The Truth About The Indy 500's Wild Snake Pit

May 2024 · 2 minute read

Obviously, with the Snake Pit being what it is, there's no actual, official dress code. But, all the same, if you were to take a trip up and down the Snake Pit, you'd definitely see something of a trend when it comes to the clothing choices of the celebratory race-goers. That trend? The good old red, white, and blue. Yeah, per Deadspin, American flags are everywhere you turn, emblazoned not just on all types of clothing — ranging from top hats to swimsuits — but also plates, lawn chairs, and just about anything else you can slap the stars and stripes onto. And apparently, that's more than just a coincidence or purely tradition; at this point, it's more like a competition, with one man saying, "I love everyone trying to be more American than anyone else."

Here's the thing, though: Maybe take some of this with a grain of salt. It's not just a show of patriotism that you're getting here, and in some cases, it's not just American flags waving in the sky. Rather, in one case, an older man was motoring around the Snake Pit, the Confederate flag flying above his head. And when asked about it, his only response was that it wasn't really the Confederate flag, and that the Bonnie Blue Flag (a lesser-known flag unofficially associated with the Confederacy, which the man still had printed onto his scooter) was the real Confederate flag.

Americana is one thing, but outwardly supporting the Confederacy is certainly another.

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