Race morning. All the work is completed, and the number 99 Sam Schmidt Motorsports entry is sitting on pit road waiting for battle.

This is one of the very few times you will see the crew members standing around - just before the race. At Indy, the entire month is filled with thrashing on the car.

The pitbox used by LP Racing is also quite impressive. Scoring readouts, telemetry from the car and a host of computers help the team keep track of the car and the race.

See the spot of blue in the middle of the car? That's the top of Davey's helmet. The drivers sit very low in the chassis to keep the center of gravity low, help aerodynamics, and also for protection.

The excitement, and the crowds, are very much evident in the garage area on Race Day. The crowds arrive early, and by race time it's hard to get around.

Chip Ganassi's Target-sponsored team competed in the '01 500, one of many teams from the competing CART series that ran Indy this year.

Another CART team, Penske Racing, ran the 500 in 2001. Not only did Penske return to Indy this year, his driver, Helio Castroneves, won the big race!

Tight racing is an IRL staple. These guys are a bit close to one another considering they're running more than 200 mph, don't you think?

Before the racing actually got started on 500 day, the huge crowd was treated to an exhibition lap by previous winners. It was cool seeing these old warhorses getting another dose of glory on the racetrack.

Photos like this simply do not do the cars justice. They actually flash by in the blink of the eye, accompanied by lots of engine noise.

VH1, the music channel, stepped up with additional sponsorship for the 99 team. This often happens after a car has qualified for the race, which is a very difficult thing to do itself.

This G-Force had one of the cooler paint schemes in the paddock. Very machine-like, perfect for a race car.

Think about this the next time some cop hassles you about doing dangerous things with your car. Actually, these are trained professionals on a closed course........