The biggest weekend in open-wheel racing is almost upon us and some Indy 500 royalty was in the house at Quaker Steak and Lube in Westminster, Colo. ahead of this year’s race.
Vail, Colo. native Buddy Lazier was a dominant force in the Indy Racing League from 1996 to 2000, winning the ’96 Indy 500 and taking the series championship in ’00.
Lazier will be racing in his 20th Indy 500 in 2017, driving the No. 44 Lazier Racing-Stalk It-Tivoli Lodge Chevrolet for Lazier Racing Partners. Lazier and his family still have deep Colorado roots; he is the owner/operator of popular Tivoli Lodge in Vail.
He was back in his home state ahead of this year’s Indy 500, and sat down with Race Central’s Kurt Hansen for a special taping of Race Central TV, which Hansen live-streamed on Facebook during the taping. Take a look in the videos below.
As the interview rolled on, Lazier spoke about going from being the youngest driver in the field to now being the oldest. He touched on the physical toll the 500 takes on drivers, and what he’s done to prepare for it this year.
Al and Bobby Unser each won the race at 47 years of age, so at 49 Lazier would set a new Indy 500 record with a victory this year.
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