Come Sunday at noon, as I have done every year of my life since childhood, I will be among an estimated 300 million people in more than 200 countries around the world who are glued to their television screens watching “the greatest spectacle in racing,” the 94th running of the Indianapolis 500.

They’ve staged this 500 mile contest of speed, endurance, brains, money, tragedy, and guts every year since 1911 (except for the war years of 1917-18 and 1942-45).