Dale Coyne Racing rookie Jacob Abel kicks off the 500 Festival ahead of Indy 500

Dale Coyne Racing rookie Jacob Abel visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to help usher in a landmark month for the racing world, with the highly anticipated Indianapolis 500 on the horizon. Embracing the event's spirit, Abel took part in some activities at the iconic track to celebrate the start of Indy 500 festivities.

The driver from Kentucky visited the course as part of the non-profit organisation, the 500 festival, which aims to celebrate the spirit of the Indy 500. The official Instagram account of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which has 272k followers, posted a 5-picture carousel of Jacob Abel alongside J. Douglas Boles, who is the president of IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Abel indulged in various activities, including signings to kick off the month of May, which will witness the 109th edition of the Indianapolis 500, a race that first began in 1911.

"ALMOST May 👀 @dalecoyneracing’s @jacobabel helped us ring in our favorite month of the year with the @500Festival on Monument Circle," the IMS account captioned

The Indianapolis 500, widely regarded as one of motorsport’s three crown jewel events, has earned its reputation as "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." As of 2024, the iconic race has been held 108 times.

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Jacob Abel's father prioritises his son over his own team

INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Day 2 - Source: Getty

The 24-year-old, Jacob Abel, is in his first year of the IndyCar Series Championship. The rookie is set to make his debut at the iconic Indianapolis 500, with full support from his father, Bill Abel, who has canceled his own team's Indy 500 entry to be by his son's side.

Bill Abel, who owns Abel Motorsports (IndyCar and Indy NXT), is positive about his son's qualification for the Indy 500 scheduled for Sunday, May 25th.

Speaking of Jacob's participation, he expressed how much it means to him and his family. For this reason, he wants to witness his son get in the race and finish it. He doesn't want his own team's management to be a distraction on the race day.

"This means a whole lot to all of us, and we want to be there and be able to hopefully enjoy seeing Jacob get in the race, and finish the race, and not have to be in full race mode worrying about running our own car and everything else that comes with it. The way we’re looking at it is, Jacob is our priority and supporting him as a family is what we want to do in his first time there for the 500," said Bill Abel (via Racer)

Jacob Abel will be in action on Sunday, May 4 at Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama, for the fourth round of the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series Championship.