The Indianapolis 500 is often called “the greatest spectacle in racing,” and Derby alum Sara Collins was right in the heart of the action in the spring. Collins spent over a month at the world-famous track as a part of the college program at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Derby alum has turned a lifelong passion for motorsports into a future career.
Collins grew up around motorsports, partially thanks to her dad, Randy Collins, who grew up closer to Indiana. Sara was around the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), which is more drag racing, or would go to other events. As Collins went through school, she got involved with Panther Publications at Derby High School, but didn’t know the career path she wanted to pursue. In learning under Joanna Chadwick as part of the student newspaper, Collins found she had a passion for communications.
Out of all her experience in motorsports, it was a simple TikTok that ignited the spark for Collins. In March 2023, she saw a TikTok from the Ferrari Formula 1 team, which showed her the opportunities available to combine her passions.
“It sparked something in me that I wanted to do that,” Collins said. “I love motorsports and have grown up surrounded by them, but never considered pursuing a career around it. I’ve always wanted to travel and realized I could combine both passions and get paid to attend races every weekend; it felt like there were invisible strings connected with everything.”
After her first year of college, looking for the right opportunity, she eventually came across Indiana University and the college program at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In the fall of 2024, Collins transferred to Indiana University to major in communications and minor in global and international studies. She applied for the college program and was accepted. Collins made the move to Indiana in March to get ready for the busy program from March until May.
Collins was assigned to the suites area at the speedway, where she would check tickets and guide patrons to where they needed to be. She worked in the Legends Row suite area, where she was in the heart of the action and saw several important individuals from the racing teams, motor sport journalists and more. During her time there, she was around individuals in the racing world like the McLaren Team’s engineering crew, former F1 and IndyCar series driver Romain Grosjean, and motor sports journalist Will Buxton. Using her experience around the sport, she was excited, but took a professional approach in her interactions.
“I had to be on top of it when I was down in Legends Row, and there were times that I had to remind myself that I was working,” Collins said. “For the most part, I have been around it long enough to know that these are just regular people, but it was so cool to see.”
Collins created content on her personal social media outlets to show what she did in a day at the speedway. She said the program leaders encouraged the nearly 200 students to share their experiences. At a networking lunch, she interacted with people in a variety of different career paths in motor sports. Collins said that every person at the lunch was helpful.
Through the busy race season, Collins was at the track often and said that one of her favorite days was the Wienie 500, a race of six Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles, but the spectacle of race day for the Indy 500 was an unreal experience. On the day of the Indy 500, Collins needed to be at the track at 4 a.m., but she loved the experience enough to do it again.
“I had fun with the Wienie 500, and I asked people coming in who they were rooting for,” Collins said. “I got to talk to some drivers, and just hearing their process of getting through everything was insane. The day of the Indy 500 was absolutely incredible. I got there at 4 a.m. It was crazy, but I would do it again, and I am thinking about doing it again next year.”
Collins has set a whole career plan to get involved in communications for a racing team, driver or racing organization to travel the world, but she enjoyed the college program so much that she might apply for an internship at the speedway.
“The drivers talk about this place as a drug, and you get addicted to it. I thought it was for the team, but the next few days after the race, I missed it more than anything. I was so grateful to be in that opportunity, ‘cause a year ago, I had no idea where I would be taking classes. I am grateful for everything that got me there and not taking anything for granted and being around it growing up; life has led me to where I am supposed to be.”
