Nolan Siegel writes that last year’s Indy 500 failure ‘lit a fire’ in him

This first-person essay is part of a special series leading up to the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 25 on FOX in which INDYCAR drivers penned letters about what the historic race means to them. Read them all here.

Dear Speedway,

I’ve been thinking about this moment for a long time.

Last year, I watched the race from the outside looking in — bumped out, heart heavy, realizing just how much this place means. To the sport. To the fans. To me.

There’s nothing quite like this track. Every brick, every roar of the crowd, every bit of history baked into the alphas — it all means something. And last May, I felt that truth in the hardest way. Not qualifying for the race hurt. That moment could’ve broken me. Instead, it built me.

It lit a fire.

I’ve put in the work and the hours, and so has our team. Since May 27, 2024 we’ve been working for this moment. Not just to make the field — but to compete, to contend, to win.

Now, I get to write a different story. I get to walk into Gasoline Alley not as a rookie who missed the cut, but as a driver ready to fight for 500 miles. Ready to earn my place in the storied history of this race.

There’s nothing quite like this track. Every brick, every roar of the crowd, every bit of history baked into the alphas — it all means something.

I know what it feels like to be left out. That’s why I won’t take a single second of this opportunity for granted.

Thank you for the lesson. Thank you for the motivation. And most of all — thank you for the chance.

See you soon.

– Nolan

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