1994 Indianapolis 500 Intro

[tonyleicher]

nothing else on earth gets me more fired up than the Delta Force theme song

[pajasa62]

3 more weeks and I'm going to my 4th Indy 500...I can't wait. I realized after the first time I went in 2008 that I would never miss going to another race.

[indyracingnut]

This video brings tear to my eyes, it really does.

[bobbyjoe2984]

@indyracingnut ma too

[BlueFox284]

This intro really puts it in perspective- If there's one guy who's raced at Indy and can say they've seen it all, its Mario Andretti.

[Amar7605]

Someday, my father, son, and I will go to the 500. God-willing, maybe even my grandfather.

[Amar7605]

I think this was the best out of all the Indy 500 intros. A fitting tribute to Mario Andretti!

[StFidjnr]

@Amar7605 that's because in 1994 is the year of Arrivederci Mario

[maxcath]

You are so right, jbracer! Indy hasn't been the same since that bitter split between CART and IRL at the end of the 1995 season! I miss the legends of Indy, but legends never die!

[pajasa62]

I hope everyone that appreciates a video like this will go at least once in their lives to the Indy 500...it is SOOO different in person than what you see on TV.

This year I nailed turn 1 southwest vista deck tickets...2 more weeks and I can't wait!!!

[mad122780]

@pajasa62 I am with ya I sit in row RR in the SW Vista. I can't freaken wait 2 weeks away from my 24th total Indy. I am only 29 years old Its all about Family Tradition and Classics!

[pajasa62]

@mad122780

That's cool, I'm sitting in section 8, row A of the deck section...I figure I had the chance to get those seats so I just went for it....sitting between turn 1 and turn 2 you can't go wrong!

That's GREAT that you've been to so many Indy 500's - you must live in Indiana.

I come in from Washington D.C., so it's a big thing just getting there...and I worry SOOO much about the rain in May in Indiana, but hopefully the weather will cooperate.

[txst71]

does any one have this race?

[coolerindy]

Indy isn't what it once was, right Mario.

[ShadowManStudios]

Yay Delta Force Theme rocks so much! Indy500's used to be so great! They still are but when CART was racing at Indy500 it was much better... CART was so awesome.... Speed, Turbo's and everything it was an open wheel racing dream which blew up long time ago.

[DC322]

Don't forget Tony George was a one man wrecking crew that killed open wheel racing.

[pajasa62]

2 more days and I'm going to my 2nd Indy 500....10% chance of thunderstorms....I'm nervous, but I'll take it!

I realize last year that it's well worth the risk to go and I'll never miss another race.

[mad122780]

I hope someday Marco's eyes can place the Andretti name on the Borg Warner!

[jbracer86]

This video and the sound of those cars and that delta force intro song brings a shiver down my spine. These were such great intros for the greatest race in the world. I sure wish they brought them back. Its so sad how things have changed at INdy.

[pajasa62]

You are so right.

I went to my first Indy 500 last year and taped the coverage. When I got home to watch the coverage (as has been the case for the past 10 years) I was so disappointed by this stupid "Gathering Storm" crap that ABC-TV showed at the beginning of it's telecast. Instead of giving this race some dignity, they want to be trendy and have psychotic graphics.

Nor are the stands empty on pole and qualifying days because everybody's watching it on TV either.

[jbracer86]

yeah they think these intros with all those graphics are what the fans want but its the exact oposite. Bring back the tradition show the clips of what made the indy 500 the greatest spectacle in racing. The delta force intros got the fans into the race by showing some of the greatest moments. It also helped the new fans get in appreciation for what this race is all about. now its just some "hollywood" show where they cant go 10 seconds without showing or refering to Danica Patrick.

[ohytr11]

They need to use that music still its sad that they don't.

[jbracer86]

i read this blog that Paul Page wrote talking about how him and the production crew would put together the intros a couple days before the 500 And how they would show the rest of the people in productions the intro during carbaration day and it would really get them all excited about the weekend and the 500. Paul made ABC promise never to use the delta force unless it was Paul doing the narrating because it meant that much to him. so that explains why we havent seen it bcuz he hasnt announced

[wildarms007]

Awesome tribute. A shame he didn't get to finish all 200 laps. Maybe he can save Indy car racing.

[Crisgo3d]

240MPH Turbos, THOSE WERE THE DAYS!!

[racermac1988]

And they're coming back... Maybe not 240MPH, but still turbos.

[Crisgo3d]

I just love the old sounds of the cars with the old turbos. Just watching this makes me also think that this was the very same track where Mario after he retired took a wild ride back in 2003. Seems like ever since he won the 500 hes had bad luck here. Even at testing!

[nadeau1064]

Nice touch with Mario Andretti slightly furrowing his brow at 01:22 just as Paul Page begins to describe Mario's struggles.

[jmpir117]

this is one of the best races around and good for indy, i used to live in indy and when the race is here omg this place is rocking and i wish abc can do the intros like this again.

[18babbfan]

A great tribute to one of the classiest race car drivers ever. Very well done.  This IS Indy!!

[trackside77]

Nobody does it better than Paul Page. This man is for me the voice of the Indianapolis 500. No offence to Gary Lee, and Larry Rice but they are not in the same class. Also the theme from Delta Force by Alan Silvestri is appropriate for this race. Roll on Sunday!

[trackside77]

Mario Andretti is my favourite all-time Indy/F1 driver. On TV I watched him win the 1978 F1World Championship. That Black and Gold JPS Lotus looked so slick , I guess it started my interest in Motor Sport. Mario is probably the greatest motor racing driver of all-time, having won the Indy 500, Indycar Championship, F1 World Championship, and Daytona 500. Although he never won the Monaco Grand Prix, he was still trying to win the Le Mans 24 Hour race well into his fifties.

[RTBaLLa]

240 mph on the straightaway, sick!!!

cant wait for sunday!!!

[pajasa62]

I can't imagine a similar, dignified video about any baseball, football player, golfer or any sport, other than an Indy driver like Mario Andretti.

[TUowl05]

I grew up in Bethlehem, Pa which is about 10 minutes from Nazareth and have met Mario several times. This was a sad day. Man i miss Sullivan, Mears, Little AL, Emmo, Rahal, Luyendyk and all the great drivers of the 80's and early 90's.

Was Indy's attendance really over 500,000 in the early 90's? If so that's incredible I always thought it was in the 350k range.

[ck7813]

IMS never releases "official" attendance info, the grandstands hold about 250K, with the infield (in the early 90's there were more people in and around the speedway then in the stands) which drove the attendance to around 400K. It isn't beyond the realm of possiblility to have close to 500,000 people in the vacinity of the speedway. Pole day (in the early 90's) would draw 150,000 people which was more than ANY NASCAR race at that time. One of the reasons's Nascar was secretly behind the split..

[clements22osu]

i can turn around and throw a stone and hit marios house....and if i have a really good throw hit michaels old house

but mario has won at indy. who would want to hit his house? lol

[dpate23]

I was never really a Mario fan as a kid but it brings tears to my eyes to think of all the bad luck at Indy..especially the 1987 race. He still went out at the top of his game..Mario lead more laps in the 1993 race than anyone else I believe.

[X24RIDER]

Never seen this before, what a fantastic tribute to one of the best race and test drivers the world has ever known. Mario Andretti.

[swordsman007]

Dude, are you kidding me??? Mario is THE BEST. Indy, F1, NASCAR, he did it all.  racermac1988 got it right-absolute class. Out of all the Daytona 500 winners, Mario carried himself the best. They don't make them like that anymore-not even in F1 or Indy, and sure as hell not in NASCAR.

[BlueFox284]

Ditto.

I wholeheartedly agree.

[indyracingnut]

What a fantastic tribute to Mario Andretti...I haven't seen this in years, and it really has done well to stand the test of time.

[ljostarter]

2 minutes, 50 seconds in shows some great footage of Pat Vidan waving the checkered flag.

[racermac1988]

Mario Andretti, the driver his grandson should want to be like. Absolute class, but sure he had his momments. Oh in 1981, he should be the winner, but USAC was in charge, the kings of screwing something up. Look at the new Silver Crown Car.

[jc790]

Gotta love the Delta Force theme music and Paul Page!!!

[BlueOvalHero]

Yep!!

[aln77mp]

Great clip on Mario. A great driver with a lot of class.

[racerf112]

does anyone have the intro to 2003 indy 500?

[rayesoflight]

famous words at INDY 'Mario is slowing down'

[racguy1183]

I wonder what music was played when they were announcing the starting field that year. I think it's as cool as the Delta Force theme. I know the music played during the unveiling of the starting field was used for the '92 & '95 season as well. Does anybody know what that music is?

[devilmaster73]

ummm, it is the delta force theme. ;)

[racguy1183]

no it wasn't! the Delta Force theme played during the intros, not the unveiling of the starting field.

[librazul]

Greatest driver Commendatore Mario Andretti.

[Rybo85]

This might be my favorite one of the delta force intros. Excellent!!

[GoJohjimaJihad]

What a way to honor the ups and downs of Mario Andretti for all the years he raced at Indy.