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IndyCar
INDYCAR: The Pagoda Never Looks The Same
For those of us who are fortunate to view and interact with the Pagoda on a regular basis, the great structure plays a recurring role in our lives and stories.
The pagoda breathes life and sheds light onto every event held at IMS. (IMS Photo)
I hear a lot of powerful words associated with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Sacred, hallowed and revered are used often, and I completely agree. There is something incredibly special about this facility.
It only makes sense that on these hallowed one-of-a-kind grounds, we’ve had something equally as special--a pagoda--to admire for almost 100 years. Pagodas were built in Asia as places of worship or a place to safely store sacred items, and naturally, the home of the Indy 500 would have one, too.
Before I jump into my relationship with this Indianapolis Pagoda, let’s get the facts out of the way:
Track founder Carl Fisher had a wooden Pagoda first erected in 1913. That one burned down in 1925, and a similar Pagoda was constructed to replace it. After 10 years of modifications, Tony Hulman had a new version constructed in 1957, and the one you see today took its place in 2000.
By the way, I’m no historian – these Pagoda facts and others are all available from the IMS website.
For those of us who are fortunate to view and interact with the Pagoda on a regular basis, the great structure plays a recurring role in our lives and stories.
During events at IMS, I often find myself holding a camera, and with that camera in hand, I tend to look at things differently. I think everyone does – you’re just expecting to capture a glimpse of something unique, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway never disappoints.
One of my best friends at IMS works in Pagoda Command during all of our events – the Indianapolis 500 (IndyCar), Super Weekend (NASCAR, Nationwide and GRAND-AM) and the Red Bull Indianapolis GP (MotoGP). Along with a variety of internal and external departments, he sits high up overseeing the day-to-day activities. His view is spectacular.
As a photographer, I quickly found myself drawn to the Pagoda and other vantage points to consider. It’s nearly impossible to take a bad photo of it. The more the photos I took, the more I challenged myself to capture a different side of this incredible building. I wanted to capture its complexity, its imposing stature and its role in the history of 100 years of racing.
I started a tradition and test for myself--I wanted to give my friend high atop the Pagoda a gift each race day, and there was an easy solution: I’d give him a photo of the Pagoda that he was sitting in (probably looking down at me and laughing). In return, I would capture different sides to the Pagoda than I’d seen before.
The gallery below contains some historical images of the Pagoda from the IMS archives, and some of the images I’ve taken over the past couple of years. And like I said, it’s near impossible to take a bad photo, especially when witnessing a sunrise. It’s a profound experience.
PHOTOS: Click Here or on the image below to view INDYCAR: IMS Pagoda
In September, I traveled to Japan for the IZOD IndyCar Series race at Twin Ring Motegi, and on a free day, I made the short trip from where we were staying in Utsunomiya to Nikko to visit the Toshugo Shrine, including a five-story pagoda.
It all clicked for me there (photographically and metaphorically) - the experience of standing in the shadow of what inspired the original IMS pagoda and the subsequent pagodas was unforgettable. Being surrounded by people with a real passion for such things and gazing at a pagoda that itself has witnessed centuries of history was heartening. It all seemed so familiar.
Back home, walking the grounds of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and viewing our pagoda was amplified and enriched. My personal challenge of shooting it in new and different ways continues, and as I tell those who visit the track, take your own photos of the Pagoda to see what unique perspectives and angles you can come up with.
No two photos of it will look the same.
I should know, because I’ve tried.
Daniel Incandela is Director of Online Strategies at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where he oversees digital, web and photography. He also likes to write, take photos and listen to hip hop. You can also follow his musings on Twitter.
It only makes sense that on these hallowed one-of-a-kind grounds, we’ve had something equally as special--a pagoda--to admire for almost 100 years. Pagodas were built in Asia as places of worship or a place to safely store sacred items, and naturally, the home of the Indy 500 would have one, too.
Before I jump into my relationship with this Indianapolis Pagoda, let’s get the facts out of the way:
Track founder Carl Fisher had a wooden Pagoda first erected in 1913. That one burned down in 1925, and a similar Pagoda was constructed to replace it. After 10 years of modifications, Tony Hulman had a new version constructed in 1957, and the one you see today took its place in 2000.
By the way, I’m no historian – these Pagoda facts and others are all available from the IMS website.
For those of us who are fortunate to view and interact with the Pagoda on a regular basis, the great structure plays a recurring role in our lives and stories.
During events at IMS, I often find myself holding a camera, and with that camera in hand, I tend to look at things differently. I think everyone does – you’re just expecting to capture a glimpse of something unique, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway never disappoints.
One of my best friends at IMS works in Pagoda Command during all of our events – the Indianapolis 500 (IndyCar), Super Weekend (NASCAR, Nationwide and GRAND-AM) and the Red Bull Indianapolis GP (MotoGP). Along with a variety of internal and external departments, he sits high up overseeing the day-to-day activities. His view is spectacular.
As a photographer, I quickly found myself drawn to the Pagoda and other vantage points to consider. It’s nearly impossible to take a bad photo of it. The more the photos I took, the more I challenged myself to capture a different side of this incredible building. I wanted to capture its complexity, its imposing stature and its role in the history of 100 years of racing.
I started a tradition and test for myself--I wanted to give my friend high atop the Pagoda a gift each race day, and there was an easy solution: I’d give him a photo of the Pagoda that he was sitting in (probably looking down at me and laughing). In return, I would capture different sides to the Pagoda than I’d seen before.
The gallery below contains some historical images of the Pagoda from the IMS archives, and some of the images I’ve taken over the past couple of years. And like I said, it’s near impossible to take a bad photo, especially when witnessing a sunrise. It’s a profound experience.
PHOTOS: Click Here or on the image below to view INDYCAR: IMS Pagoda
In September, I traveled to Japan for the IZOD IndyCar Series race at Twin Ring Motegi, and on a free day, I made the short trip from where we were staying in Utsunomiya to Nikko to visit the Toshugo Shrine, including a five-story pagoda.
It all clicked for me there (photographically and metaphorically) - the experience of standing in the shadow of what inspired the original IMS pagoda and the subsequent pagodas was unforgettable. Being surrounded by people with a real passion for such things and gazing at a pagoda that itself has witnessed centuries of history was heartening. It all seemed so familiar.
Back home, walking the grounds of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and viewing our pagoda was amplified and enriched. My personal challenge of shooting it in new and different ways continues, and as I tell those who visit the track, take your own photos of the Pagoda to see what unique perspectives and angles you can come up with.
No two photos of it will look the same.
I should know, because I’ve tried.
Daniel Incandela is Director of Online Strategies at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where he oversees digital, web and photography. He also likes to write, take photos and listen to hip hop. You can also follow his musings on Twitter.
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