The Official Blog of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The 2011 500 Festival princesses represent 11 Indiana colleges and universities and 24 cities and towns across the state. The young women were selected from 278 applicants based on communication skills, poise, academic performance, and community and volunteer involvement. The 500 Festival has narrowed the field to 33 princesses who will serve as ambassadors for the 2011 500 Festival.

In this blog series we will introduce you to the 500 Festival Princesses, share what they are doing in Indiana communities and their tips for the month of May. We will also share their dream line-up of 33 drivers from TheGreatest33.com. Want to earn bragging rights by sharing your line-up with friends and family too? Be sure to click the “share” feature after finalizing and submitting your line-up!

With 38 days remaining until the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, we’re pleased to introduce you to Amanda and Allison!

Name: Amanda Haney

Hometown: Lebanon, IN

School: Lebanon High School

Number of Years you’ve have been to the Indy 500? 0   To the 500 Festival Parade? I am excited to say I will be attending my very first Indy 500 as a Festival Princess! What a better way to experience my first Indy 500! As for the parade, my family and I attended several years on a cold and windy day. Hopefully we will have better luck with the weather this time around! Actually being a part of this major Festival event will be a once in a lifetime experience, and I could not be more excited!

Your tips for someone attending the Indy 500 for the first time: Since I have never been to the 500, I am not exactly sure what to expect! However, from what I have heard, wear your sunscreen, stay hydrated, and as always, take lots of pictures! I plan on soaking up as much of this experience as possible!

Your tips for someone attending the 500 Festival Parade for the first time: For first time attendees of the parade, I would suggest arriving to the parade route early to stake out a great seat. Once you find your seat, be prepared to play the waiting game. Despite the waiting, this will be a fun experience and you will see some neat people in the parade, including the Princesses! Enjoy every minute!

This is what I am doing in my community as a representative of the Princess Program: As a representative of the Princess Program, I have been working most with Mintonye Elementary School in Lafayette, IN. I am currently student teaching in a 4th grade class at Mintonye. One of the major aspects of the 4th grade curriculum is Indiana history. As a part of this, I have incorporated the Indianapolis 500 with our history lessons! The students have loved this so far! As a part of our last week of the unit, we will be having our own race, and the student will be able to have a photo opportunity with the official pace car and other princesses! This has been a great way to get the students excited to learn about the history of the race and Indiana as a whole. I cannot wait for the last week of our unit!

Another aspect of my community involvement will be volunteering at the Susan G. Komen Breast Tissue Donation Bank at the end of April. I donated tissue a year ago, and this will be a great way to continue my involvement and help further a great cause.

My Greatest 33 Line-up and what’s worth checking out at TheGreatest33.com: Click here to check out my dream Indianapolis 500 line-up on TheGreatest33.com. My Greatest 33 Line-Up is lead by three drivers who really made history in Indianapolis. Louis Meyer was the first driver to drink milk in the winner’s circle, Janet Guthrie was the first female driver, and Ray Harroun was the first winner of the Indianapolis 500. Without these three drivers, the Indy 500 would not be what it is today, the greatest spectacle in racing. The second row is composed of the three most recent winners of the 500, Dario Franchitti, Helio Castroneves, and Scott Dixon. The third row of my line-up is composed of quite possibly the most successful Indy 500 drivers. A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, and Rick Mears are the three four time winners. Beyond the third row, I intermixed current and past drivers randomly.

Creating my Greatest 33 line-up was a fun experience! It gave me an opportunity to learn more about past and current drivers, and gain even more respect for this grueling sport. I am looking forward to learning more about the drivers as the event approaches.

This May, I’m most looking forward to seeing: the Pace Car Reunion

Let us know when you spot the 500 Festival Princesses in your community!

Name: Allison Wright

Hometown: Carmel, IN

School: Butler University

Number of Years you’ve have been to the Indy 500? This will be my first year! To the 500 Festival Parade? As long as I can remember!

Your tips for someone attending the Indy 500 for the first time: I could use some tips because this will actually be my first race I am attending!

Your tips for someone attending the 500 Festival Parade for the first time: Make sure to bring a camera and wear sunscreen. It’s so much fun to see the different floats each and every year!

This is what I am doing in my community as a representative of the Princess Program: I’m reaching out and planning events with the Julian Center and Damar Center of Indianapolis. Volunteering is so important and I’m excited to have more opportunities through the 500 Festival Princess Program to give back to my hometown.

My Greatest 33 Line-up and what’s worth checking out at TheGreatest33.com: Click here to view my dream Indianapolis 500 line-up on TheGreatest33.com! The Greatest33.com has an overview of 100 drivers from past and present. By going to the website, you are able to preview these drivers and learn about their stories. I loved reading the stories and learning more about the history of the Indianapolis 500 through each driver over the years.

This May, I’m most looking forward to seeing: Carb Day!