Drivers in the Indianapolis 500 motor race cover 200 laps of the course. If a race car driver maintained a speed of 200 miles per hour for an entire lap, how long would it take him to negotiate that lap?

To determine how long it would take a race car driver to complete a single lap at 200 miles per hour, we first need to know the length of the track. The iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home to the Indianapolis 500, is a 2.5-mile oval circuit. With this information, the calculation becomes straightforward. If a driver maintains a constant speed of 200 miles per hour, they cover 2.5 miles in a fraction of an hour. Specifically, 2.5 miles divided by 200 miles per hour equals 0.0125 hours. Converting this to minutes by multiplying by 60 gives us 0.75 minutes, and then multiplying by another 60 seconds reveals that the lap would be completed in precisely 45 seconds.

The Indianapolis 500, often called "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing," is steeped in history, with the first race held in 1911. The entire race covers 200 laps, totaling 500 miles, which is how the event gets its famous name. The track itself, nicknamed "The Brickyard" because it was originally paved with brick, is a rectangular oval featuring four distinct turns and long straightaways that allow for incredible speeds. It is one of the world's oldest permanent automobile racetracks and boasts the highest seating capacity for a sports venue globally.

Drivers push their machines to the absolute limit at the Indianapolis 500, with average race speeds often exceeding 190 miles per hour, and individual laps frequently reaching well over 220 miles per hour. The precision required to navigate the 2.5-mile oval at such velocities, lap after lap, is a testament to the skill of the drivers and the engineering of their cars. This annual event, traditionally held over Memorial Day weekend, is not just a race of speed, but also one of endurance and strategy, captivating hundreds of thousands of spectators each year.