Don’t be fooled by the cover. The program for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 has one of the more nondescript covers in history, but inside are some very good stories and artwork.

The content begins with a nice tribute to the late Parnelli Jones by Steve Shunck. It has always been a 500 program tradition to memorialize those that died since the previous May. Thanks to the sfaety of the modern IndyCar, we don’t have a full page of faces anymore.

The 2025 edition is mostly a tribute issue. There are features on three anniversary races- 1925, 1985, and 1995. The 1925 race saw Pete DePaolo average more than 100 mile per hour for the first time, a feat thatbstood unchallenged for seven years. 1985 is noted for Danny Sullivan’s spin and win. 1995 is a race I always regarded as the strangest 500 I have ever seen, but it is known more for the driver who lost, Scott Goodyear, than for the winner. Goodyear passed the pace car with 10 laps to go, and officials stopped counting his laps. 1995 was the last race before the split, and the Penske cars did not make the race,

Other features include a story on the renovated museum, a recap of the 2024 race, and stories on Scott Dixon, Scott McLaughlin, and Kyle Larson.

A featue on Marco Andretti carries the sad title “The Last Andretti.” It hit me hard to see that in print.

My favorite piece is one celebrating Miller Lite’s 50 year anniversary. Four fans share their Indianapolis 500 experiences. The 500 brings together people from different backgrounds who, for one day, share a common bond.

In recognition of Josef Newgarden becoming the sixth back to back winner of the 500, there is a special insert of trading cards of all the back to back winners,

Tilting the sheet presents a second photo and the caption changes. I learned something from the information on the back of the cards- only Vukovich and Newgarden carried the same number in the twin victories.

I wish the programs would return to containing more photos of the previous year’s event and a more detailed race recap. The modern era programs are more like a magazine than an event overview.

While the cover is not the most inviting, the contents make the program worth the $20.