Indy 500 Snake Pit Infield Girls

• The Snake Pit
The infield of the track in the vicinity of turn one was known as the "Snake Pit." Long known for rowdiness, heavy alcohol consumption, bikers, streaking, flashing, and an overall Woodstock/Mardi Gras-esque atmosphere, the Snake Pit was a popular location for college-age fans to spend time at the track, many of whom had little or no interest in the actual racing activities. Like the infield at the Kentucky Derby, the Snake Pit was often considered a rite of spring, and an excuse to party with abandon. Arrests for public intoxication, disorderly conduct, fights, and drug possession were frequent and common.
In periods of rain, the area usually became overwhelmed with mud, and mud wrestling was commonly observed. Bonfires and burned cars were also noted.
In 1981, track management erected bleachers in the turn one infield in an effort to curtail the revelry. In addition, improvements that included the new Gasoline Alley, a place for competitors to park motor homes row, along with additional support buildings, eventually scaled back the size of the area. As a result, for the better part of the 1980s, the patrons migrated to the infield of turn four, and the somewhat less-intense Snake Pit II emerged. By the 1990s, the intensity of the rowdiness had dropped drastically, due largely in part by third-generation management at the Speedway (Tony George) and beefed up law enforcement. The Snake Pit eventually became more of a festive party zone.