, and that year’s “500” winner Al Unser Sr. Future Indy 500 winners Mark Donohue and Johnny Rutherford, were also present. Roger Penske and Andy Granatelli were among the numerous owners gathered. It was the first of five White House visits for Rutherford, and the first of multiple visits experienced by Andretti, the Unser family, Penske, and others.

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President Gerald Ford

Gerald R. Ford was the 40th Vice president of the United States (serving from 1973 to 1974) and became the 38th President of the United States on August 9, 1974 after the resignation of Richard Nixon. Ford subsequently ran for a full term as president in 1976, but lost that election to Jimmy Carter.

In 1979, former president Ford was invited to attend the Indianapolis 500, and also serve as the grand marshal for the “500” Festival Parade. In doing so, Ford became the first former U.S. president (as well as the first former U.S. vice president) to attend the Indianapolis 500. Ford arrived for a three-day visit, attending the “500” Festival Ball on Friday night with congressman William G. Bray, Indianapolis Mayor William H. Hudnut III, and other celebrities. On Saturday May 26, Ford served as the grand marshal of the parade downtown, riding in a convertible.

On race day, Ford arrived at the Speedway at approximately 9:30 a.m. He was present for the pre-race ceremonies and the early portions of the race. Ford reportedly did not stay for the finish. He was escorted out of the Speedway by police and his Secret Service detail by helicopter.

In 1976, while Ford was still president, that year’s Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford was invited to the White House in Washington, D.C. for a state dinner. On July 15, 1976, Rutherford and his wife Betty were among many guests gathered from the sports world, which included Woody Hayes, Sonny Jurgensen, and Ralph Wilson.

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President Jimmy Carter

The 39th president Jimmy Carter, who grew up in Plains, Georgia, was an avid NASCAR fan. He once worked as a ticket-taker at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and was a regular at that track, including while he was Governor of Georgia. He served as the honorary starter for the 1976 Atlanta 500, and invited members from NASCAR to the governor’s mansion on a couple of occasions. Over the years, he was popular in the NASCAR community, and in 1976, Carter even made a campaign promise that if he won the presidential election, he would invite NASCAR drivers to the White House. He fulfilled that promise on September 13, 1978 with a reception on the South Lawn with prominent drivers including Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, and Benny Parsons. Carter himself, however, was a last-minute cancellation; he was unable to attended the reception as he was at Camp David for the Camp David Accords. First Lady Rosalyn Carter hosted the event in his absence.

Then two-time Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford was said to have been one of the roughly 500 guests in attendance at the 1978 NASCAR White House visit. Though he was primarily an Indy car driver, Rutherford was not a stranger to stock car racing. However, with Carter absent, Rutherford like the others, was unable to meet with the president. President Carter did not explicitly invite any Indy 500 winners to the White House during his term. However, prior to his presidency, he was photographed meeting with then three-time Indy 500 winner A.J. Foyt in victory lane at the 1971 Atlanta 500.

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President Ronald Reagan

On Sunday May 2, 1976, former California Governor (and future president) Ronald Reagan visited the Indianapolis area, campaigning for the Indiana Republican Primary which was scheduled for Tuesday May 4. There was no track activity scheduled for that day, as the USAC Indy cars were at Trenton Speedway for the Trenton 200. Practice for the 1976 Indianapolis 500 was slated to begin on Saturday May 8. Reagan met with track owner Tony Hulman, toured the Speedway, and visited the newly-opened Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum. Film actor Jimmy Stewart was also in attendance. Reagan drove one of the Buick Century pace cars around the track, and did a photo opportunity sitting in Larry McCoy’s Indy race car.

Though Reagan did not ever visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on race day, he famously attended another race during his 1984 re-election campaign. On July 4, 1984, Reagan was in attendance at Daytona International Speedway for the NASCAR Firecracker 400. The day was special, as Hall of Fame racing legend Richard Petty won his record 200th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series race victory.

During his two terms as president, Ronald Reagan invited multiple Indy 500 winners to visit the White House:

• On January 23, 1986, Reagan met and posed for pictures with the Unser family. Then-three time Indy 500 winner Al Unser Sr. had just won the 1985 CART championship, with Al Unser Jr. runner-up in points. In attendance were Unser Sr. and his then-wife Karen, Unser Jr. and his then-wife Shelley, Bobby Unser and his wife Marsha, as well as Roger Penske. Reagan was presented with a helmet and jacket as a gift from Unser.
• On July 22, 1986, that year’s Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal visited the White House and met with President Reagan. The visit was arranged by Senator Dick Lugar and congressman John Kasich. Rahal and his then-wife Debi gifted the president a Truesports Racing jacket, and a signed photograph.
• On March 31, 1987, Reagan hosted a state dinner at the White House for French President Jacques Chirac. Of the many celebrities in attendance were three-time Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford and his wife Betty.
• On July 8, 1988, Rick Mears was invited to the White House to meet President Reagan following his third Indy 500 victory. Mears presented Reagan with a Pennzoil fire suit as a gift.

A decade prior to his presidency, Reagan was in attendance at the inaugural California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway. At the time, Reagan was Governor of California, and presented the winner’s trophy in victory lane.

Lieutenant colonel Oliver North, who was a staff member at the National Security Council in the 1980s (during the time of the Reagan Administration), and who is best-remembered for his involvement in the Iran-Contra affair, visited the Speedway in 1989. On Pole Day (Saturday May 13) he toured the Speedway as a guest of Pat Patrick and Chip Ganassi. North met with several drivers, and also met with NASCAR driver Richard Petty who was also visiting the track that day. Qualifying, however, was rained out for the day.

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President George H. W. Bush

On August 8, 1987, then-Vice President George H. W. Bush was in attendance at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Opening Ceremonies of the 1987 Pan American Games. Bush made the official proclamation that the games were “open”. He stayed to watch the festivities, accompanied by then-Second Lady (and future First Lady) Barbara Bush.

After his presidency, George H. W. Bush attended the 2003 Indianapolis 500. In that year, both Bush and former president Bill Clinton were in attendance – the first time two former U.S. presidents attended the same Indianapolis 500. Bush was a guest of Tom Kelley, owner of Kelley Racing.

Bush toured Gasoline Alley and met with drivers in the garage area on the morning of the race. During the pre-race, Bush walked out from the garage area with driver Al Unser Jr., and was interviewed live on ABC-TV by Vince Welch.

Welch: “A special fan supporting the Kelley Team today, former President Bush. Mr. President, how long have you been a race fan?”
Bush: “Well I’ve been a long time, but I’ve never seen this race. I’ve seen NASCAR races, but never seen the big one. But of course this guy’s [Al Unser Jr.] family name just rings through American sports, transcending the Indianapolis. But I’ll tell you, this is a is thrill for me, and I’m just rooting hard for these guys.”

Wearing a jacket with a red-white-blue American flag liner, Bush watched the race from one of the suites. Bush also was also quoted as saying

“Big moment in my life. I thought I’d seen everything, I thought I experienced every thrill, but this one is tops”.

During Bush’s one term as president, 1991 Indy 500 winner Rick Mears was invited to a state dinner at the White House. His then-wife Chris Mears famously got to sit at the President’s table, while Rick himself was assigned to a different table.

As sitting Vice President, Bush attended the 1983 Daytona 500. As sitting President, he also attended the 1992 Pepsi 400 at Daytona during his re-election campaign.

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President Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton reportedly attended the 1987 Indianapolis 500 as a spectator (while he was sitting governor of Arkansas). After his presidency, Clinton attended the 2003 race. In that year, both George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton attended the race, the first time two former U.S. presidents attended the same Indianapolis 500. Clinton was a guest of Indiana Pacers owners Herb and Mel Simon. Clinton reportedly bought souvenirs at one of the merchandise stands in Pagoda Plaza totaling $370, and signed autographs for fans.

On May 14, 1994, during his first term as president, Clinton was in Indianapolis on Indy 500 Pole Day. Clinton was scheduled to take part in three events, however, none involved the Speedway. During his 1992 presidential campaign, Clinton served as the grand marshal of the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

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President George W. Bush

The 43rd president George W. Bush is not known to have visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Twice his during his two terms as president, Bush invited that year’s Indy 500 winner to Washington, D.C. for a meeting and photo opportunity.

• In January 2001, three-time Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford, a longtime resident of Fort Worth, Texas (Bush’s home state is Texas), attended the first Inauguration of George W. Bush.
• On July 19, 2004, that year’s Indy 500 winner Buddy Rice visited The White House. President Bush took pictures with Rice, the Rahal-Letterman Racing team, the winning car, and the Borg-Warner Trophy on the South Lawn. Car owner Bobby Rahal was making his second White House visit; he also visited after his victory as a driver in 1986. Bush was presented with a helmet as a gift.
• On July 18, 2006, that year’s Indy 500 winner Sam Hornish Jr. met with President Bush at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

Though George W. Bush has not yet attended (as of 2024) the Indianapolis 500, he did attend the 2004 Daytona 500 as sitting president, and the 2000 Pepsi 400 at Daytona (while he was still Governor of Texas) during his 2000 presidential campaign. Three-time Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford attended functions with George W. Bush during his time as Governor of Texas, and also met with him while Bush was part-owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team.

On May 15, 2002, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta (who served during the Bush Administration) visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to announce a grant for the state of Indiana regarding child passenger protection programs. Mineta rode in an Indy car two-seater with driver Jeret Schroeder.

On August 8, 2002, United States Mint Director Henrietta Holsman Fore (who served during the Bush Administration) joined Indiana Governor Frank O’Bannon at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a ceremony to unveil the Indiana Quarter of the 50 State Quarters Program.

On September 14, 2007, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito (a Bush-appointee) visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. He was a guest of Senator Dan Coats of Indiana. Alito and Coats toured the track with IMS staff including historian Donald Davidson.

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President Barack Obama

On October 18, 2016, President Barack Obama hosted a state dinner honoring Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. The guest list included 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner Mario Andretti and his daughter Barbra Andretti-Curto. Mario Andretti is Italian-born (he was born in Montona, Istria in 1940, which was part of the Kingdom of Italy at the time).

During his two terms as president, Obama welcomed NASCAR Cup Series champions to the White House on multiple occasions (including Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, and Kyle Busch), but not any Indianapolis 500 winners.

In March 2016, Ryan Hunter-Reay (2012 IndyCar champion and 2014 Indy 500 winner), visited the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., but did not visit the White House nor did he meet with President Obama. The visit was part of a promotional tour publicizing the upcoming 100th running of the “500”.

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President Donald Trump

Donald J. Trump has attended the Indianapolis 500 at least once. His visit came on race day in 2002, prior to his run for president. At the time, Trump was part of a group of investors interested in constructing an automobile racing track at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Trump was hired as a consultant for International Speedway Corp. (ISC) and NASCAR president Bill France Jr. Ultimately, the project was shelved, and plans for a NASCAR/IndyCar race track in the New York City metropolitan area never materialized.

Trump was also a spectator at the 1996 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World Speedway, the first ever event of the Indy Racing League.

In 2011, Donald Trump was initially selected as the celebrity pace car driver for that year’s Indianapolis 500. On Tuesday April 5, a ceremony was held at Trump Tower in New York City, where Trump posed for pictures with the Chevrolet Camaro convertible pace car. Within days, however, the choice was being met with resistance. Trump was mulling a run for president in 2012, and had drawn controversy stemming from the “birther” issue. His lack of ties to the Hoosier state, particularly since it was the milestone 100th anniversary “500”, led many fans and media to opine that the pace car driver should be someone with closer ties to the sport and/or the area. A Facebook campaign was created to protest Trump’s involvement, and the controversy simmered over the next few weeks. On May 5, Trump announced he was withdrawing from the pace car duties due to scheduling conflicts and a pending announcement of a presidential campaign. A day later, four-time Indy 500 winner A.J. Foyt was named as his replacement to drive the pace car. Foyt, aged 76 at the time, was performing pace car duties for at least second time. He drove one of the extra festival pace cars in 1994 (Parnelli Jones drove the primary pace car), but 2011 was the first and only time Foyt drove the primary pace car.

During season 12 of Trump’s NBC reality TV show The Apprentice (“The Celebrity Apprentice 5”), former Indy driver and IndyCar team owner Michael Andretti was one of the contestants. During the season finale episode, which aired on May 20, 2012, Trump took part in a cold open skit, riding in an two-seater Indy car with Mario Andretti.

After Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election, he twice met with Indy 500-winning drivers during his first term. On November 6, 2017, Trump met with 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato at a state dinner in Japan. After the conclusion of the 2017 IndyCar Series season, Sato embarked on a 15-day tour of his native country of Japan. It was in celebration of his first Indy 500 victory, as well as him being the first Japanese driver to the win the “500”. Sato was invited to the state banquet by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Sato met with and posed for pictures with Abe, his wife Akie, President Trump, and first lady Melania Trump.

On June 10, 2019, Trump welcomed 2019 Indianapolis 500 winner Simon Pagenaud, car owner Roger Penske, and Team Penske to the White House. Trump posed for photographs with the team, the winning car, and the Borg-Warner Trophy on the South Lawn. He then invited them inside for a brief tour inside the White House. Pagenaud gifted Trump an autographed helmet. Others in attendance included Vice President Mike Pence (himself an Indiana native), Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, IMS President Doug Boles, and IndyCar CEO Mark Miles. It was the second trip to the White House in about six week’s time for Roger Penske and Team Penske president Tim Cindric. They were also there on April 30 as Joey Logano was similarly honored for his 2018 NASCAR Cup Series championship.

On October 16, 2019, Trump hosted a reception in the East Room of the White House for Italian Prime Minister Sergio Mattarella. Among the special guests in attendance was Mario Andretti, who was introduced and delivered some brief remarks at the podium. A little over a week later, on October 24, 2019, Trump presented Roger Penske with the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award during a ceremony inside the Oval Office at the White House.

Though Trump did not attend the Indianapolis 500 during his first term as president, and did not attend post-presidency (2021–2024), he did attend the 2020 Daytona 500, serving as grand marshal. In May 2024, he attended the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway during his third presidential campaign (the Coca-Cola 600 was held the same day at the 2024 Indianapolis 500).

Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election, and started his second (non-consecutive) term on January 20, 2025. A few weeks into his second term, he attended major sporting events on consecutive weekends. Trump attended Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on February 9. One week later, Trump attended the Daytona 500 on February 16. It was Trump’s second trip to the Daytona 500, and he became the first president to attended the Daytona 500 twice as sitting president.

On April 9, 2025, Trump hosted Penske Racing during a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House. In attendance were 2023 and 2024 NASCAR champions Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano, 2023–2024 Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden, and the winning drivers from the 2025 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona (Nick Tandy, Felipe Nasr, and Laurens Vanthoor). Also in attendance were Roger Penske, Tim Cindric, Jonathan Gibson, NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps, NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell, and IndyCar & Penske Entertainment CEO Mark Miles. When asked about attending the Indianapolis 500, Trump stated “I’ll have to get there…maybe this year, with you.” To which Penske replied “You have an open invitation.” At a press conference during practice week for the 2025, Speedway officials were asked if plans were being made for Trump to attend. The Speedway redirected their questions to the White House. It was then reported on May 16, that Trump would not be attending the 2025 race.

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President Joe Biden

The 46th president Joseph R. Biden is not known to have visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. However, his White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain (2021–2023) has reportedly attended the Indianapolis 500 roughly twenty times.

Vice President Thomas R. Marshall

Thomas R. Marshall was the governor of Indiana from 1909 to 1913. He later served as U.S. Vice President for two terms under President Woodrow Wilson (March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1921).

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway officially opened in August of 1909, but the first race meet was cut short due to poor track conditions (the crushed stone and tar surface proved unsuitable). The track was temporarily closed, and famously repaved in brick during the fall of 1909. On December 17, 1909, Governor Marshall was in attendance to help re-dedicate the newly re-paved course. In bitter cold conditions, with temperatures in the low-teens, Marshall laid the ceremonial gold plated brick at the start/finish line to complete the improvements and formally re-open the facility. After some brief remarks, Marshall stayed to watch some of the scheduled racing activities. The first events contested on the bricks was a series of speed trials, with drivers aiming at various speed records. The event saw several records broken, despite the unbearably frigid weather conditions.

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Vice President Dan Quayle

The 44th Vice President of the United States, Dan Quayle was born in Indianapolis in 1947, and has been a longtime Indiana resident. Quayle served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977 to 1981, then was U.S. Senator for the state of Indiana from 1981 to 1989. Quayle was the Vice President under George H. W. Bush from January 1989 to January 1993, and throughout his lifetime, has been a regular at the Indianapolis 500.

Quayle said that he first attended the Indy 500 in 1962. When asked in 1989, he claimed to have been the race “over twenty” times up to that point, including during his terms as U.S. Senator. The Republican ticket of Bush–Quayle won the 1988 presidential election, with Quayle the first person from Indiana to hold either office since Vice President Thomas Marshall (1913–1921).

Dan Quayle attended the 1989 Indianapolis 500, the first of three times as sitting vice president. His first visit was planned as a low-key affair, with minimal staff and for the most part only family accompanying him. This was intended to avoid disrupting traffic and to ease security. Quayle flew in from Washington on race morning, and flew by helicopter to the Speedway. During the prerace ceremonies, he rode around the track with wife Marilyn, but spent most of the rest of the day out of the spotlight. Transportation Department Secretary Samuel K. Skinner came along as guest. The Quayle family returned to Washington Sunday evening after the race.

In 1990, Quayle again attended the “500” this time with considerably more fanfare. His entourage included White Chief of Staff John H. Sununu, GOP consultant Roger Ailes, and Senator Don Nickles. On Friday night of race weekend, Quayle attended the “500” Festival Queen’s Ball. On Saturday, he was invited to serve as the grand marshal of the “500” Festival Parade downtown. Despite the rain, Quayle walked the entire length of the parade, waving to the crowd. He was accompanied by his family and was flanked by limousines and about two dozen Secret Service agents.

On race morning, Quayle arrived by helicopter, landing on the Speedway Golf Course. His motorcade then took him into the infield, and to the Master Control Tower. He rode around the track with wife Marilyn in one of the Chevy Beretta pace cars, and strolled around the track, waving to fans. He watched the race from one of the suites in the Tower Terrace. After the race, the vice president and his staff conducted official duties, flying in Air Force Two over Southern Indiana counties to assess recent flood damage.

In May 1991, the United States was celebrating the success of the recently-concluded Gulf War. The 75th Indianapolis 500 had an increased level of patriotism surrounding it, and Vice President Quayle was once again slated to attend. General Norman Schwarzkopf, who led the coalition forces during the Gulf War and Operation Desert Storm, was also at the race, invited to serve as the grand marshal. Quayle’s 1991 “500” visit, though, was nearly cancelled, as he was called away just days earlier to attend the funeral of Rajiv Ghandi. Quayle flew overnight, and arrived at the Speedway on race morning. During the pre-race, he toured the pit area and met with several drivers including Arie Luyendyk and Willy T. Ribbs.

In 1992, Bush and Quayle were running for re-election. Due to their busy campaign schedule, Quayle was forced to skip the 1992 Indy 500. He did, however, recorded a video tribute that aired during the “500” Festival Queen’s Ball on Friday night of race weekend. Later in the year, Qualye attended the NASCAR Die-Hard 500 at Talladega, and gave the command to start engines. The Bush–Quayle ticket ultimately lost their re-election bid to Bill Clinton and Al Gore. Quayle’s lone term as vice president ended having attended the “500” in three out his four years in office. In subsequent years, it is unconfirmed how many times Quayle has returned to the Speedway as a now-private citizen.

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Vice President Mike Pence

Mike Pence was born in Columbus, Indiana. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, as Governor of Indiana (2013–2017), and as Vice President during President Donald Trump’s first term. A lifelong Hoosier, Pence has been a regular visitor to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and has reportedly attended the Indianapolis 500 “more than 30 times“, including one visit as sitting Vice President. During his tenure as governor, Pence notably signed a bill in 2013 providing public funds for construction improvements at the Speedway.

As sitting governor, Pence was in attendance at the “500” on race day in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. In at least three of those years, Pence visited the broadcasting booth of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network, and was interviewed on-air. He also regularly took part in the “500” Festival Parade downtown.

During the month of May 2016, in the days leading up to the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500, then-Governor Mike Pence made multiple visits to the Speedway. At the time, Pence was on the campaign trail, still running for reelection as governor. On May 6, Pence joined Speedway president Doug Boles, and Indianapolis mayor Joe Hogsett at a press conference to announce that all grandstand seats for the 100th Indianapolis 500 were officially sold out. On May 11, Pence visited the nearby Dallara IndyCar factory, touring the facility and delivering remarks. Pence rode in the “500” Festival Parade downtown on Saturday, and attended the race on Sunday. Less than two months later, Pence was picked to be Donald Trump’s running mate.

The Trump–Pence ticket won the 2016 presidential election. The 2017 Indianapolis 500 was the first to occur during the term, and Pence was in attendance. Early speculation swirled that Pence might drive the pace car, walk the red carpet, and have official duties, but his visit was largely low-key. Under heightened security, inconvenient gate closures, and with some detractors promising a ‘chilly‘ reception, Pence’s 2017 visit was nevertheless described as “positive” and ended up posing little disruption. Pence flew by Air Force Two into Columbus, Indiana, then arrived at the track by helicopter with Second Lady Karen Pence. They landed outside the track on the golf course, and his motorcade took a lap around the track during the pre-race ceremonies. Pence watched the race from one of the Turn Two Suites, and was interviewed on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network by Dave “The King” Wilson.

In 2018, Pence did not attended the “500” on race day. However, he did visit the track during practice on May 18. During the week leading up to the race (May 22), the Indy 500 National Media Tour included a trip by 2014 Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay to Washington, D.C. IndyCar CEO Mark Miles and Hunter-Reay visited and posed for pictures with Vice President Pence at the White House. President Trump was not involved with the visit.

For 2019, Pence did not visit the track, but he took part in a reception for the Indiana Society of Washington, celebrating the event on May 21. Defending Indy 500 winner Will Power visited with Pence at his West Wing office in Washington, D.C. In 2020, Pence did not attend the race, which was held without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After his term as vice president was over in January 2021, Pence has attended the race in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. Each of his visits to the race since 2021 have been relatively low-key, and mostly of a private nature.

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Vice President J.D. Vance

As of the most recent updates to this article, Vice President J.D. Vance is not known to or confirmed to have visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway or attended the Indianapolis 500. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Vance (as Donald Trump’s running mate) attended the NASCAR Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 13, 2024.

Barry Goldwater

Senator Barry Goldwater (of the state of Arizona) was the Republican candidate for president in 1964. He lost the general election that year to Lyndon Johnson. Goldwater was a frequent visitor to the Speedway, including during his time as a sitting U.S. senator. He claimed to have attended the race “on and off since the ’30s” because he was a self-described “car nut”. Newspaper accounts confirm him attending Time Trials at the Speedway as early as 1955. One account suggested his first “500” as a spectator came in 1932, and that he had been back “four or five times” prior to the 1970s.

Goldwater is confirmed to have attended the Indianapolis 500 on race day in 1971, 1975, 1976, 1978, and 1979. In 1973, Goldwater arrived at the track on Monday May 28 for the scheduled start. However, the race was halted due to the Salt Walther crash, and rain ultimately postponed it until Wednesday May 30. It is not believed that Goldwater stayed in Indianapolis through the lengthy rain delay. Goldwater may have also attended the 1974 race. Additionally, in 1959, his 20-year old son and future congressman Barry Goldwater Jr. was reported to have visited the track on race weekend.

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George Romney

George W. Romney, the father of Mitt Romney, was briefly in the running for the 1968 GOP nomination. He dropped out of the race very early in the contest. Three years later in 1971, Romney was one of the grand marshals for the “500” Festival Parade downtown. At the time, Romney was the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Richard Nixon.

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Colin Powell

General Colin Powell was rumored to be a vice presidential candidate in 1992, and a potential presidential candidate for the Republican Party in both 1996 and 2000. However, he ultimately declined to run for any of those offices. A four-star general, Powell was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989 to 1993. He was then the U.S. Secretary of State during President George W. Bush’s first term (January 2001 to January 2005).

In 2005, Powell was invited to drive the Chevrolet Corvette pace car for the 89th Indianapolis 500 on May 29, 2005. Powell also delivered the special remarks during the pre-race ceremonies prior to the rendering of “Taps”.

In 2006, Powell was involved with the “500” on race day a second time. He was once again invited to deliver the special remarks prior to “Taps”. He appeared in a pre-recorded video which aired on the video boards and on the live ABC television broadcast.

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Hillary Clinton

Former First Lady, and then-U.S. Senator (from New York) Hillary Rodham Clinton visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 6, 2008. Clinton was in Indianapolis campaigning for the 2008 Indiana Primary. Clinton visited the Speedway during an Indy 500 practice day, and met with driver Sarah Fisher in the garage area. Clinton was running against Barack Obama for the Democratic Party nomination. Her visit to the Speedway lasted about 40 minutes, and she also shook hands and signed autographs with fans.

Barack Obama was also in Indianapolis the previous day (May 5), but his campaign schedule did not include visiting the track.

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Mitt Romney

Former Massachusetts Governor and U.S. Senator (for the state of Utah) Mitt Romney was the Republican candidate for president in 2012. Romney lost the 2012 election to incumbent Barack Obama. Prior to that, Romney also ran – unsuccessfully – for the Republican nomination for the 2008 presidential election. During the early stages of the campaign season, Romney was in Indianapolis attending the Midwest Republican Leadership Conference. On August 24, 2007, Romney visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, taking a tour of the museum with IMS director of public relations Ron Green. Later that evening, Romney gave a speech to GOP delegates at barbecue hosted at a pavilion in the Speedway infield. Furthermore, in 2012, Romney attended a NASCAR race at Richmond while on the campaign trail.

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Luke Walton:: “Sid, this is the hottest day we’ve had in Hoosierland since Willkie accepted the nomination in Elwood back in 1940″.

—Pit reporter Luke Walton on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network at the 1953 Indianapolis 500, nicknamed at the time “The Hottest 500” (5/30/1953).

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Additional references & works cited

• Retro Indy: Presidential visits to Indianapolis
• Sullivan spins to success, both on and off track
• Hunter-Reay hits Capitol Hill with Borg-Warner in tow