The Indianapolis 500 is one of the biggest motorcar races in the world and this year Idahoans can cheer on a local kid from Payette.
Sting Ray Robb grew up racing, his parents were big Corvette fans and that is how he got his name.
Now the 21-year-old will race in the Indy 500 after qualifying on Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
"I love what I get to do, I still wake up pinching myself to see if this is real or not," said Sting Ray. "This is the Super Bowl of racing."
Sting Ray Robb will start in the final row in the 31st position out of 33 of the best racers in the world. Since qualifying it has been a media whirlwind similar to the Super Bowl, he even got featured in a Sports Illustrated article.
"In the month of May, it is like a holiday here in Indianapolis. There is stuff happening every single day," said Sting Ray. "Yesterday I got to milk a cow and today we talked with some kids at a school about what the Indianapolis 500 is all about."
The last time we met, Sting Ray was at the Boise Airport when it was announced that he made the Indy Car Race Series. He joined Dale Coyne Racing and was met there by family and friends.
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Sting Ray told us the next months in the gym would be critical to building up his physical endurance to avoid brain fade, which is when lapses occur due to physical fatigue while flying around the track at 230 plus miles per hour.
"Our heart rates are anywhere from 130 to 180 beats per minute," said Sting Ray. "You are sustaining a super high heart rate for three plus hours and, to stay super precise and accurate, you have to make sure you are training accordingly."
However, Sting Ray has not made this long journey to one of the most prestigious races in the world alone. His parents and his grandparents are in Indianapolis to share this special moment after years of hard work.
"My dad has only ever missed one race and it was because he was in the hospital," said Sting Ray. "My mom is my manager. They have been with me all the way through the ranks, they have been a huge part of my career."
Sting Ray Robb is the second racer from Idaho to race in the Indianapolis 500 and it means a lot to him to represent Payette, Idaho.
"Idaho is a place I’m proud to be from and a place I’m proud to have roots in. It is cool to be able to represent them," said Sting Ray. "There are a lot of people that have poured into my career, whether they knew it or not, because of where they are from in Idaho. So it’s fun to be able to represent them and, hopefully, I will have some cheers."
The race begins at 10:45am Mountain Time on Sunday and it will air on NBC.
